To the casual observer, packages of nuts and bolts in the hardware section don”™t seem very complex. In fact, no one probably gives much thought to how they got there, just as long as they suit the purpose and work. You can thank a machinist for making that possible.
A.W. Mack has been manufacturing precious parts for a variety of industries in a nondescript shop on Route 44 in Poughkeepsie for the past 65 years. The company is on a 17-acre property that founder A.W. Mack bought to raise his family on and to start his business when World War II ended.
Current owner John Mack”™s grandfather is gone; his son, Albert, John”™s father, mentor and co-worker, passed away in 2010. John is the third ”“ and perhaps the last ”“ of his family to take a piece of raw steel, copper or aluminum and turn it into an airplane part, or mold a fitting for a conduit that must be snug as a hand in glove with no room for error.
Mack worked alongside the older men while in high school. After returning home from college with an engineering degree ”“ unsure of what kind of career path he wanted to follow ”“ he decided to use his knowledge in the family business. He”™s been there ever since.
Mack spent 20 years working alongside his father, Albert, until he died. “He never missed a day. He was always at his desk or out on the floor,” said Mack, sitting in his father”™s office, a photo of a smiling dad and his college-age son hanging on the wall behind him.
The 30,000-square-foot building isn”™t glitzy or glamorous. There is no fancy sign, nor stylish waiting area. “It”™s hard to make an old shop look shiny and new,” he said, weaving his way through the building his family kept adding to as the business grew. “But we keep it clean, we invest in the newest technology available and we turn ”˜nothing”™ into ”˜something”™ useful and needed.”
Among his many clients are General Electric and the U.S. Department of Defense, two industry giants that don”™t tolerate bad vendors. Mack is proud to call them clients, valued as much as those from the semiconductor and medical and telecommunications. “If our clients were not happy, they wouldn”™t keep coming back.”
The company”™s team of 15 skilled machinists and tool-makers has more than 100 years of combined experience. When it comes to packing and shipping parts, Mack relies on the skills of Ramona Pellegrino, who has worked for the family for 40 years. Diane Connors, who tracks the company”™s shipping, receiving and accounts, is working toward her second decade with the firm. Clearly, this is a company with no revolving door. “Every worker here ”“from our office staff to our machinists ”“ plays an important part in making this company what it is,” Mack said.
Every plan and specification must be filled exactly as ordered and cannot be off by a fraction. “The width of a human hair is .002 to.003 (of an inch),” he said. “We are able to measure every part we make with the exact coordinates called for. It”™s a great feeling to know that you can take a piece of raw metal and turn it into something that becomes an integral part of something bigger that will help it work seamlessly.”
What keeps A.W. Mack churning out parts in the Hudson Valley? “Simple. This is our home. New York is definitely not a business-friendly place to live in, but it”™s where our roots are. We deal with it as best we can ”“ despite some state initiatives, like the MTA tax. We”™ve seen a lot of manufacturing go overseas ”“ but I”™ve heard some are coming back. It doesn”™t surprise me. We can”™t compete with prices offshore, but most of our own customers want things quickly ”“ a luxury you forego when you go to another part of the world.
“Knowledgeable, courteous customer service and accountability are as valuable as the orders we fill. To me, that”™s what differentiates us from our competition offshore.”
What else makes the Hudson Valley work for A.W. Mack? Location, location, location, he says.
“We”™ve had a few states offer us incentives to move, but we are right in the heart of the tri-state area … and it is a beautiful place to live. We are 70 minutes from New York City, major highways and airports. Do you pick up and leave to save a few dollars? For us, the answer is ”˜no.”™
“Our products are not always the cheapest, but our prices are fair and our commitment to value and service is unwavering.” Shortchanging its more than 65 steady customers is not part of A.W. Mack”™s business model.
What saddens Mack is the attitude of newcomers entering the workforce. “Everyone wants a nice, clean job where they push papers and ”˜think.”™Â That”™s not what made this country great ”“ it”™s just a part of it. To stay great, it might mean you get your hands dirty ”“ it”™s something to be proud of ”“ you are making something. Where would we be without the people who built this country? Most of them were not wearing a suit, that”™s for sure. I”™d like to see some of that ”˜Made in the U.S.A.”™ pride come back.”
