Process
Greater Precision, Greater Speed, Greater Durability Gorilla Mill Grows Up with ANCA
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arbide Grinding Company, Inc, was established in 1974, and developed a reputation as a small, specialist maker of tools, supplying Milwaukee-area manufacturers like Snap-on and Harley-Davidson. After purchasing the company in 2003 and giving it a new image as Gorilla Mill two years after -- its branding is simian-themed, aggressive, fun, and comes with the tagline “Weapons of Mass Production” -- Kevin Cranker has set the company on a solid growth path. They are now up to 48 employees, with 300 distributors worldwide, and a diverse spread of customers. These include automotive and defense suppliers, aerospace customers including Boeing, and space clients like SpaceX and Blue Origin. But it’s the support of “mom and pop” shops that Cranker seems happiest about. “They're the guys who keep our work up,” he explains. “When one of the big guys goes away it stings a bit. But then we have a number of small mom and pop job shops that we love doing business with because they’re always there and just always buying.”
30 | IMD
FEBRUARY 2022
