Dickson Company broke ground with demolition in September 2018, demolishing 8 buildings including the original Tool Gauge PMP facility. After clean up was completed, Washington Patriot Construction came in and began installing underground utilities in preparation for approximately 1,000 – 1,050 cubic yards of concrete to be poured for the foundation. Another 906 cubic yards of concrete would be poured for the tilt walls.

With the help of a 550 ton crane, Washington Patriot lifted and installed the 55 walls in three days, taking the crew roughly 1,500 man hours to fabricate and lift the walls, some weighing up to 80,000 pounds.

Structural steel including steel columns, I beams, girders and joists have been delivered and are being erected through the end of March 2019. The beginning of April will mark the beginning of the roof installation (rood edge blocking, installing the roofing system and setting mechanical units) and vertical enclosures (installing windows, exterior door frames and doors, exterior painting and finishes).

Construction is estimated to be completed in late 2019 and will feature a customer lobby with the history of Tool Gauge in a storyboard format, two conference rooms, six offices, and 14 work spaces. Other important expansion details include:

• • Expansion of the plastics division press size range with implementation of multiple collaborative robots
• • Broadening of our secondary operations
• • Installation of a state-of-the-art vertical paint system
• • 2,000 sq. ft. for CNC equipment within our metals division

Once the facility is complete, we expect to create over 100 new jobs spanning over 5 years for the  Tacoma-Pierce County region. The grant from Governor Inslee’s Strategic Reserve Fund will assist in training new employees and advance the skills of 50 incumbent employees. Employee opportunities will include full-time, apprenticeship, and internship positions in machining, molding, assembly and engineering areas.

Follow the live expansion updates

To keep up with the Tool Gauge construction progress, visit our live workzone cam or our social media channels.

Contact Us

To discuss your plastic and metal assembly manufacturing needs, please email our General Manager, Jim Lee. If you are attending AIX 2019, from April 2-4 in Hamburg, Germany, please visit our booth under the Washington State umbrella at booth 6E80 / J.

The post Facility Expansion Update – Spring 2019 appeared first on Tool Gauge.

• • An additional 80,000 sq. ft. in our plastics division
• • Expansion of our plastics press size range
• • Broadening of our secondary operations to improve flow and ergonomic assembly
• • Installation of a new, state-of-the-art vertical paint system
• • An additional 2,000 sq. ft. for CNC equipment within our metals division
• • Implementation of multiple collaborative robots (cobots)

Once our new facility is complete, we expect to create between 100 and 150 new jobs over the next five years for the Tacoma-Pierce County region. We will grow from 135 employees currently to approximately 235 by 2024, adding full-time, apprenticeship, and internship positions in machining, molding, assembly, and engineering.

Just like many businesses going through such an extensive company expansion, we have learned a few lessons along the way, including:

• • We visited other local peer aerospace companies to verify best practices.
• • We found out that plans take longer than projected.
• • We learned to not delay – we need to hire now for the future.
• • We need to continuously think automation and LEAN practices.
• • We created new benefits package to attract new talent.
• • We implemented key performance indicators (KPIs) measuring safety, quality, delivery, cost, and training – measure, report, share in Plastics and Metals Operations, Tool Maintenance, and Secondary Operations.
• • We immediately integrated change into our evolving culture.

Estimated expansion timeline

• • June 2019: Phase 1 of construction complete
• • Late 2019: Phase 2 of construction complete
• • Fall 2019: Inauguration of new manufacturing facility

Follow live expansion updates

We invite you to follow our construction progress on our live workzone cam at https://bit.ly/2NpvscM.

To discuss your plastic and metal assembly manufacturing needs, please email our General Manager Jim Lee.

The post Facility expansion update – Fall 2018 appeared first on Tool Gauge.

I am originally from Gig Harbor, Wash. I am in my third year at Pacific Lutheran University in Seattle in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in business. I will graduate in June 2020.

What attracted you about interning at Tool Gauge this summer?

I have always been interested in the aerospace industry, especially the defense sector. I believe Tool Gauge will provide me with the working experience that I need to help shape a career path in this field. The fact that the company is also working on a major expansion of its Tacoma manufacturing facility is also an exciting event to witness first-hand. After being employed full-time for three months this summer, I will work part-time starting in September after school starts which I know is going to be a challenge from a time management standpoint, but this is an amazing opportunity!

Which Tool Gauge department are you assigned to and what kind of projects do you typically work on?

I am currently working in the company’s Estimating Department. I am involved in the quoting process for customers such as Boeing. This area is interesting to me because I get to see the kind of capabilities Tool Gauge has. I will later be introduced into marketing which is another area I am interested in.

What kind of job will you be seeking after you graduate from university?

I really enjoy crunching numbers and hope to land a budget analysis job in the Department of Defense. I’d love to do this as a career and I think that my current internship at Tool Gauge will prepare me well for this type of position.

Would you recommend an internship at Tool Gauge to others and why?

Absolutely! The working environment here at the manufacturing facility is very friendly, yet very professional. This internship is also a great way for me to gain insight into how an office is run as well as receive hands-on experience in a very exciting, innovative field. I know these skills will serve me well in the future.

The post Interview with Korey Wasser, Intern at Tool Gauge appeared first on Tool Gauge.

I just finished my third year of mechanical engineering at Principia College in Elsah, IL as part of a dual degree program with the University of North Dakota (ABET mechanical engineering degree).

What attracted you about interning at Tool Gauge this summer?

Before this summer, I did not have any insight on what it would be like to work in an aerospace supplier. For my final year at university, I am choosing between three concentrations within my mechanical major – manufacturing, design, and aviation. When I found out about Tool Gauge, it seemed like a good match where I could learn more about the manufacturing industry. Also, I had a connection to Tool Gauge who seemed to have a lot of positive things to say about the company, so I decided to apply and here I am for a solid 11-week summer internship!

Which Tool Gauge department are you assigned to and what kind of projects are you working on?

I have been assigned to the company’s Plastics Engineering Department. I will be working on 2D drawings creation in SolidWorks and ERM system set-ups while shadowing and assisting project management.

Where are you from originally and why did you choose to work so far away from home?

My whole family lives in Bangladesh, but I have been studying in the U.S. since high school. I used to live in Bellevue, WA with a host family for the past six years until recently when my host parents had to move to Italy. So the Pacific Northwest has become my home away from home for the summer. I will go back to IL in August for my last year of college.

What kind of job will you be seeking after you graduate?

I am hoping to work as a project manager or a mechanical engineer for an engineering firm. Law school is also on my radar where I hope to study patent and contract law.

Would you recommend an internship at Tool Gauge and why?

I would definitely recommend an internship at Tool Gauge because it is a safe environment for growth and learning. Everyone I have worked with so far, from project managers and process engineers to quality assurance and manufacturing staff, have been great mentors to me, willing to share their experiences and knowledge about the industry and answer my endless questions to help me understand how Tool Gauge parts and assemblies come together. I could not have asked for a better fit for my internship.

The post Interview with Namrata Roy, Engineering Intern at Tool Gauge appeared first on Tool Gauge.