Bellingham, MA -- (SBWire) -- 03/05/2012 --Antron Engineering & Machine stays on the cutting edge of precision machining and contract manufacturing not just because of its technology and state-of-the art facility. The people that run the company also have a big part in making Antron a world-class manufacturing, design, and engineering company. Vice President John Kauker, IV is in charge of business and client relations, so he is heavily involved in the daily operation of Antron and oversees sales and marketing. Today, he shares his expertise in the 27-year-old company.

What sets Antron apart from other precision machining companies?
We will take on a project completely whereas other shops will only take pieces of the puzzle. We will invest in special processes or specialized equipment that will allow us to grow and do other things besides machining.

What is Antron’s commitment to quality control?
Antron believes at attacking quality control at the source through the first piece and in process inspections as well as SPC. It has been our policy to build quality into the process. It does not make sense to find the problem when all the work has been done. We are certified to ISO 9001-2008 and will be working on AS 9100 in the near future.

How have you helped grow the company during the down economy and in an increasingly competitive industry?
We have many industries that we work for which allows us to draw work from many “roots of the tree so to speak”. And again willingness to take on projects that other companies are not comfortable with. Through the economic downturn Antron has increased its work force and added an additional 6000 square feet of production space in addition to investing in over a million dollars in capital equipment.

What is a typical day at Antron like in your department?
Being an owner of the company, you need to keep your eye on many things from finance, to work flow, staffing, equipment needs, facility size, etc. Keeping all the balls in the air can be very trying but it is also quite honestly fun! I am and was a chess player in high school and I think of this as just another game of chess making the right moves and positioning pieces to strike at the right time.

What challenges do you encounter running the operations side of the business and interacting with clients on a daily basis?
I like to be able to visit a customer site and work with them on a problem or project. It’s great when we can really take a problem away from our customer and make it profitable for both them and Antron.

How can Antron adapt to meet a client’s needs, whether it is for a one-piece prototype component or a large quantity electromechanical assembly?
Having the right mix of talented people and equipment makes it possible for us to support a wide range of customer requirements from the 1 piece order, to the tens of thousands of pieces, to critical tight tolerances and the basic of machined parts.

What do customers enjoy about working with Antron? What is the longest-held client Antron has created components for?
Versatility, ability to adapt to changing requirements, willingness to hold inventory (kanban programs) at a reasonable level to help with fluctuations in production and meet sudden demands is what customers know us for. Our family owned business takes a personal approach to servicing our customers. The personal touch is not lost as it is in larger corporations. Our longest customers are General Scanning (1986) and Thermo (1989), and both are still going strong.

What are the key milestones in the company’s development in terms of key projects/clients, expansion into new service areas, offering new services/products, etc?
In 2003, Antron undertook its largest assembly project in our company's history by building the Intrepid unit for one of our top clients, Thermo Fisher. This project launched us into a full array of electromechanical assembly methodologies including optics, cabling, printed circuit boards, electronic testing, and much more. It broadened our scope of work and brought us to the forefront of being able to take waste out of a larger corporation's building structure.

How does Antron retain some of the best employees in the field?
Our family owned atmosphere keeps both of the owners on a first name basis with each employee. That and our commitment to keeping our technologies at the cutting edge keeps everyone’s job very interesting and ever changing. Antron is the company it is because of its employees. Our goal is to ensure we are offering competitive wages, benefits and educational opportunities to all employees of Antron.

What are the internal review procedures that facilitate high quality standards for clients’ projects?
It starts with estimating and making sure we can fulfill the customer’s requirements even before an order is taken. This includes ensuring that all regulatory and government requirements are addressed at the forefront of the estimating process. Once the order is received, the contract review kicks in and customer service verifies all regulatory requirements, part numbers, revision levels, delivery dates, etc. Constantly checking the parts on the floor while in process for dimensional requirements as well as cosmetic is something Antron strives for daily in all departments.

To learn more about Antron Engineering & Machine Co. Inc., visit www.antroneng.com or call 1.877.225.2362.