Acme Manufacturing Celebrates 100th Anniversary

Acme Manufacturing Company celebrates their 100th anniversary in 2010, joining an elite group of manufacturing technology companies that have entered their second century of business.  The privately-held, family-owned company attributes their success to a singular focus on providing innovative engineered finishing solutions for buffing, polishing, grinding, centerless grinding, deburring and superfinishing.     

Acme constantly seeks, embraces and invests in the latest in automation and controls technologies, applied to the manipulation of the part or the finishing media for optimum efficiency.  This business philosophy in combination with a committed team of professionals, have proven to be the key to the company’s longevity.  
 
 “Four generations of my family have owned and lead this company, and we appreciate the dedication of all the talented people who have worked with us, many having spent the major portion of their career at Acme, with over 60% of our employees having been with the company in excess of ten years,” says Fritz Carlson, president.  “We also thank our global customer base who have helped us to grow and prosper.  Today, over 70% of our business comes from outside the U.S. and we sell to about ten different industries.”

With tens of thousands of robotic cells and machines operating in 35 countries, Acme has amassed an industry-leading knowledge base related to finishing media, process and automation technology.  Over the last 100 years, the company has applied this expertise to products ranging from Model T headlight bezels to cookware, plumbing and automotive bumpers beginning in the first half of the last century…to jet engine components, medical implants, nuclear fuel and alternative energy components in recent decades.  Tube and bar stock (centerless grinding), as well as flat stock (strip and coil grinding) are also materials that Acme systems process. 

Glen Carlson, chairman, says: “Our unique value proposition is simple: we provide cost-effective automated finishing systems that help to reduce our customers manufacturing costs and reduce the need for them to seek offshore outsourcing.  Whether it is a centerless grinder, a coil grinder or a robotic finishing solution, our solutions help to drive down costs and assist manufacturers in being more competitive.”