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April 5, 2008 - Pro CNC Adds Contract CMM Inspection Services
Recognizing that our 5 axis CMM with full scanning capabilities is somewhat unique in the area, Pro CNC has started
offering contract CMM inspection services to other companies which may allow them to objectively quantify difficult to
measure features.
March 23, 2008 - Pro CNC Adds Largest CNC Machine
Pro CNC has just added another CNC machine to its equipment list. The HAAS VF-7 is the largest CNC mill that Pro
CNC has acquired with 84” x 32” x 30” (x,y,z) travel. The new machine will allow the company to offer much larger
machined parts than it previously could.
March 15, 2008 - Pro CNC Adds More Manufacturing Space
Pro CNC has expanded its facility by an additional 4,000 sq/ft up to a total of 18,000 sq/ft. The new space will hold
our expanded prototyping area and new equipment which will be added soon.
October 31, 2007 – Pro CNC receives AS9100 certification
Pro CNC has just received its AS9100 certification from TUV USA. TUV, an international ISO and AS registrar, recommended Pro CNC for AS9100 registration after conducting a week long audit. The certification will allow Pro CNC to increase quality to its aerospace customers and is quickly becoming a requirement for many aerospace contractors.
October 18, 2007 – Pro CNC Honored as 50th Fastest Growing Private Company
Pro CNC has been ranked the 50th Fastest Growing Private Company in Washington State by the Puget Sound Business Journal. The company has been on the list five times now, in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Pro CNC was one of only 4 companies out of 100 to be on the list 5 times or more.
September 1, 2007 - Zeiss CMM added to equipment list
Pro CNC has just installed a Zeiss CMM to increase our capability to do complex dimensional inspection. This top-of-the-line CMM has travels nearly 40" long and has a full 5-axis scanning head to accurately scan complex parts. Combined with the latest Calypso software, it is a powerful combination.
June 29, 2007 – Pro CNC Honored as Best Company to Work for
For the second year in a row, Pro CNC was ranked among the best companies to work for in Washington State by Washington CEO magazine. Among companies with up to 99 employees Pro CNC ranked #38. In today's tight labor market, we believe that offering the best place to work will allow Pro CNC to attract and retain the highest quality employees who really care about their work. This in turn enables Pro CNC to offer our customers the best service possible.
April 2, 2007 – Increased Demand Means New Equipment with new capability
Increased customer demand has prompted Pro CNC to add more equipment on the shop floor. Pro CNC has just installed two new CNC machines both with capabilities that are new to the company. The first, a Mori Seiki NL2000SY/500 is a very capable dual spindle lathe with Y axis and bar feeder. It is capable of machining complex mill/turn parts complete, including off axis milled features. The second is a Fanuc Robodrill T21iE which is a lightning fast mill for smaller parts. With 24,000 RPM and over 2000 IPM rapids, this machine makes quick work of complex geometry.
October 19, 2006 – Pro CNC Honored as 46th Fastest Growing Private Company
Pro CNC has been ranked the 46th Fastest Growing Private Company in Washington State by the Puget Sound Business Journal. The company has been on the list four times now, in 2001, 2004, 2005, and 2006. Co-owners Darcy Hughes, Kelsey Heikoop and Paul Van Metre were awarded a plaque at an awards banquet at the Seattle Convention Center. Based on the company's performance so far in 2006 we are hoping for an even better ranking in 2007.
September 18, 2006 – Pro CNC receives ISO 9001:2000 certification
Pro CNC has just received its ISO 9001:2000 certification from TUV USA, an international ISO registrar. After passing the rigorous 3 day final audit in August with zero findings the company has received its formal certificate. This certification will give Pro CNC a formal framework from which to continue improving our quality and all aspects of customer perception. We have already seen improvement activity from our ISO 9001 efforts.
July 5, 2006 – Pro CNC Honored as Best Company to Work for
Pro CNC was just ranked among the best companies to work for in Washington State by Washington CEO magazine. Among companies with up to 99 employees Pro CNC ranked #23 and was the only manufacturer on the list. We feel honored to have been included in this list of great companies. We believe that offering our employees a great work environment will ensure that Pro CNC always performs for our customers at the highest level possible.
May 12, 2006 – Increased Demand Means New Equipment
Increased customer demand has prompted Pro CNC to add more equipment on the shop floor. Pro CNC has just ordered two more Mori Seiki VMC's. The new machines will allow the company to continue to offer competitive lead times and meet the demands of our customers.
September 15, 2005 – Pro CNC Announces Largest Capital Equipment Purchase
Increased demand for our services has initiated the purchase of a 3 Spindle Horizontal Toyoda cell system. This system, with three 400 mm horizontal machining centers and 20 pallets is our largest capital equipment purchase by far. It will allow us to cater to our customers ever increasing demand for small batches of parts delivered with very short lead times. By virtually eliminating set-up times we will be able to reduce cost associated with delivering KanBan or JIT type orders and offer aggressive pricing while offering the shortest lead times possible.
September 1, 2005 – Pro CNC Adds 50% More Manufacturing Space
With demand continuing to build and space on the shop floor getting tight, the company has just increased the size of the manufacturing floor by nearly 50% by adding another 4000 sq/ft of space. The new space will be used primarily for housing new capital equipment that will be acquired over the next few months.
August 25, 2005 – Office Lean Training Intensifies
Today most of the office personnel at Pro CNC completed an office lean training course taught by Washington Manufacturing Services (WMS). Our goals to reduce office lead time and waste are intensifying in an effort to decrease the amount of non-value-added time to an absolute minimum.
May 1, 2005 – New Shift Added to Keep up with Demand
The company has just added a weekend shift to keep up with customer demand. Our company now runs 20 hours a day Monday through Thursday and 12 hours per day Friday through Sunday.
February 9, 2005 – Company-Wide Lean Training Continues
Today all the employees of Pro CNC went through another round of lean manufacturing training. It has been a couple of years since Pro CNC embraced the philosophy of the Toyota Production System. While we have completely transformed our company since that time, several of our new employees had not yet been through formal training. A study of the seven wastes, Kaizen, Setup Reduction, Value Added work, pull manufacturing, standard work combination sheets and 5S was followed by the famous Paper Airplane making exercise. Everyone was astounded by the improvement that a pull type system improves on all aspects as compared to a batch system of manufacturing. We all had a great time and came away with a renewed vigor to keep striving for the leanest operation possible.
February, 1 2005 – Pro CNC Recognized in the National Press
Pro CNC was just featured in the cover article of the February Issue of Modern Machine Shop magazine. The article profiled how Pro CNC has used the concept of using a "Franchise Template" to drive its operations and build its internal systems. It is nice to be recognized by such a distinguished and widely read publication. We firmly believe that this concept is critical to Pro CNC's success in building a company that can respond well to rapid growth while maintaining an orderly and profitable workplace. If you are interested in learning more about how this system helps our customers, please give us a call.
December 15, 2004 – Increased Demand Means New Equipment
Increased customer demand has prompted Pro CNC to add more equipment on the shop floor. Pro CNC has just installed its second Mori Seiki VMC. The new machine will allow the company to continue to offer competitive lead times and meet the demands of our customers.
December 10, 2004 – Pro CNC Goes International
With more opportunities north of the border than the company can handle currently, the owners of Pro CNC have opened an affiliate company in Vancouver, Canada. Pro CNC Prototyping will serve a large and growing need for high-quality, quick-turn machining services in the Vancouver BC area by supplying the burgeoning high-technology sector with specialized, prototype parts and assemblies. Pro CNC Prototyping’s core business focuses on prototyping work, from initial design concepts through to part production and limited manufacturing runs. The company is a full service venture that uses its local proximity to provide BC high-technology firms with design consultation on through to product fabrication. With design and service facilities in Vancouver BC, Pro CNC Prototyping’s cross-border connection to Pro CNC’s renowned fabrication capabilities allows our affiliate to provide highly accurate, tight-timeline designs and products for their clients.
October 22, 2004 – Growth through Acquisition
Pro CNC has just finished acquiring the equipment, personnel and clients of another local machine shop. After working very successfully together for several years on various projects the merger seemed natural. The addition of their 3 machines and 3 very talented staff members will add a significant amount of much needed capacity. Everyone at Pro CNC is very excited by the company's first acquisition and we hope it won't be the last.
October 14, 2004 – Pro CNC Honored as 52nd Fastest Growing Private Company
Pro CNC has been ranked the 52nd Fastest Growing Private Company in Washington State by the Puget Sound Business Journal. The company was honored with a spot on the 2001 list and after the economic downturn of 2001 and 2002 was well positioned to grow rapidly once the economy improved. Co-owners Darcy Hughes, Kelsey Heikoop and Paul Van Metre were awarded a plaque at an awards banquet at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. Based on the company's performance so far in 2004 we are hoping for an even better ranking in 2005.
October 1, 2004 – Web site Honored
Pro CNC's web site was honored by Modern Machine Shop as the Job Shop Site of the Month of October. They list our simplicity and professionalism of our site as attributes. They list the quality of the content as the main reason we were honored. We certainly appreciate the honor and hope you are enjoying our site as you browse.
November 17, 2003 – New Estimator Brings a Wealth of Experience
Pro CNC is proud to announce the addition of Ritchie Bonkowski as Estimator in order to handle the volume of new opportunities that are opening up for the company. Ritch brings with him over 20 years of experience in the machining industry where he has held a number of positions from machinist, to shop forman, planner, division manager and estimator. Ritch will offer invaluable insight and experience as the company ventures into new markets and continued growth. We are very excited to welcome another talented and experienced employee into the Pro CNC family.
October 16, 2003 – Increased Demand Means New Equipment
Pro CNC has won a contract with a maker of eye surgery equipment for a high volume of titanium turned parts. This new contract has triggered the need for two more CNC turning centers. The first of the two will be delivered in early November and will be dedicated to the new order. The second machine will be used to handle Pro CNC's current orders with it's other customers.
April 7, 2003 – Prototype Division Established Using Best Practices
When Pro CNC was launched in 1997 a majority of the initial success was due to unequaled technical and manufacturing expertise supporting early stage product development OEMs. The organization was perfectly aligned to support the engineering expertise, cost competitiveness and schedule characteristics of prototype machining. With many of these products being successfully launched, demands for additional volumes, certifications and traceability increased. Through the years we have always worked to exceed client expectation and, as a result, built our operations system with the robustness to handle the extensive requirements of production style manufacturing effectively. Recognizing the products that will shape tomorrow are being designed today, we are launching our Prototype Division to focus on design and manufacturing needs through the product development phase. The Pro CNC Prototype Division will feature dedicated process flow, equipment and personnel established using best practices for effective prototype manufacturing.
March 31, 2003 – New Equipment Brings Added Capacity and Flexibility
Pro CNC continues to grow with increasing capabilities and capacity. Solid performance in 2002, combined with promising forecasts for 2003 and beyond, led to our largest ever, single investment in capital equipment. “The addition of these milling centers will be a great benefit to our productivity,” said Shop Manager Brian Anderson. “Beyond the obvious gains in capacity by adding equipment, these machines will bring increased flexibility and enable us to continue aggressively implementing lean techniques.” The milling centers added include another vertical Mitsubishi M-V5Cn, which is nearly identical to the M-V5Cn-L already on the shop floor, as well as a Kitamura Mycenter-HX300 horizontal mill. The Kitamura has a high speed machining option of 15,000 RPM for high velocity metal removal. In addition, the 15 HP AC motor combined with 2000 IPM rapids and cutting, allow for very efficient machining. Further evidence that Pro CNC is continuing an aggressive pursuit of growth and establishing the capabilities and capacity to support customer needs.
December 18, 2002 – Local Businesses Donating to Save Lives
Pro CNC hosted its fifth blood drive of 2002 supporting the Puget Sound Blood Center. This year Pro CNC hosted 147 total donors benefiting over 400 patients. We would like to extend our thanks to everyone in the local business community who participated in these events and congratulate them on their efforts. We encourage anyone interested to contact Pro CNC for registration information supporting future events.
October 3, 2002 – Lean Transformation Reducing Lead Times by 50%
Pro CNC has always been strong believers in continuous improvement by seeking out the most high tech manufacturing equipment, software and business practices. We are very excited to be taking another step towards eliminating waste in order to reduce costs and increase capacity. Pro CNC has just signed on with Gemba Research to implement a process known as the Lean Transformation. The goals for this project are quite remarkable yet all attainable. We are looking to reduce work in process and finished goods inventory by 75%. Our lead times should be reduced by 50% on production work and we plan to streamline office functions from what is currently 2-3 days down to 1 day. The final area of focus will be with set-up times, with target reductions in prototyping by 50% and non-prototyping by 80%. This Lean Transformation activity will be taking place over a 12-month period, beginning immediately. These Kaizen activities will strengthen the impeccable services our customers already receive and drive increased competitiveness to our cost, efficiency and flexibility.
August 30, 2002 – Exceeding Customer Expectations Results in Continued Growth
Late last year Pro CNC decided an aggressive marketing approach would be the most effective strategy for the undeniable economic slide. This philosophy initiated by Pro CNC’s executive management committee has already produced the results they were anticipating. In addition to an already impressive customer base, Pro CNC has began working with over 20 new companies including organizations such as Coinstar, Spacelabs Medical, Sonosite, Korry Electronics, Crane Interpoint and Raytheon Company. “Pro CNC has always been a company focused on doing whatever it takes to exceed client and industry expectations. Being passive and hoping to withstand this recession was never an option. The number of new customers added has increased the stability of Pro CNC, but it’s the quality of these high-profile customers that will bring us tremendous opportunities for continuous growth,” said Director of Market Development, David Graves.
February 5, 2002 – Competitive Prices and Lead Times Lead to Contract with Blue Sea
Short lead times and competitive prices have just led to a contract with Blue Sea Systems. Blue Sea Systems is committed to the improvement of marine electrical products and systems. We are looking forward to the continued opportunity to impress Blue Sea’s buyers and engineers.
January 21, 2002 – Pro CNC Gains Korry Electronics Approval
Pro CNC is now a Korry Electronics Approved Supplier for production manufacturing. Pro/ENGINEER™ proficiency was the catalyst for this relationship, but it was the hard work and commitment provided throughout recent prototyping efforts that advanced this relationship to the next level. The efforts put forth to establish such quality controls and continuous reliability at Pro CNC makes this an extremely valued acknowledgement. Korry specializes in operator interfaces for aerospace, defense, and other industries that demand high reliability in challenging environments.
January 18, 2002 – Boeing Satellite Seeks Approval for Pro CNC Parts to Enter Space
Boeing Satellite Systems has just announced their desire to add Pro CNC to their list of approved suppliers for flight related components. After two years of using our Pro/ENGINEER™ capabilities to compliment their internal design efforts, we will now get the chance to see Pro CNC parts in space. This is a compliment to the level of satisfaction achieved and superior quality maintained throughout this relationship. We are eager to obtain this approval and continue taking this partnership to new horizons.
October 19, 2001 – Pro CNC Honored as 14th Fastest Growing Private Company
Pro CNC has been ranked the 14th Fastest Growing Private Company in Washington State by the Puget Sound Business Journal. Starting the business in 1997 and just out of college, the owners have worked very hard to establish themselves as the premier source for precision CNC machining and design. This dedication lead to a growth of over 250% in our first 3 years of operation. Pro CNC is devoted to improving internal services and capabilities in an effort to continue adding value to our customer product lines.
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