Matt Lovelace, founder of More Manufacturing, with the company's Hurco VMX64i.
An optical military part made by More Manufacturing on a Hurco VMX30U.
More Manufacturing has continued to invest in Hurco-even adding a Hurco-branded addition to its facility.
More Manufacturing specializes in the production of special machines, traditional tool and die work, workholding and fixturing. Founded in 2007 by Matt Lovelace, the business has grown from a small shop to a company with over 25 employees and 30 machines housed in a 26,000 sq. ft. facility.
Before Lovelace started his shop in 2007, he worked as a sales representative for another job shop in the area. When asked why he wanted to make the leap and start his own business he said, "I actually felt like I was being taken advantage of in doing my sales job. I felt that I had a special connection with my customer in giving them my word on commitments. When that word was tested time after time, I wanted to protect my name and my word, so I took a leap and started my own shop. This way, I could treat people the way I thought they should be treated."
With his business relying on work from different industries ranging from automotive, medical, military and automation, Lovelace knew he had to upgrade his equipment from traditional Bridgeport-style machining to be more competitive with others. Hurco machines allowed More Manufacturing to transition easily to full CNC and continue its path of growth. With that growth, Matt has since purchased a Mitsubishi EDM, 11 Hurco CNC machines (VM1, VM10, VM30, VMX30U, VMX42, VMX50, VMX64, TM8), two Okuma lathes, Acu-Rite knee mills and much more.
Even during the lean years when the economy in Ohio struggled, More Manufacturing relied on its customer service skills and made sure customers were of top priority. "To push through the lean years, I simply had to have a no failure mentality. I will not fail at anything-there are too many people depending on me to keep them busy with work so they can take care of their own."
Because of its steady growth and production demands, Lovelace has noticed firsthand the difficulties many shops are having with today's skills gap when it comes to hiring employees. For More Manufacturing, the Hurco WinMax control has been a key asset to closing the skills gap. "The versatility of the Hurco control definitely helps with that skills gap," he said. "Machine operators can pick up the WinMax control within a couple of days."
Don Cottrell, Shop Foreman at More Manufacturing, appreciates the advanced verification graphics of the Hurco control. "The best thing on the Hurco control hands-down is the graphics-especially as it draws the part for you and shows you exactly if the part is correct right on the screen," he said. "If it does not look correct on screen, it is most definitely not correct."
The speed in which employees can learn the Hurco control powered by WinMax software is another reason why Cottrell finds Hurco useful to bridge the skills gap. "For a Hurco, there is a very quick learning time. If you have G-code basic machining abilities, you can pick up the controller within a week and be running the machine fluently with no problem."
Because of More Manufacturing's success with Hurco CNC machines, the company has continued to invest in Hurco. It has even added an addition to its facility branded in Hurco colors.
Hurco Marketing Manager Maggie Smith said More Manufacturing epitomizes the type of customers who have built Hurco: "Our founders started Hurco so they could help job shops be more productive and profitable by manufacturing machines equipped with meaningful technology that is easy to learn and easy to use. Matt Lovelace exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit of job shop owners who have been the biggest contributors to our success during our 52-year history. As the inventors of conversational programming, we are dedicated to continuing its evolution so we can help our customers navigate the ever-changing technology landscape. While Hurco CNC machines are found in many Fortune 500 companies, such as Caterpillar, John Deere, Apple, Harley-Davidson and Lockheed Martin, we are proud that so many small business owners and family-owned businesses put their trust in Hurco. Many of our customers started in their garages with one machine and a dream. As they grew, Hurco grew with them. These customers rely on us to make CNC machines equipped with control technology that helps them be more productive so they can grow their businesses and ensure that high-mix job shop manufacturing is profitable for them."
For more information contact:
More Manufacturing
4025 Lisa Drive
Tipp City, OH 45371
937-233-3898
www.moremfg.com
Hurco Companies, Inc.
One Technology Way
P.O. Box 68180
Indianapolis, IN 46268
800-634-2416
info@hurco.com
www.hurco.com