When Marty Overton started ABC Machine, he decided to invest in a Milltronics CNC for its combination of user-friendliness, reliability and high-value proposition.
Known for high-precision work, ABC Machine specializes in low-volume orders in mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum and brass.
With its Milltronics VM5020, ABC Machine holds tolerances ranging from 0.003" to 0.0005".
A small, single-employee job shop, ABC Machine is located in Coker, AL.
A devout couple, Marty and Pennie Overton prayed daily about the decision to start ABC Machine.
ABC recently hired machinist Jeff Patton to increase its capacity.
Certain types of manufacturers tend to be viewed as ideal examples of success. Sustained growth is often a prerequisite. Longevity plays a role. Incorporation of bleeding edge technologies or processes will grab some attention. No one denies being impressed by companies that hit that trifecta, multiplying in size over decades by constantly improving and reinventing themselves. But that is a limiting view.
Of the ~18,000 American machine shops, approximately 90% are classified as small businesses, with fewer than 20 employees. Additionally, the U.S. Small Business Administration reports that ~82% of all businesses consist of a single, self-employed owner. In short, there are thousands of small, independently owned, single-employee machine shops across the country. Success for those companies can look quite a bit different than the stereotypical definition. In those situations, it can look a lot like Marty Overton, owner of ABC Machine in Coker, AL.
"In 1989, I graduated from Shelton State Technical College with an associate's degree in machining technology," said Overton. "That is all I have done since. I have always been a machinist and always loved it."
Over the course of his career, Overton worked in a variety of shops, starting as an operator and taking on roles with increased responsibility, including floor supervision and equipment purchasing. Each of his employers was a true job shop, specializing in small- to medium-sized lots of a wide variety of parts.
In 2022, Overton purchased a manual mill and manual lathe, installing them in a 24" x 40" building on his property that he converted into a small shop. Initially, he used them for hobby work and to supplement his wages, but he quickly felt the pull to do something more.
"A shop can be a very stressful environment," said Overton. "But when I was in my shop here at home, it just felt different. I found I never wanted to leave this shop."
This led to a serious conversation with his wife, Pennie Overton, about pursuing the path of self-employment. From the side work he had been doing at home, Overton knew he would need more than the two manual machines to be competitive. Investing in a CNC machine would be a costly necessity, carrying with it a significant financial risk. A devout couple, the Overtons began praying about the decision.
"We decided we would both pray about it every day," recalled Overton. "Then, on the same day in late 2024, we both felt like God gave us the direction to go ahead. I called Pennie and told her I had a real peace come over me about the decision, and she said she"d had the same feeling that morning."
The name of the new venture came to Overton instantly. The first shop he ever worked at had been named after its owner's children. The Overtons" three children were named Amanda, Brandon, and Christian. The paperwork was filed, and ABC Machine was born.
Throughout his career, Overton had become partial to Milltronics machines, citing their user-friendliness, reliability, and high value proposition. Evaluating the type of work he hoped to win, he determined that a VM5020 3-axis VMC would be the optimal machine to purchase, but it was beyond what he was willing to invest initially. Instead, he began searching for a used TRQ20 knee-style mill. When he found one for sale in Kentucky, he called his local Milltronics distributor.
"I had a good relationship with the guys at Cardinal Machinery, and wanted to get their input," said Overton. "I explained the condition and price of the machine and asked if it seemed like a fair price. They said it was a little high for a used machine and that they could get me a new one for less than 20% more, so I went that route."
Unfortunately, when the new machine arrived in January 2025, an unexpected commissioning issue occurred during installation. Having already secured work to be run on the machine, Overton could not afford a significant delay and called Milltronics for direct support. When a Milltronics service tech arrived and could not immediately correct the issue, Overton received an unexpected call.
"I was starting to worry if I had made the wrong decision, and then Ryan Delahanty, the Managing Director of Milltronics, called me," said Overton. "He said he knew what was going on with the machine and understood that I was in a tight spot. He said Milltronics had my back, listed the machines they had in stock, and offered to work on an arrangement to change out the machine. One of the models he listed was the VM5020."
To help Overton start machining as quickly as possible, Milltronics came to an agreement with him to replace the TRQ20 with the VM5020, resolving the installation situation within days. Upon delivery of the machine, ABC Machine started filling part orders immediately.
In its first year, the company quickly established a customer base that encompasses a variety of manufacturers, including providing overflow and high-precision work to three of Overton's four former employers. The vast majority of part orders are for quantities of less than 20, with tolerance requirements ranging from 0.003" to 0.0005". The shop typically works with mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and brass.
Milltronics conversational programming has proven extremely valuable in keeping ahead of incoming work. Overton cites the canned cycles for machining angles as an example. A current part being produced for a customer in the roofing industry is 56" long and requires an 18° angle spanning the full length of one side. While that could be time consuming to program on some machines, the conversational programming makes it as simple as setting the part and inputting the required angle dimensions.
"As a one-man shop, the Milltronics conversational programming is such an advantage to helping me be fast and flexible," said Overton. "I also really appreciate that I can open the VM5020's doors on the ends to run long parts. I have had orders for parts shorter than an inch on all sides, all the way up to a 144-in. piece that had drilled and tapped holes over its entire length."
ABC Machine has already established a reputation for quickly and reliably delivering high quality work. Prior to establishing the business, Overton estimated the first-year revenues he would need to be profitable. The company exceeded that estimate by 87% in 2025 and is on pace to see revenues grow another 60% in 2026.
With such immediate success, some might expect ambitious expansion plans. Overton's are modest. In the coming year, he is hoping to expand the footprint of his current shop to add a Milltronics CNC lathe and a key seater. He recently hired an additional machinist, which he estimates will allow him to operate at approximately triple his first year's revenues. The plan now is to simply hold steady.
"Working for yourself is so satisfying, and it is such a blessing from God to be in this position," said Overton. "There are times where I have taken high priority calls from a customer at 10 PM on a Saturday night, and it is less stressful than when I was working for someone else."
For a self-employed owner of a small shop, that level of freedom can be every bit as meaningful and rewarding as more commonplace definitions of success.
For more information contact:
Marty Overton, Owner
ABC Machine Shop LLC
15043 Preacher Lee Road
Coker, AL 35452
205-393-0893
abcmachine22@gmail.com
Milltronics USA, Inc.
2920 Fortune Circle W
Indianapolis, IN 46241
888-999-1440 / 952-442-1410
info@milltronics.com
www.milltronics.com