Business professor and leadership expert Warren Bennis defined leadership as “the capacity to translate vision into reality.” And West Ohio Tool has been busy transforming its vision of growth into reality. With several initiatives and additions completed, in process and on the horizon, the company is confidently taking the business to the next level in the cutting tool industry.
To crystalize strategic thinking and improve personal leadership skills, four members of West Ohio Tool’s executive team recently completed an offsite retreat with former Ohio State University and NFL wide receiver, now business coach and motivational speaker Roy Hall, Jr. Roy shared his insights on how to perform under pressure and “turn stress into durable strength.” Working with NFL legends Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Coach Tony Dungy in the highly-scrutinized fishbowl of the NFL gave Roy the tools necessary to meet and overcome professional challenges, inspire colleagues and maintain motivation, and he shared that hard-hitting wisdom with the executive team.
West Ohio Tool CEO Kaci King said in addition to focusing on business, she learned the importance of gratitude. “With growing a business comes hurdles, and it can be hard to stop and appreciate the positives,” Kaci said. “We learned the importance of showing our gratitude to the people who have a positive impact on our lives.”
In addition to team building and training, West Ohio Tool leaders took their responsibility to turn vision into reality seriously and charted a roadmap for the company’s upcoming year. This being an integral element of an in-depth examination of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) concepts and business/leadership improvement tools to develop sustainable practices for guiding an organization and its people. A substantial portion of West Ohio Tool’s ongoing journey includes expansion and capital improvements that will add to the company’s established reputation for excellence in providing custom, cost-saving solutions to clients across the country.
The company just purchased two preowned Ebbco Chillers to cool metalworking fluid and help West Ohio Tool’s machine tools cut to tolerance. The shop is also set to receive an additional new Walter Helitronic Raptor grinding machine by late summer that will increase grinding and regrinding capacity.
The biggest gamechanger that signals things to come at West Ohio Tool, however, is the installation of a United Grinding versaLoad™ collaborative robot loader on the company’s Studer grinding machine. Work began early in May to conform the machine’s internal drive with the new parts loader. Kaci said the addition of automation to the shop’s production process will drastically cut loading time, increase production and enable West Ohio Tool to begin lights-out production.
Those additions and improvements will be major factors in West Ohio Tool’s quest for innovation in the custom cutting tool industry where it continues to build relationships with top-tier clients by delivering quality solutions 75% quicker than its competitors.
West Ohio Tool Co. has a long legacy of taking a vision and making it a reality that delivers superior custom tools with exceptional customer service. Kaci and her executive team continue to honor that legacy.
