Manufacturing Is Booming In the Bay of Quinte Region and The Machining Center is One of the Reasons Why
April 24, 2023
Since 1988, The Machining Center, Inc., (TMC) has been manufacturing parts and equipment to help Bay of Quinte Region businesses grow. TMC manufactures quality and cost effective parts, provides custom fabrication, design and engineering services, and manual machining services. Like many businesses in the area, TMC is family run; Kevin Wolters, son of the founders, and his wife Sarah Wolters transitioned as owners in 2017.
While a decade ago, 100% of TMCs client base was local, they now serve many local customers, including Kellogg’s, P&G, GlobalMed, Brommer Chocolate, as well as customers from around the world. They’ve done work in the food processing, medical, nuclear, automotive, and aerospace industries. With 16 employees, Kevin and Sarah describe The Machining Center as “working with the weird and wonderful, MacGyvers of machining” with “creative outside of the box thinking”.
Located right off the 401 Highway in the Bay of Quinte Region, The Machining Center is close to Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, as well as ports and rail. The Wolters call the Bay of Quinte Region “a great area for manufacturing growth” and see new companies coming to the area all the time. They’re proud that there are a lot of shops, just like theirs, here to support these companies, saying “There’s plenty of work to do.”
How the Bay of Quinte Region Helps The Machining Center Succeed
When current owners, Kevin and Sarah, took over from Kevin’s father in 2017, they hired a transition consultant from BDC to help the family business transition successfully. Together they created a succession plan and a future plan for The Machining Center and learned how to work as a team. TMC was able to transition so successfully because of the resources available to them through BDC, an organization that the Quinte Economic Development Commission (QEDC) connected them with.
The Machining Center has also been able to access leadership and software skills training, through Loyalist College. Mike Hewitt, the Manufacturing Resource Coordinator for the Quinte Economic Development Commission (QEDC), helped them find these skills training programs through the local college. The Machining Center has a highly skilled workforce available through educational institutions like Loyalist College as well. The last 3 machinist apprentices hired to the company were Loyalist College grads.
Recently, TMC partnered with Hannafin, Bay of Quinte Region specialists in automation and robotics. Automation, tech, and robotics are important to manufacturing and TMC recognized the importance of having Hannafin’s expertise to help them provide the best products and services to their customers. This partnership is made possible through both businesses’ close proximity in the Bay of Quinte Region.
The Wolters call the Bay of Quinte Region area “booming” for manufacturing. They’re excited about the growth they see, not just for TMC but for other shops like TMC and the big and diverse companies they support.
Learn more about The Machining Center, Inc., here https://www.themachiningcenter.com/. The Quinte Economic Development Commission (QEDC) provides information, connections, and resources for manufacturers in the Bay of Quinte Region. QEDC supports the region’s businesses and entrepreneurs as well as the local workforce.
