My Story of Running My Business in the Economically Depressed Region of Northern Wisconsin.
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- Опубліковано 16 кві 2024
- Northern Wisconsin is a beautiful place. It is my home and where I started my machine shop. But industry is disappearing, or not being allowed to locate here. For some reason they want to keep up depressed.
This video is a follow-up to Saturday's video of the shop tour and closure of Worldwide Machining & Welding in Superior, WI. I talk about what I have gone through to survive and some of what I have been though to keep my shop going in this region.
I have tried to grow and expand with no luck. As of today, I have no plans for growing, as I know it will never happen here. But I will keep on plugging away and making videos.
Topper Machine LLC is an entirely manual machine shop located in Spooner, WI. Our videos will highlight some of our shop work.
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This video is a pouring out of Josh’s heart. It has been my privilege and pleasure getting to know him. I am very thankful as he was willing to step in and make the video he did which I am certain will help our Auction. Josh is simply this “ What you see is what you get “ he is humble, kind and very transparent as well as a great machinist. He is very passionate about the region he lives in as it could be so much more. Hang in there Josh, I am glad to have you as my friend 👍
Thanks John. I really hope the video helped. It is a shame to lose what we once had here, but I will keep pushing on.
@@TopperMachineLLC You even identify the real problems, a dying base economic culture. There is no industry because there are few economic drivers. You have no real economic advantages of location. The founding industries of logging and farming have essentially gone into long term decline, and the railroads that served them have gone. Now you have light manufacturing and tourism. Not a good base for a machine shop of great size like your friend in Superior. Pine trees and cold air for 7 months are a tough sell. As for the small town politics, well, in my experience of living in several, nothing new. Calling it corruption when it is essentially a closed ecosystem is not accurate. Calling it a small town where everyone wants their small slice of the pie to stay the same is more accurate. It is one of the reasons why I no longer have any desire to move to the small town America. In short, without a ready workforce, the town will be overlooked, and without advantages of cheap land and cheap labor, most will drive right by and keep going in side location. Talking about how much you spend in electricity and heating are great examples of your disadvantages. This all aside, niche survival will give you great long term advantages. But keep those costs down somehow, and that is for you to determine where you can thrive. I used to watch city folks roll into the small town I spent a decade living in, and they would splash out a lot of cash doing things that made sense in a big city with a lot of business, and then they would slink out broke and wondering what happened. Came with a big fortune, and left with much less.
I run a small aircraft repair business. I’m 81 years old. I started out as an apprentice aircraft mechanic in 1962. I worked for several aircraft repair operators and then for the airlines. I love to work on airplanes but it’s VERY hard to make a living that way. So, I changed careers. I retired from the airline as a Boeing 767 Captain. I took all the money I made and set up an aircraft repair business. I have an apprentice program that allows me to help the next generation (been doing it for several years now). It’s been great! Because I don’t have to show a profit.
My heart goes out to you, Josh. Please hang in there.
I appreciate old guys still working. My boss passed on a golf course in Gran Canaria in November, 76 years old, but he was otherwise working every day.
His wife, also 76, is now officially managing director, but their son manages daily business, though nowhere near as good as his father did, probably a combination of lack of skill, and not be allowed to act on his own by his father.
Josh, smart, talented and hard working professionals like you WILL never starve. Yes things get rough but rough times pass and good men like you will always get through it and prosper. Keep up the great work. Thank you.
When bars close down in Wisconsin you know your in trouble.
There's three things that will keep you going; your positive attitude, your wife's support and your great customers. As well as that, you've got your UA-cam subscribers, no doubt from all over the world. I'm watching from Queensland Australia and I never miss any of your videos.
Thank you. I have no intention of giving up, and we are in no way hurting. But, this video was just a little insight into what this region is really like.
This is a world-wide tragedy. I live in a similar area in Germany and many small businesses have closed for exactly the same reasons. I wish you the best, Josh. Although at the moment it may not be of importance, know that your talent, experience and integrity are not "geographically bound." Your work will always be in demand...somewhere, if there is a real collapse. Thanks for all that you share with us. We appreciate it very much.
Even if there is a collapse, I'm staying here. It's no man's land, and we will survive.
@@TopperMachineLLC I certainly understand that. You have the various RR projects as well as other local connections and your wife has her position. You just keep on truckin' and we'll keep on watchin'. 😊🧡
Sad to see what Cat, did to Dortmund!
As someone who started his career as an apprentice turner for an Oil and Gas Valve company in Scotland in the '80s. You have my greatest respect what you are doing. Keep up the great work.
Thank you so much.
Ty from NewYork 😊
Bravo sir. Bravo
I've seen you make the same complaints for at least 10 years on Practical Machinist. The fact that you've kept things going and even managed to grow is remarkable, and you should be proud of that. However, things change, and there is no amount of stubbornness that will change it back. The cut worm forgives the plow.
I have persevered, and am = the last one left in my region. I just wanted people to understand just how bad it really is in this region. I am not giving up, just wanted to share.
@@TopperMachineLLC What's your user name on PM?
Mr. Topper, I applaud your helping young people out of your own pocket, especially when your pockets could use some helping of their own. If I was a few days drive closer and maybe 20 years younger I would come learn from you and do some free labor when you get busy.
My dad was a machinist and raised a family of 4 kids along w my mom. He went along with the American dream and send all but one of us to college. I believe he didn’t want his sons coming home with chips in the soles of their shoes. The whole college experience worked out for us however I think the mindset at the time also forced a lot of manufacturing and repair to other counties. I applaud you, Abom, and others who continue the work that built this country.
Well said! My father was a Journeyman Maintenance Machinist, raised his family with my mother who never worked, bought a home at age 28 (1964), he was amazing with tools, machines and a #2 pencil. Plumbing, HVAC, Electrical, mechanical, carpentry, HVAC…he did it all.
You’re absolutely correct, Josh. I lived in Birchwood for close to a decade-graduated from BHS in 2004-and did an in-depth study on the economy of Washburn County for a class in 2007, and the signs were there back then.
Even back then, the only viable option kids had for success was “get out, and dont look back.”
My heart was warmed when you spoke of the local shop teachers. Shop classes are becoming rare these days. Most high schools have dropped the classes altogether. Automotive, woodworking and machine shop classes have all become rare these days. There is such a huge need for the craft industry. Producing products are essential for ALL our daily lives. I am sick of disposable products from China.
Thanks for the candid video. For a regular You Tube viewer like me, albeit retired, I have heard similar comments from other content creators. It's a sad situation for our nation. Again, thanks.
The Greatest Economy in History doesn't help things. Keep plugging away, you're doing great!
LOL, Yeah that is funny!
The greatest economy in history? lol says who? oh yeah the administration thats in office now
Unfortunately you are not alone. I just saw a heartbreaking video from rural Kentucky mining towns. Being Canadian, my government seems hellbent on destroying small businesses, even in cities. I have owned a shop here since I was 26, I get it, really do. Cheers.
The US government in conjunction with their mega business cronies are doing it deliberately.
Honestly I am surprised at how well rural areas are still doing in the US of A. Here in Australia most of our rural areas have significantly reduced in size, government has removed many services, banks have closed hundreds of local branches, utility providers have closed local maintenance depots, sending crews from coastal or large towns when needed. Mines are mostly fly in fly out workforces. This of course means less people employed and living in the towns, which means the other businesses that supply local services dont have the work, so they shrink as well. It is a death spiral that politicians dont seem to care about.
I am an aussie I totally agree about the country areas
Josh,
You couldn't have spoken truer words and expressed yourself any more clearly. Those of us that live in these conditions and depressed areas like ours can NEVER quit....the one greatest legacy you can leave is train young apprentices like Connor and help them to grow and pass on what you have taught. "DONE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.....
Don't apologize for telling the truth...now a days parts arent very often repaired, just switched out for a new part.....planned obsolesence I think they call it....when manufacturers began that, machine shops and repair shops and skills like ours began to disappear and close and still are at an ever increasing rate...
Don
Being in regions like this, we must be diverse and willing to keep pushing. It sucks that so much industry has vanished from here, but I'll just keep working with the ones we have left.
You are facing the same issues with a lot of small businesses regardless of their industry. Our family had a computer company making custom software and hardware products for a number of customers, and while labor costs used to be the long straw, insurance became the most expensive part of our business. We also participated in a "tech forum" run by a very prestigious university in our area, and if you weren't outsourcing/offshoring, your business plan was considered strongly non-viable. And of course you probably remember how hustle and bustle Detroit used to be, and even my home town of Toledo which used to have a lot of manufacturing, assembly and raw materials processing almost seems other worldly today - there is a grassy park where the steel mill and all its jobs used to be and the local support businesses, restaurants, taverns, cleaners, grocery stores, and auto repair shops had to close because of no clientele. I hope you can continue and provide the interesting videos of manufacturing from your shop.
You sir have what the Finish people call “sisu”. It is a combination of determination, guts and honor and the ability to keep going when times are tough. Much respect!
Thank you, but sometimes I wonder if I'm just plain old stupid. LOL
Sisu is something that grow in people when they live and work at difficult conditions to survive and grow next generation and try give them base for better life. We find Sisu everywhere, Finns just named it. Anyway, i can sign all what Josh says, i live in Finland, and we have similar economical situation here, and i live here one of best regions, but many business is dying here.
@@TopperMachineLLC not stupid just too tough and stubborn to see the writing on the wall and actually act on it before its too late.
@@jr3628Josh’s determination reminds me of an old saying. “When the going gets tough the tough get going!” Forge on ahead Josh. You have what it takes.
@@jr3628 I think that is the definition of stupid. lol I am doing just fine myself, and we are situated to survive a full economic collapse. Again, I am not hurting.
Hi Josh I am pretty sure that I am like many of your viewers that will say, "I had no idea". I am just an old retired guy that does this as hobby and not as a business. I have to admire your drive and determination to keep your business going and your love for the area where you live. I can only hope that the future gets brighter for you.
Thank you. Most of my viewers have no clue what it is like here.
Good one Josh . A similar thing has been happening here for the last 40 years , although at a slower rate . A lot has changed in the repair business as you know with a lot of parts now just replaced instead of repaired . Cheaper off shore manufacturing and the internet opening up so many alternative markets for replacement parts . Cheers 👍
My son will be 16 in august and I can then send him to welding courses. He’s also being interviewedfor apprenticeships in facilities that make industrial pumps and another one that manufacture and assemble stainless steel piping for food processing equipment. Yes, cnc machines are cool but you will always need workshops like yours for manual work. I strongly believe in that and that’s why I’m pushing him in that direction and he’s also interested in it himself.
I wish him all the best. If he is willing to learn and get dirty, he will go far in life.
Good dad.
I know how hard it is to operate a machine shop . I worked for 43 years as a Machinist in Milwaukee. I’m retired now . Wish I could help you . I worked at a shop that supplied the hydraulic field. We were always busy and worked 58 hours a week . I wish you the best and don’t give up .
The economist in me understands why this is happening there and in many other places. It’s unavoidable and it’s a consequence of the free market economy. That said, the impact on people is devastating and incredibly sad. It’s inspiring to me that you are dedicated to your craft and your determination to endure is inspirational. I’m lucky to have been able to live my life in the place where I was born and raised so I understand how satisfying that is. Stay the course as best you can and do your best every day. In many ways you are a lucky man.
Praying for you and yours, JJosh. Your praise for your wife is outstanding.
Thank you for the time and dedication to teach us as well as Connor. I might suggest: for your interns, video them doing some complex work that they can then use as a video resume.
Lots of love to you and yours Josh, thank you very much for sharing the reality of running a business in your area
Keep on keeping on buddy
thank you Josh for you honesty and dedication to sharing your
talent and knowledge.....cheers, Paul
All the best Josh, I wish u all the best, keep the youtube content coming, we all love your videos.
I've seen this kind of thing living here in Michigan too. I appreciate the fact you were able to tell your story.
I will be praying for you and all the people … it’s very honorable you being a voice for others as well . May God bless you ! Don’t give up!
im about an hour or so north in Virginia on our iron range. its about the same situation. My dad would say "there's still 100 years of iron in the ground" like it was a sense of security but i knew better.
I have friends in Brule. Ive been up there to see them a few times over the years. Youre absolutely right about all of it and its sad. Keep up the good work Josh!
Free advice (worth what you're paying me for it): think and develop something that you can build (and patent) with the machines you have. Service and repair is dependent on local conditions. Manufacturing a "widget" that you can sell is more sustainable. I retired from decades of manufacturing HVAC coils. Sold my company and retired. Good times or bad manufacturing did well by me.
Yes Yes Yes You should build something that will sell out on the open market. So when a job comes in you can put product on hold and service your customer. (wood splitter, skid steer attachment, exe )
I agree. You need a product you can make and sell, then your location won’t matter. You might even be at an advantage because your cost of living is lower than a more populated area.
You might still have trouble finding help, but that’s a problem everywhere.
Repair work is dead everywhere, even in cities.
I can see with a machining business location is key. When the heavier industries start to leave, that only puts pressure on the local machining business. If you were up in Duluth or over by the Twin Cities, you would probably have more work than you could handle. Good luck, it is a beautiful area of the country, we pulled the camper up to Bayfield last season.
I really hope you get on in the future. If you are the only shop around your area let's hope you continue getting in the work.
Josh u seem to be a real standup guy in this economy ur lucky u got what u have..I love ur content......good luck...
Very interesting and informative.
Same story in upstate NY, industry that has been here forever is dropping like flies, thankfully its just a couple of us and the overhead is reasonable so we can afford to stare out the window when its thin. We specialize in custom gear work for a lot of the other larger shops, one off stuff you can't get for any price on any timeline.
Wisconsin was booming with farming, logging, paper making and manufacturing. All these industries are in decline in Wisconsin which dries up work for small job shops. The 50 years ago Milwaukee area had hundreds of small machine shops now they are few and far between.
Understand... Enjoyed your talk!
@11:25 says everything you need to know what our "representatives" think of us.
Exactly. "Everything is fine! Things are better than they've ever been!" Blah blah blah.
Hope you stay in business for a very long time.
I am not going anywhere. I have set myself up for a future despite the depressed region. I will keep fighting, because nobody else will.
Hi Josh, I went through the same process last year as John except I was an Employee. Your video brought back memories of cleaning up the shop for the online auction crew to tag and catalog every item in the shop. It wasn't because the Shop wasn't busy or making a profit. Corporate decided to go in a different direction to tool up our sister shop in the Twin Cities. Our Shop specialized in precision components, sheetmetal, welding and fixtures. If you can retain the large work you've done in the past you should do ok. Not many shops are equipped to machine large parts/assemblies. You have a nice shop/property in Northern Wisconsin and I agree it would be hard to move.
Hoping and praying for ya !!
Josh, I have been watching your videos for a year or so now. What a wonderful job of describing your experience and work. My wife is from Sayner Wi and we own some property willed to us by her parents. It is difficult to sell the ground. We moved to Western North Carolina in the early 1980s and here we are making it in our own small company. I camped, motorcycled and even worked there part time (college summers). We have seen the towns shrink and wither. I find it very difficult to watch. We will be there in July to visit the family and enjoy the countryside. There are people who need your services. Hang in there. I wish you well and we appreciate you.
Josh all I can say is , Love the work, keep your focus on job to job. You just can't worry about the things you can't change, but you can change the things you can. Keep it up your doing great. Love your UA-cam. look forward to watching every week.
I am just trying to shed light on what I deal with here for my viewers.
100% agree with everything you've said. Everyone I went to school with is dead, in prison or left the area and made something of themselves.
Grew up in Northern Michigan. Never more than 10,000 people in the whole county so big city living is where my career takes me.
The amount of small manufacturers scattered across the upper midwest has nothing but declined.
Have to believe the slow but constant closure of the Paper Mills over the last 20 years across the region is a big factor. It wasn't just loggers affected. Those mills employed machinists, electricians, etc.
Josh, I do hope you get enough work coming in through the door to be able to keep it open. I'm in Sydney, Australia, and its not much better here as our labour rate is too high to sustain large production. It's incredible what is now imported that was once made here. We even lost our car manufacturing, so all are now imported. Keep your head up!!!
I wholeheartedly agree
Josh you have a great business with your attitude and work ethic you will make it! Times are tough all over . People like you are what keep the world going. By you being as diversified are you are, l do not see you losing When everybody’s throwing in the towel in the towel you will be there picking them up 😊
It's funny how people don't see how a job shop doesn't need CNC to function. The best way to stay in place and have steady work is to develop a saleable product to keep the machines busy.
Man, I never thought things are that bad for You, I very hope You can make it. But a happy face for honesty, so many others claiming sun rays coming outta their rear ends so they walk backwards.
Lol. That was good. I'll be fine, but many will not.
Very interesting (/depressing) to hear. I always associate your area of the Upper Midwest with pretty straight-shooting, dead honest, Scando-German-heritage people. I know N Wisconsin pretty well, and, having looked up your company address on Google Earth, I can see why you love the peace and northwoods serenity of your shop's location!
I do hope there can be something positive that comes along to help Spooner & environs return to more thriving times. Enjoy your videos, thsi one included, very much. --Mike
Wow, I hope you can get thought this recession . If not, I have enjoyed every video you made, and put on UA-cam will be here till the end .
I am not going anywhere, I'm doing fine. My region is the one dying.
I find it interesting to hear people's comments about local economics. Not so many people talk candidly about that. After listening to your video, I was comparing your business situation to mine (the ag side of mine anyway) and realized that I have what amounts to the opposite problem you do. There is so much competition around here in the ag service that I provide that the rates I can charge for it are some 10-20% below what they are for the same service in other areas. It is what it is. I like what I do, but it is part of the reason I am trying to diversify into providing machining and repair work. I can also understand why you like where you are so much. Wild horses couldn’t drag me into the urban environment.
One comment about procuring work -- maybe you know this already -- but I have never gotten work by advertising. It has almost always been by contacting potential customers directly -- “pounding the ground". In rare instances it is by word of mouth. Sometimes it takes years from when a customer finds out what I can do and when they actually hire me.
Anyway, keep it up! I always appreciate seeing videos from you!
JOSH TOPPER for county supervisor!
Im from nothern wisconsin on the other side of the state, i drive down to the fox valley for work every day, we got our own lathe and mill because there isnt any one around to fix stuff anymore. We heat the house and shop with firewood, the only source of heat we have
Hi Josh. That is indeed depressing, and is happening all over the place. Here in Vancouver Canada I’ve known quite a few manual machine shops (and CNC) go out of business as well. My only advice, as has already been given to you here, is to stay passionate of your work and you’ll do just fine. Keep up the great work with your channel. Cheers.
Thank you!
This is the REAL America we grew up envying from the outside. These people made this great country what it is, and my heart bleeds when I see what greedy politicians and Wall Street execs have done to it. My very best wishes to you and to all the small company owners who refuse to let their businesses die to become welfare leeches... You are the people I teach my children to look up to.
I had an auto parts business with a large machine shop. As you said we had 7500 square feet and the overhead got away from us and I liquidated the business in 1995. We went from 5 full time machinists plus me down to one full time machinist and a part time tech plus me. I loved the shop and miss it but the business was just not there.
Last bit of free advice: Trade Shows for specific industries.Again, mine was the HVAC industry. Annual ASHRAE show btw. Attendees are there looking at options. You can do large hydraulic cylinder repair, work with manufacturers and task specific fabricating machines that can do repeatable operations quickly to save labor. On that specifically: when I built coils several series needed tens of thousands of pieces of 3/4" copper tube with a water bead. Assorted OEM machines to do that task were slow and tended to destroy their tooling.I had a thought and using a cyclic hydraulic press with an air clamp set-up and forming tooling made the water beads 3 times faster with consistency and zero tool failure. My input was the thought: fab work was done by a local machine shop whose owner was able to think outside the box and follow my thought process. Nationwide there is thousands of unfulfilled opportunities just like that. Your task is to find them and come up with the solution.
Feel for you from Nova Scotia canada. Very similar here
Josh, thank you for sharing. A person with a positive attitude helps people to stick with such person. May it be the case with you. You are surely adding value on you tube and most certainly for the people in your region. I think because you are hungry to learn it will add to your endurance and it will pay. I noticed that you have a wealth of knowledge and experience in different specialties pertaining to mechanical machines, I think it might open doors for you. The other thing Josh, I say unashamed, read Proverbs 3 verse 5&6 and pray. The Hymn says:- Got mountains and rivers you cannot pass through? Faith Laughs at the impossibilities and says it shall be done! 48 years ago I came to know the Lord, and He carried me through. What he has done for me, He will do for you. Grace.
It breaks my heart to hear you talking about how your region is depressed. I know how it is, I live in clear lake. Would love to see some of these dying companies move more south towars the 65, 94 area. Seems like thise companys are always doing alright.
I used to be a lead machinist at a company in Clear Lake. They are no more, out of business.
Josh, I have no expertise in your industry and I live in Australia so I may be way off the mark.
My suggestion is to use your quiet times to build up a stock of items useful to professionals and amateurs in your industry, such as your draw key.
If they need to come in different sizes then make a range.
Sell them online using UA-cam for promotion.
Every additional bit of income helps and if you service out of area customers this way your customer base will widen.
Come to the Permian basin and run a machine shop here Youl stay very busy
Thanks for your insights, once America and Canada start buying quality products instead of the cheapest products then your home market will improve.
My experience with job shops is there is a tendency for feast or famine. Even doing work for the National labs, aerospace and the oil industry, the work dries up at times.
The work has never been feast here. Never.
@@TopperMachineLLC looking back, now that I’m retired as a programmer and set-up machinist, I didn’t appreciate my employers having me do manual machining during the dry periods. Today I see that they appreciated the work I had done for them and just wanted me to receive my 40+ hours of work.
I farm in eastern ND. About an hour from bigger cities. This is agg area and not much else. Small towns are slowly dying off here too. The only employers are the grain elevators and equipment dealers. There is a couple small manufacturing 15 miles away. Nearest grocery stores are 15 miles one direction, and about 20 miles the other way, same with schools. The bigger cities an hour away suck up the businesses and jobs. Basically the not farm folks, in the outlying region from the metropolitan area is just bedroom communities.
I wish you well Josh. Sad that the support isn't there for you. Hopefully the UA-cam content will help.
Some people just don't have a clue what it takes to keep a business running.
Years ago when I was part owner of a medical manufacturing company our insurance for workers Comp alone was $10,000.00 a month. Then you had equipment maintenance and repairs. We had one piece of equipment that put eyelets in the products it had 3 v belt's that had to be replaced in a set each belt had to be custom ordered we ordered new belts every three months. Our hydraulic press had to be serviced every three weeks due to the amount of cycles every month 200 gallons of hydraulic oil had to be changed to keep the manufacturers warranty going. The sewing machines were running basically 24/7 the only two times that a machine was shut down was holidays and for maintenance and they had maintenance done once a month.
And some people on the outside of the industry didn't have a clue as to the behind the scenes of what it took to keep the business running someone thinking that every three months doing an oil change in their car is an expense try doing it once a month on 100 pieces at the cost of $30.00 a gallon for the oil and each piece using on average of 4 gallons to keep them up and running all year long.
I am in a similar sounding region of the UK, there is very little here for the metal side of the service industry, there is one supplier who only sells one type of steel, no machine shops that I have found, there are items that I would happily go to a machinist and say can you make me this one off piece.
The businesses here are actually forcing me to use the internet to source materials ...thats nuts.
Keep it going Josh I am sure it will turn around eventually. Perhaps there is a product you can put out as a "mail to" item
Thankyou for sharing a subject so close to home.
I live on the east coast of Canada Nova Scotia and it is the same here . Politicians only care about 2 things getting elected and staying elected if anyone thinks that they care about people you are sadly mistaken . Good luck hope things get better for you
Josh, I have watched a great number of your videos but until today I haven’t seen the one on repairing the tracks on the dragline crane that involved a lot of welding. I don’t want to sound like a safety officer but it seems that you should consider a smoke removal scheme. I know they can be expensive but when I was welding on a low budget I would rig a small fan very close to my helmet so that the flow of air would pass across the front of the helmet. It probably didn’t remove all of the smoke but in my estimation it removed 98 % of it. Quite often I would hold my breath with each pass. It probably sounds incredible but after a while it became second nature. I see that you had the exterior doors open to remove the ambient smoke within the building which is a good idea.
I do have one. It gets used a lot, just some times it is not practical while filming.
Thank you for posting this frank and admittedly less than uplifting talk. Obviously I cannot begin to know your individual situation like you do. And I appreciate that it is not in your nature to take work from another shop without it being offered to you. But . . . the nature of business survival is fair competition and from what I’ve learned watching your videos I believe that your shop has characteristics that would be attractive to customers that are currently paying big-city prices for one-offs, short run jobs and repairs. You have flexibility and agility, fairly large capacity machinery and most importantly, a ton of grit and honesty. Your overhead might be high but it’s much higher in say, Minneapolis. I wouldn’t let your location disqualify you from getting work these days. In my area we have some small companies that succeed by living out in the weeds and taking jobs from urban shops that overcharge or can’t meet timelines. I’m sure that making this work involves some door knocking and a lot of rejection. I believe there are opportunities and I wish you every success in exploiting them. I should note that my wife is also an RN. You can hardly go wrong with someone whose mission in life is helping people.
Godamn Spooner! Once industry leaves somewhere, it usually doesn't come back unfortunately.
They made a mess, but there are other towns to build in. This is a vast region of nothing.
I run a one man prototype shop for a small space industry research company and they keep me pretty busy. I had a shop at home before this. I don’t think either would be a going concern without some cnc capabilities. I have an older Prototrak cnc mill in my home shop and a new Prototrak cnc and Haas cnc mill at the work shop. A few manual lathes like a Hardinge Super Precision at work and a Hardinge Chucker at home. The Prototrak is really a great manual machine and a great cnc machine. Just today I was running a long cycle part in the Haas, threadmilling in the Prototrak, and doing some manual lathe work at the same time. I know people get all misty eyed about the good old days of manual machining and you can do a lot on a manual machine, but I’m never going back. People can argue all they want, but with cnc machines I do the work of 4 guys, it’s just that much faster. Just the Prototrak alone will easily double your productivity. That doesn’t help if you don’t have the work tho. When I was between jobs and just working out of my own shop, I let every shop around know that I’d take the pain in the ass jobs they didn’t want. And I got some good work that way because over time people heard I was the guy that would come grab a part in the evening and have it fixed and back to them in the morning. I was looking around for a deal on a tap burner when I took this job because it seemed like there was a lot of people who needed that service and no body wanted to do it. Here in central Ky there is a lot of industry but go an hour east and there isn’t a job to be had. Just Pillbillies, retired folks, and people drawing a disability check. I don’t think you could have a shop there either.
What are you going to do when the cnc machines are running 24 hours a day and you're still losing money?
@@carrollprice1213 I’m about to retire, so nothing I guess. But you could say the same thing about farmers hand shucking corn vs combines. AI will replace all the engineers and all the office jobs before long and no one will have any money or any job. It was a good run. I’ve been hearing since the 80’s that robots are gonna take my job but it looks like I beat them. The way things are going, about half the machine shops in the country will look like those ones in Pakistan videos where guys in pajamas and sandals beat on shit in the dirt with sledgehammers in ten years. There has never been any money in being a working man, it’s always been half dream half Ponzi Scheme. Anyone who tells you different is either blowing smoke up your ass or he’s your boss.
The comment that stood out to me was companies can't find skilled trained machinists. I am sure Wisconsin is not alone with that issue.
I graduated from UM-Duluth in 1984, two of my professors would not give any letters of recommendation for upper Minn or Wisc jobs. Jobs south of the twin cities, sure how many do you want.
Hell in 1984 Superior Wisc was almost dead then. I had a friend driving truck and hulling paper from the mills, even he said the loads were getting fewer and fewer.
You should see it now. Absolutely nothing left.
Hi Josh. In 1984 I started a lasercutting contracting business, only the third of it's type in Australia. Things went well for several years but the global economic downturn of the late 80's-early 90's hurt us real bad. The final straw was when my largest customer, for whom I did about AU$200k a year of cutting, pulled stumps and moved interstate. If I had my time again - and herein may lie a lesson for you - I'd have diversified into manufacturing a product of my own to keep the wheels turning. I didn't do that because my background is in electronics and computer engineering so I really couldn't see what products were needed and wanted. My father trained as a fitter and turner and he was a partner in the business but he had gotten out of that and become a refrigeration engineer many years earlier so he couldn't really offer any useful advice either.
With the benefit of hindsight I had the space to set up several more machines such as pedestal drills, welders, panbrakes, paint booths, etc and could easily have made electrical boxes or something similar. There are also a lot of niche markets that don't rely on geography, such as panels for older cars, that I could have cut out. I see in you an honest knowedgeable man with valuable skills, but begging for others to solve the problem is obviously not the way to go. Think over what your equipment can best be used for and set up a production line; even if it only fills in the idle times when the contract work dries up and barely pays the overheads this will at least allow survival until better times roll around. And it will allow you to continue to help younger people to find their way, which is a valuable goal in itself.
All the best, Rob
Thank you Mr. topper for your perspective. I personally think you nailed it on the head with.” CORRUPTION” . Billions down an empty hole.!!!!?? WHERE IS THE HOLE🧐?? we love your videos. We will be here for you wherever you go but you got to give us an hour video😅❤ C.N.C. - we don’t need no stinking C.N.C.😂. Let’s pray maybe someone would donate a CNC to you🎉❤
Thanks. If someone donates a CNC, I would just sell it. No need for what I do.
Josh enjoy your vids do you still get work from the wi. Northern rr. How is their business.?
Something I’d like to point out is a lot of people who come to me wanting this or that done want to pay like $20 to weld up the end of a shaft and respline it when the new part isn’t available or would cost $500. They guilt trip you and make you feel like shit for expecting honest pay for a job. That’s part of the reason nobody wants to deal with walk-ins.
The worst is when they watch you work and the job doesn't really take too long. Then they sit there and whine about the cost, completely ignoring the fact that you had to take the time to learn the skill, buy the expensive equipment and pay for a building with all the expenses that go along with that.
Video popped up in my feed and watched. I went to school to be a machinist in the 1990's, things were looking decent, by the time I got out the mass migration off shore was starting. I bounced from place to place because I was often the low guy on the pole and when they lost work I was first out. It got to the point I could hold a job if I would work for rock bottom wages, I found it really sad that a machinist could make more money milking cows(At that time) than being in the shop. IMHO the work never did come back here and it seems in the last 3 years it has flowed out of my location faster than ever and I was working for myself as a mobile ag mechanic, did welding, and machining for my own self because there isn't anyone left to sub the work out to and you can get it back in any sort of timely manor, but in that time the costs have sky rocketed, insurance was the absolute worst. Unlike you, we had a second child and had to make the decision on what to do, I either had to work more hours to make up the difference for child care, or pull the plug and stay home. My wife has a great career with benefits(Another thing most don't understand about being a business owner) so she wasn't going to quit. Ended up pulling the plug on my whole thing. I miss the work, but don't miss chasing the money for my work at all. Honestly pretty much everyone who isn't huge is in the same boat, I don't care what line of work you are into. I hope it gets better, but I sure have big doubts, the ones in charge of this country have zero cares or zero clues about how it really is out here in the sticks.
You're spot on about the region. Once you get north of Hwy 64 things start going downhill. Get north of Hwy 8 and it becomes a dumpster fire. I don't like living in Eau Claire but if I moved up north I'd be doing the same work for half the money if I could find a place to work. The north has really been hurt the last few years with the mild winter so all the snowmobile trails were barely open. Resorts, bars, gas stations never got the influx of people coming up. A bit hit to an area already on shaky footing.
Snowmobiling never really brings money in like people think. The only ones getting rich off the snowmobiles and ATVs is the DNR. Bars and restaurants were closing pre covid. Resorts are almost all gone.
You are absolutely right but at the same time a lot of the larger business doesn't want to pay any thing for experience 11:33
Unfortunately this is what happens to many areas that depend on natural resources to make a living. Eventually the timber is all cut, the metals are mined out and all of the supporting businesses also lose out. It happened in the coal mining areas, the steel producing areas and the farming areas.
Sad but a sign of the times. Maybe move to the Twin Cities and visit Spooner on the weekends.
Rather stick my hand in a meat grinder than move there. I am staying put.
I’m just a hobbiest, and had hoped to retire and build up work. We have had 5 shops close, 3 worldwide and 2 three man shops
I see other options for you to explore Josh. Small items in high demand marketed by post for eg.
Adapt and overcome.
You could sell online training programs etc.
If there’s little demand from Industry then adapt to supplying something elsewhere where there is demand.
My 2c
This is why I am pushing UA-cam so much now. It seems to be the key to my success.
Josh I'm sorry to hear that your neighbors (the ones running things there) suck and are having such a negative impact on your quality of life and thus outlook. I experienced a similar circumstance when I was transferred to Western Nebraska for work. My wife and I received no welcome, no "Howdy", nothing. We were told in no uncertain terms that we were not from the region and therefore viewed as less than "acceptable" and by no means would we or our children ever be welcome there.. It was down right hostile. I stayed as long as I could, but 9 really long years was all we could take, Pray about it (as I'm sure you already have) and trust that God didn't lead you there to watch you fail. He has great things in store for you, your business and your family. Trust Him. I'm praying for you and your way of life there in NorWI.
wow that is crazy that the newpaper wont advertize for you time are hard but the paper isnt aloud to refuse putting a add in the paper
I live in the Northeast, Boston area, and I’ve never met anyone who wanted to move to your area. But you clearly love it. The big migrations are happening in the Southwest, Texas in particular. Nevada to some degree. Hard to know what to do when you have roots, a house, an established business in one area; you can’t pack up and leave which was suggested. Best Regards
During Covid, a lot of people left he cities to move into their cabins up here. They didn't last long. No infrastructure, no jobs, no anything.
Change the business model away from service / repair work to making a product(s). Sell products on eBay / Amazon or your own website.
Josh, you said you didn't want to go off on a tangent about the government corruption and in my opinion your wrong on that. This country not just your region is in a very bad state and we partially got here because people won't talk about politics & religion. We'll if we don't openly talk about these things the corruption just gets worse and worse and because of that we are big part of the problem. We all must stand up, get involved at the local level and help make a change for the better.
Keep fighting the good fight.
I'm in a depressed area myself south east Colorado
Actually a story I hear alot in small towns. Business isn't there to support multiple businesses of the same caliber but the few that are left are busy. Painful to watch business close but it's all part of the cycle especially in small towns. Very important to keep your business adapted to current times too. The ones that get set in their ways with products or practices usually get phased out over time!
I lived in northern Wisconsin before and during COVID, in an area that truly depends upon tourism for the economy. But in my line of work, if a tourist is needing to see me their vacation just took a very bad and often a very expensive detour. It is a beautiful area, but you make a lot of valid points. Local politics is often the most problematic in rural areas. There isn't as much that Madison or Washington could do if the local politicians and their allies are intent on squashing something or someone, like your story about the local paper. If someone was not born and raised in a particular rural area it can be exceptionally difficult to move there and open up shop, particularly if one would be "the competition" to a business run by one of their own. Some industries are very expensive to merely keep the lights on, as you had mentioned regarding insurance. When I decided to open up a new line of business, the insurance alone was five figures per year. Being a one-person small business has a lot of benefits and a whole lot of freedom, but that comes at a tremendous cost if/ when things get tough.
The local politicians are what destroyed this county. We could have had a 3M plant, a Walmart, potentially a lot more, but they shot it all down. Make the village idiot the mayor and it's all downhill.
@@TopperMachineLLC I really loved the family-owned supermarket in our town, so a Walmart would have likely killed that, but you are speaking the truth that has impacted many rural areas. On the other hand, I have seen some large nationwide corporations come into a rural area and rather than making more or better jobs all they do is extract the cash from the local economy and downsize the business we already had in the area, siphoning the most profitable stuff to their big city hubs. Not all development I have seen has been good development, but that gets back to how prudent the local politicians wish to be.
Sorry to hear about all the issues that you are facing. Are there no business opportunities from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area? Or is that just too far?
looks like 80-100 miles? I hope you find a way to continue!
I am not going anywhere. MSP area is a hard sell because I am so far, but I have some coming from there. I am in a position that I no longer worry about it. Debt free, and not going out of business for a long time.
I live and run an auto repair shop in SE Wisconsin west of Racine and we are seeing the same thing here. Small shops going away/retiring and no one is filling these spots in. I have looked into relocating to Northern WI and what I have noticed is these areas have shifted to more of a retirement community rather than a place to grow a family and open a business. Industry leaves these areas mainly because there are no employees to work if everyone in the area is retired. Unless you are in the medical field or retirement communities, northern WI is not the place to be anymore in my opinion.
Re: CNC
There's another UA-camr - inheritance machining - who has a video of where he's racing a CNC shop in making a part. And the conclusion was that for one-offs/low number production, manual machines still have their place. Either you're spending the time turning cranks or you're spending it writing programs.
I suspect it won't be many years until AI's take over most of the computer work, putting a load more out of a job.