BIG Kaiser Celebrates 25 Years of Quality, Innovation and Performance
BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling is proud to celebrate 25 years of North American operations in 2015. Incorporated in the spring of 1990 under the name Kaiser Precision Tooling (KPT), the subsidiary of Switzerland-based Heinz Kaiser AG provided the North American market better access to products and more complete engineering solutions from a worldwide leader in development and manufacturing of precision boring tools and modular boring systems.
KPT officially opened its doors on August 1, 1990 in Elk Grove Village, IL and vowed to stay true to three core principles: quality, innovation and performance. These engineering-focused values have forged a trust in the marketplace and strong relationships that have enabled the supplier to double in size many times over.
“We set out to be driven first by our engineering capabilities,” recalls Jack Burley, VP, Sales and Engineering, and with the company from the beginning. “We had an expression, ‘give us your toughest boring problem.’ We’ve always believed if we can’t solve it, there probably isn’t anyone else who can. This kind of cooperation has allowed us to relate to customers as peers for the long term, not just as opportunistic, looking to make a quick sale and run.”
Daily orders have gone from the teens to 150-plus in the 25 years. The engineering team is larger by more than ten times, and available parts that numbered around 2,000 in 1990 now exceed 20,000. A major catalyst of that growth came in 2003 when KPT formed an alliance with BIG Daishowa Seiki, a Japanese manufacturer recognized as a worldwide leader in tool holders, cutting tools and measuring accessories.
Acknowledging the importance of the alliance, KPT changed its name to BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc. The partnership dramatically enhanced BIG Kaiser’s product offering, allowing the supplier to serve customers more comprehensively. It also injected a global outlook and reach to BIG Kaiser’s vision all while maintaining production and development of two-thirds of the company’s components in the U.S.
Perhaps no more significant a sign of BIG Kaiser’s commitment to servicing local customers and technology came in 2009 with their move to a new 33,000 square-foot facility in Hoffman Estates, IL. Nearly three times larger than their previous headquarters, the location made room for a growing team and features a state-of-the-art showroom, high-tech training auditorium, larger shipping warehouse space, as well as a repair center to save customers time and money instead of sending tools overseas.
Regardless of how fast or how large BIG Kaiser grows, how they get there will not change. “Quality, innovation and performance—it’s always been about that,” BIG Kaiser President & CEO Chris Kaiser says. “That’s gotten us to where we are today and it will not change. Whether it’s when we walk in to the office tomorrow or we’re looking towards the next 25 years, we’re not going to stray away from those things.”
About BIG Kaiser:
BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling is a leader in high precision tooling systems and solutions. With brands including BIG Daishowa, KAISER, Speroni, Unilock, Sphinx and more, BIG Kaiser’s line is focused on extreme accuracy and repeatability. BIG Kaiser’s mission is to support North American manufacturers with products that are designed and manufactured to a superior standard. Guaranteed.
For more information, please visit:
www.bigkaiser.com
Or contact:
bigkaiser@bigkaiser.com
