Precision Product. On Time. Within Budget.

HPM was featured in the Clinton AlumiNews under the customer profile in the August 2014 edition.

Hofacker Precision Machining provides CNC Machining, prototype parts and short-medium production of high-precision, tight-tolerance parts.

The company started 25 years ago with only one employee in a garage at Fred Hofacker’s home. When Hofacker Precisin Machining (HPM) began to expand, they rented a production suite. Four years later the company built their current building in Clayton Ohio, near the State Route 49 & Interstate 70 interchange. Now the company has 17 employees and the business is owned by Jerry Hinshaw.

Sales growth in the early days directly correlated to the company’s three main customers.

“Our company has diversified,” explained Mike Herrmann, Plant Manager of Hofacker Precision Machining. “We have expanded into a variety of industries including aerospace, medical equipment, defense work for the government, industrial lift trucks, robotics, commercial products and power generation.”

Strong Reputation

The company is very unique in that they do not have a sales staff! All the new business that they get comes from the referrals of their current satisfied customers. “We don’t have sales people,” said Herrmann. “Our reputation brings in the new business.”

Hofacker Precision Machining is known for providing fair and resonable prices which helps them to win new business and helps their customers’ stay within their budget. “Working with Clinton Aluminum, we have found that you are able to come in at a very competitive price, especially on the higher end product,” said Herrmann. “We can pass that savings on and sometimes we beat out our competitors by just $15 or $20.”

Pricing is just part of the reason customers like doing business with HPM. Herrmann pointed to Clinton’s ability to get material to them in just one or two days has made a big difference in helping to meet the demanding lead times.

Besides sharp pricing, customers like to do business with Hofacker Precision Machining because they have a very clean shop, a strong on-time delivery record and impressive quality certifications.

“Hofacker Precision Machining also has a reputation for a clean shop floor,” said Herrmann. “That’s one of the first things that attracts customers to our company. They figure if we are so clean in our shop & maintaining it all the time, then our work reflects the same attitude.”

On Time Delivery Focus

Clear communication on the shop floor is a critical component for maintaining on-time delivery success with precise accuracy.

“We have extremely tight time frames,” Herrmann explained. “We really focus on the time allowance from the minute we get the Purchase Order until the products hits the floor. It takes a lot of respect and team organization from the office to the machinist on the floor to communicating with our customers to be able to manage the product as quickly as we do and get it thru the shop quickly to make the on time delivery.”

“I’m dependent on the machinist to tell me if there is any problem or deviation to be made on prints or parts. Communication in a small shop gives us the upper hand to manage the jobs as it is processed thru the shop.”

When you hear about their multiple orders and thousands of parts with such fast turnaround times all delivered uniform accuracty, it’s no surprise that the company has earned some very impressive certifications. These include the AS9100:2004 for aerospace, the ANAB Accreditation for Aerospace Management Systems, the ISO 9001:2000 International Organization for Standardization for quality control, and ITAR International Traffic in Arms Regulations certification for the defense department.

The company’s in-time delivery record is impeccdable, thanks in parts to the extra efforts from Clinton Aluminum. By cutting all their material to length before delivery, Clinton Aluminum gives Hofacker Precision Machining a head start. “You’ve not had any missed sizes. They’ve all been right and on time. This is huge due to the lead times we have today to manufacture parts.”