Meet the Manufacturers (New England Tool Corporation)

automotive and firearms. So let's take some time to find out more about the company and the people that are delivering on their mission, which is to be the premier supplier of industry leading CNC machinery and accessories. Dijana, welcome to Meet the Manufacturers, the podcast.

Thank you, thank you, Claire.

Yeah, so it's it's really interesting. when when New England Tool Corporation was established, they went into become an OEM. So they they created their own product, and that was what the company was built around. And then years into it, they became a a dealer for Star Swiss machines, and that sort of became its DNA.

But in the background, it continued to be an OEM. So it's when we go to a meeting now, we introduce ourselves as a a dealer for for stars or for these other brands that we carry. But in the background, this entire time we have been a manufacturer and we sell these high pressure pumps all throughout the US, in Europe, and South America. And it's like this hidden little gem that we have that we don't talk about, that we don't even sometimes

think of ourselves as a manufacturer. I think just because of the the dealership side has more of a a sexy appeal to it. So anyway, that's that's how it started. And then probably for the first 10 years or or more, we were just a dealer for Star and and that became like a really huge partnership for us. And then I think they they realized like we've been doing these

different, very different business models we can take on more. And that's that's when it got interesting. So they started to add more lines, they started to to machine lines, and then they started to add more people. So they went from having a team of like five, six to thirty in the in that time period. And I was I was lucky enough to come in there somewhere and and be part of that transition. And and so it's exciting and and

I always say we are a pretty big organization to be able to do these different things and take on these new challenges, but we're still kind of small enough that we can shift gears quickly and and and change course quickly. So in a nutshell, that's

and be nimble.

yes, exactly.

How many employees do you have now at the Manchester site?

I think right now we have probably around 27. I've lost count, but it does yeah,

Okay.

New people. I have colleagues here who are my kids' age who are very young. So I yeah,

It's not a good look when this starts to happen, is it? It's just a bit...

I've been coined the office mom and I try to remind them, you know, at my previous employer, I was I was like one of the cool people. I wasn't coined the office mom. But

No, it's it's interesting. It's it's very dynamic and and I love it for that. I love that we still have that core team here. but I love that we have been able to adapt and and and sort of bring in young people and change as an organization and stay with the times.

Absolutely. And it's imperative in this sort of economic climate,

I suppose. So

Gosh, yeah.

tell us about your current role. You are the vice president. What's your leadership style? What does the day to day look like for you? What is your, I guess some of the challenges, but more, what are some of the fun bits about being the VP?

Yeah, I mean there's a lot. So I I would I try to take a collaborative approach. I like to ask questions. I like to be part of the action. I would like to understand and learn, not just from my customers, but from my team too. that's always like my number one I think, just to come in, to listen, to hear, and then to be able to create a strategy around what's happening here.

with my team, what's happening out there with our customers, what's happening with the economy, what's happening in the market. So when I joined New England Tool, I came in as a VP, business development. We talked about strategy and, you know, that was very new to them. They never had that role. So I think a lot of people confuse me with like, are you going to be on the road selling machines? And I was like, well, I'll I'll sometimes I'll I'll go. but I'm really here to sell the company.

And I

timing. That is some

thought,

timing.

what have I done? What has happened? What am I gonna do? I mean, everything changed. But I think what and and you know, six and a half years ago I'm still here and we're doing great and I'm so happy with with the things that we've done. And I think it it really is is more there it says more about the resilience of manufacturing organizations. not just I I did this. It I think it speaks more to how

adaptable everyone is. and through the different manufacturing associations, we we talked to manufacturers across the country. And that's what I saw that first year, that everybody was able to quickly pivot, quickly adapt. We didn't stop. We didn't, there was no shutdown. There was no work from home. We were essential. So in a nutshell back to your question, my approach is really to

To be curious, to I don't I don't stick to my guns. If I came in here and I thought that New England Tool Corporation needed to do certain things differently, and then along the way I learned that I was completely wrong, I'm I'm happy to change my point of view, change my course of action, because I want to see the results. I'm more interested in the results than sort of

Yeah.

pushing something that I think theoretically could have worked. So

That's that's how we've worked for the last six and a half years. it's challenging. Yeah.

Yep. Flexible. Nimble.

yeah. it's challenging on so many levels. the first thing is my husband is my boss, which we always joke around and we say we don't recommend it, but that's that's that's that's not really the the reality. It's I always say

It's like I work for any other boss. He is one of the core people that was here. He's one of those three. So he's been here for twenty three years, I want to say. he runs New England Tool Corporation. He brings that to the table. I have my career that I built around business development, around strategy, around being a customer focused organization. That's what I bring to the table.

It's challenging to bring in things that has have not been done here before and to sort of champion it and wait for everyone to get on board to do things differently. but it's doable and it's I love challenges like that. I love being part of that transformation. So lots of challenges. I won't go through all of them, but yes, they're there, but I think they're also part of the the learning that goes into

doing big things. You're gonna have challenges. Those are the things that teach you really what's right.

Yeah, the lessons you learn. Well, I sincerely

hope that your company health insurance policy covers marriage guidance therapy. I think that would be a

Ha ha ha

tall order. But you know, one of the things that I have noticed about doing these podcasts is there are so many family organizations, family companies, multiple generations of manufacturers have managed it successfully. So I've got hope for you, Deanna. It'll be all right.

Yeah. It's it's not

uncommon. we're not the only couple that works here, believe it or not. We also have two father-daughter duos. So we joke around. Like if if one of the dads calls and one of the daughters picks up, she she'll make a funny joke like, Don't don't ever talk work with your dad. And I'll make the same joke, like, don't ever work with your husband. But it works. and the reason those people came to work here is same, you know.

Same reason I came to work here is I've known the family that owns this company. I I've known everyone who's worked here since twenty ten, when I met my husband. So I've I've been an outsider, I've seen what kind of organization it is. I've also been privy to the challenges. So I I came in kind of ready to get the ball rolling. But but it works and in this industry it's not that uncommon.

No, absolutely

not. Just another piece of the puzzle.

So

It is, yeah.

back to what you guys actually do and the customers that you serve. You support customers across industries, like I mentioned, aerospace, medical, automotive. How have the needs of manufacturers changed over the years that you've certainly that you've been there? And what trends are you seeing, particularly in CNC machining and advanced manufacturing space just right now?

Yeah.

again, going back to March twenty twenty, we had customers who overnight had to start making ventilator parts, had to start making components that they were never making before. And our team's job was to support them, whether it was in setting up the machine, whether it was sourcing accessories for the machine or or

I mean it it the that was like the beginning. couple of years later, I think we started to see the biggest challenge which I I think the this industry is still facing is the workforce development.

Yep.

they could get the projects, they could get the equipment, but they can't get the the workforce. And it it's

That's I think that's been the biggest challenge. So we whatever challenge is happening in the industry, we ourselves try to get involved. So we're involved with the schools. It's not enough. I I I know the state of Connecticut is in this region the best at supporting manufacturers needs. And there is a lot around workforce development.

But when you go to the schools and you talk to the students, they they still don't know what we're talking about when we say we come from manufacturing. So

I mean that's that's not that's not something we saw ourselves as strategically this is what we're gonna do is sort of happen organically because that's what's happening in the market and there is no there's not enough workforce for for the needs right now. So that's one piece of it. technology, you know, technology moves fast and and being able to I mean everyone's talking about AI right now, but

AI's been around for a long time and and it's it's hitting everyone pretty fast. Same thing happens with CNC machinery or any other manufacturing equipment and and technology. So yes, we're here to be a dealer, but we're here to help train. We're here to help onboard. We're help so it we become a a part of the entire ecosystem. And I I've lost track of of where I was going with this, but

I I think we're finding that each year we're we're we're facing new unpredictable challenges, right? This past year was the tariffs and it it's it's ongoing. I think that's my simplest answer. The the challenges are ongoing and I think the thing I learned from our customers and from from my team here is that we have to be open minded and ready, whether it's workforce development, whether it's technology, whether it's

the tariffs, the economy, politics, whatever it is. And I am always impressed with how resilient this I'm I want to say community because it really does function like a community. I very much so I see customers

very much so.

helping competitors helping each other. I I I love that about this industry.

It's really funny because you've kind of answered my next question, was about

Okay.

how Connecticut has such a long history of manufacturing and particularly in precision machining. And sometimes that's fabulous because we've got the heritage and the history of being, you know, a hotbed if you like of manufacturing. But with that also comes some challenges with the cost of living, with healthcare, with workforce development. You know, we often hear these things floated around and

They are real tangible struggles and barriers that companies are facing that are stopping them on the next, you know, next rung of the ladder, if you like. And also then you've got the outside impact of decisions that are outside of your control that are being made that are affecting your everyday business. It's good to be that flexibility. It seems to be the theme of this podcast is that flexibility is required in order to be successful, particularly through times of great uncertainty. It's an interesting one.

With the workforce development, have you seen any improvement, I guess? We often talk about how the old stigmas of manufacturing are gone now, thankfully, and I think people

Yeah.

who are looking to pursue a career in manufacturing know that it is not what it used to be and that actually it's high technology, it's clean and very efficient workspaces, almost operating theatre standards in some manufacturing facilities.

Yeah.

Are you seeing any change in the young people that are joining your workforce with their attitude and their outlook towards their career in manufacturing?

No, and that's not a bad thing. and and I'll tell I'll explain. I know, I know. so we I I'm gonna give you I'm sorry,

We've got work to do in this podcast, Deanna. We've got work to do. Come on.

I'm gonna give you the full like why I say that. so the state of Connecticut did a a research campaign, marketing research campaign a couple of years ago, and they went out

to students and children and they asked them about they wanted to understand really on paper how how do young people perceive manufacturing because you and I may see this as yes, it's the old school dark, oily, no ventilation. We know that scene. They don't. They had no perception at all.

And and as a mom, I have four kids, I can talk about they have no idea. They just haven't seen it. You know, one of the comments I think I heard Paul Lavoie say once was kids think things just show up from Amazon. They don't

Yeah, yeah, I was just about to say

they don't know. It's like rotary telephones. I showed my son

So when

one and he was like, what is it? You're right, if you don't know the old

Yeah.

stigma, you can't carry it forward to the next generation. Huh.

They don't

have a perception manufacturing has not been present in their lives. And I remember this again going back to as a mom, I worked for a engineering services provider for close to ten years. And I would come home and I would say, these engineers I work with, they're creating this for the airplane or this for you know your phone, like a little, you know, chip or something. And they were kind of un phased. Like they don't they're like, okay, well now go that's

That's cool. Like they know technology. They don't have a perception of how this stuff is made. which that's why I answered your question with a no. But it's not a bad thing. I think what I've seen here and what I've seen my customers is when when a young person does come into this workforce and they see, I think they're intrigued. I think they like it and I think they're proud of what they're doing.

we just don't have enough of them. That's where the real challenge is. I don't think the challenge is that they don't want to come over because they think manufacturing is dirty or not a good opportunity. I just think we don't have

enough opportunities for them to come over to manufacturing. You know, like we as a country don't

Yeah.

really push manufacturing like let's say Germany does and they have the whole apprentice

Mm-hmm.

system really embedded in the education system. We don't have that yet.

Very much so.

So I think that's really that's kind of been my take on it.

Yeah, no, that's a really fair point and it's an interesting angle and it's kind of an interesting one because I guess actually the argument is when are we going to get on board with vocational training and getting these young people through quicker. Interesting.

Yeah. We don't see the

ones that come in, we don't see them leave. So they're staying,

Yeah.

they're enjoying it, you know, but I I think we just don't have enough.

We need an incubator for workforce

development in Connecticut. That's a

Yes. Yes.

bit sci-fi, isn't it? As a company that works closely with manufacturers and CNC technology every day, what advice would you give to businesses looking to improve their productivity or maybe adopt new technology to remain competitive in today's market?

I mean there's there's a lot they can do. I I think the easiest thing is to to listen to their employees what's working really well, what's making us efficient, what's not making us what's in the way. I think that's always the the best place to start. also keeping an open mind of technology that's out there.

not shy away from something that may seem challenging to adapt just looking at the big picture. I I think just th those two simple things, at least in our experience here, have just given us a huge, huge benefit in the long run.

No sound advice. So kind of going back to changing the world or trying to make the world a better place, I guess. The New England tool is of course a member of Manufacture CT.

How important is it being

Yes.

a part of a manufacturing network like Manufacture CT? And what role do you think that collaboration and knowledge sharing strengthens Connecticut manufacturers?

Yeah.

It's huge for us on so many levels and it it benefits us as a company in so many ways because our team can engage with this association and it doesn't just have to be the leadership team getting the benefit, but our team actually having access to the association. Also, I think it helps us support the industry. It helps us support

And sort of strengthen you know, Manufacture CT is a unique association because we don't come across only machine shop manufacturers. There's a lot of different manufacturing going on in Connecticut. And I think being a part of it, engaging with the association, supporting it, I think, yes, there are huge benefits for us as a company, but I think overall we sort of look at it as

We we need to keep this industry strong. So how can we do that? Associations is one of one of the the tools I guess we have. we're part of the NTMA. We're part of our sister company ISWIS is part of the P NPA. We're we're involved in all of them. because at the end of the day it it by strengthening the industry, we're making sure that New England tool

corporation will be around for another twenty five, fifty years.

Yeah, that kind of stronger together

community feel, isn't it? Got

Yes. Yeah.

it. Yeah, that's fascinating. Right, let's have some fun. I'm going to make you the boss, Deanna. Right, you're the boss. Now you can choose your job title, okay? So, I

Let's do it. Okay. I love being the boss. Okay.

mean, you could be the president for all I care, but you're in charge of decision making around manufacturing at a very, very high level. Your first day in office, you step into your gorgeous office. What decisions are you making to support manufacturers?

all over the United States, not just Connecticut.

On the first day, just the first day.

First day, crystal ball.

Which executive orders are you signing?

I'm I'm more of a asking questions. I really am. On that first day, I wanna know everything. I wanna I wanna turn over every stone. I wanna talk to the quietest people in my organization, the ones that don't speak up. I that I think that first day I would make sure that I talked to everyone I under I wouldn't want to jump in and make any policies, any

You're swerving

You know.

this beautifully, Deanna. I just gave you carte blanche to do whatever you wanted. You're

absolutely swerving it. But

I

I think it's right. It matches the collaborative approach that you shared in the beginning.

Really, you know,

I I would love to give you like an answer like the first day. I I I think it's pointless. I think if I and I remind myself of this all the time and and I it it it takes patience to be a leader in a leadership role, you know. what I did two years ago here at New England Tool does not work anymore the same. It it it doesn't give me the same result.

So just ha that's my attitude. I want to learn. I want to make sure that by the time and I'm quick to make a decision. but I I won't walk through the door and tell everyone what they need to know. Even if I do think I know better, I think I like the approach of let me ask them these questions. Let me see if they're on board. Let me see where

Yeah.

we are. Let's kind of

A lot of listening. Find the pinch points. Yeah.

Yeah, and and if I

was going to make a policy that day, it would be for the rest of my leadership team to come back with some homework and tell me what they've learned. 'cause I think that, you know, when when I do I like to be really effective, you know, and and it's a joke here we have all the time because we're like, we don't we don't know what you do. And I'm like, well, if something's working, you're you're not questioning it.

you know, you take it I guess for granted sometimes. But I want it to work. I want it to be effective. I want to see results. And yeah, I think my first executive order would be for everyone to do some homework.

I like it. like

it. Set homework. Teacher Deanna.

Yeah.

What's, looking back over your career, and it could be with New England and before,

Yeah.

what's one of your proudest moments, I guess? You sometimes we speak to manufacturers who were able to pivot during COVID and save lives. I mean, literally very impressive

Yeah.

and a very proud moment for them as companies. But what's the proudest moment it might be?

the onboarding of a young member of staff who's gone on to progress to great things. It might be supplying machinery to a company that's doing incredible things. What kind of makes you proud when you think about your work and the companies that you've worked for? Which ones have probably had the most impact and made you kind of proud?

So to sort of generalize it and not talk now in detail and and give you, I think what makes me proud about doing my job is I love being a part of this ecosystem that creates innovative products or changes lives. I love going home every day knowing I touched something that in the end has really had a huge impact on on humanity. I love that.

I'm not a doctor, I'm not saving lives, I'm not an educator, I'm not you know, having this huge impact on on youth. But in my job and at my previous organization working for the engineering services provider and here, that's what I get to take home with me every day. That's my pride. Just knowing that

I was part of it. I was able to, whether it was in mentoring the young people here or training my sales team here, or working with the customer on on finding a solution for some business problem that they were struggling with, all of those things I'm I'm proud of. Those are great achievements. But at the end of the day, at the core, I am mostly proud of just being part of this.

in a small way, but in the end it's it's huge.

It has huge impact on on human beings of this time. I'm so happy to be

Yeah, yeah.

part of that.

Amazing. Many hands make light work and all that.

Yes, yes.

Last question for you. Looking ahead, what excites

Mm.

you the most about New England Tool Corporation and the wider manufacturing industry in Connecticut? What excites you at the moment?

The possibilities. I love the possibilities. I that's I'm a you know, I I think because I'm I've always been in sort of a business development role, I I'm always looking ahead, I'm always planning next year, next five years. I love the possibilities.

Are you going to give me some examples? I tell you what, I did a podcast not so long ago and he

was like, I'm going to double my company. I think it was in five or 10 years. And I'm like, right. It's now committed to tape. God, I sound old. It's now committed to

Yeah.

the transcript forever. I'm going to come back

Yeah.

in 10 years time and see if you've doubled it. Do you have any big aspirations like that for the next foreseeable?

We do. I

mean New England Tool in in the twenty six years or twenty seven years that it's been in business has has been transforming in in many different ways. They have a lot of spin off companies now. ISWIS is another one that sits here in the same building as us. Another one was created recently. There's a robotic one that that they created. So I'm not really interested in another spin off company. As far as New England Tool, the the

the dream that I have is A to grow the team. I I think now we're at a very comfortable size. I want to get uncomfortable. I want to I I would love to see it at 50 to 100 employees, a couple of different buildings and expanding our our we've proved to ourselves now that we can do it. We've we've changed and added to our offerings many times and we've done it well. And now I know that we can do it. So

secretly now I've I've told the whole world. that's that's my yes, yes, that's what I

You've told the whole world now it's committed. So there you go. You heard it here first.

that's what I'm driving towards. I I want to see this really explode beyond our comfort zone.

and get uncomfortable so that you have to solve problems. I love that. I love

Yes, yes.

that. What a lovely outlook on it. Dijana, it's been

Yeah.

so lovely catching up with you today. It's been so nice learning a little bit about the company, about you, your leadership style, your problems, your challenges, and obviously the things that are going exceptionally well for you guys. But we will make a date in the diary. Three, five years time, I'm going to come back.

Yes, let's do it. Yes.

I'm going to ask you for a roll call of staff, but it's been an absolute pleasure. And thank you so much

Thank you, Claire.

for being a part of Meet the Manufacturers.

My pleasure. Thank you so much. It was a joy talking to you. Thank you.