| 04/01/2007 |
| Huron man ready to open machine shop in Sandusky |
| ALAN INGRAM , Morning Journal Writer |
SANDUSKY -- Some machine shops may be closing, and some jobs may be shifting to other countries, but that's not stopping Tom Reichert from starting up his own shop and using a lot to do it.
The 43-year-old Huron man used his four-bedroom home as collateral to get a loan to help get Custom Tool and Mold LLC up and running. The company, which should open within the next two weeks, will make and repair injection molds that could be used for things like fishing lures and vacuum and car parts.
Starting up a business like this takes guts, contacts in the business and a supportive family, he said. ''You have to have people that believe in you,'' said Reichert, who has been in the injection mold industry since 1984. ''You have to sell yourself to the bank, and you have to come up with a business plan and be willing to work a ton of hours.'' This is the second shop Reichert has had. He owned one in Port Huron, Mich., from 1994 to 2001. That experience makes it easier for him to think he can be successful again, Reichert explained. ''I guess it comes down to just believing in yourself that you can do it,'' he said. Since closing his shop in Michigan and moving to Ohio, Reichert hasn't been happy with any job that he's had, Reichert's wife Vicky said. ''Basically, it was about time that he decided to do it,'' she said. He had other job opportunities in Texas and Florida, and even worked for some time at the one in Texas, but his family did not want to move. Between that and Reichert not being happy with what he was doing, he decided in August or September to start the business. Reichert said there doesn't seem to be much competition in the Sandusky area when it comes to mold making. His location is also close enough to other industrial areas like Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus, Akron and Dayton. ''I think if you find a niche and you stay efficient, you can compete with the overseas (companies),'' Reichert said. ''I think the quality of American-made tools is still higher than foreign tools.'' And, even if some of these tools are built overseas, sometimes the molds still need to be repaired, he said. ''They're not going to send the tools back to China or Mexico or wherever they're getting them built to get repaired,'' Reichert said. ''So, in a pinch, that's where I'll come in and fill that void.'' His 3,000-square-foot space at 709 W. Washington St., in Sandusky has more than just the equipment for mold making. For example, unlike the shop he had in Port Huron, he has a large computer numerical control lathe at his new Sandusky shop. ''The only reason I got that is, in this area, it seems like there's a lot of lathe work,'' Reichert said. ''So, I hate to just leave that on the table.''
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