Up until the dawn of 2020, the goal for most CNC machining service providers was to deliver parts on time and meet increasing customer demand for high quality components. But as the economy contracts at an unprecedented pace an increasing number of machining & fabrication suppliers are struggling to sustain viable operations. Priorities have shifted and customers are now seeking stable and reliable supply chain partners with the ability to fast-flex into surge conditions, take on new parts quickly, and of course do so with uncompromising quality and on time delivery standards.

Addressing these needs is GMT Corporation. With over 47 years of experience in computer numerical control (CNC) machining, heavy fabrication and Lean Manufacturing, GMT Corporation is well positioned to address and delivery upon customer requirements in today’s economy. Backed by an experienced team of engineers, nearly 400,000 square feet of production capacity and over 220 employees, this Iowa based business is a North American leader in machining and fabrication services. “We are a complete manufacturing service provider who excels in large, complex, and high-precision machining and fabrication. We are incredibly stable and have the ability to fast-flex to as much as a 45% surge in customer demand. Perfect parts on time is our company credo.” says Steve Snedegar, the CEO of GMT Corporation.

What makes GMT Corporation the most sought-after partner for enterprises are its state-of-the-art in-house machining facilities and high-volume production capabilities. The company’s fabrication facility is equipped with plasma cutting, oversized presses & boring mills, robotic welding, mag particle inspection, cranes with up to 30-ton capacity and more than 60 complete weld cells. In their two CNC machining facilities they run just under 100 CNC machines capable of producing just about every machined part imaginable, including extremely large parts and assemblies. From a quality perspective they have 8 Coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) including a Leitz PMM-G that is one of the largest models available on the market. With its design for manufacturability, metal fabrication, and lean manufacturing capabilities, the company offers excellent process capability and control, short lead-time response, on-spec and on-time delivery, and competitive pricing model for a broad range of part sizes.

We are a complete manufacturing service provider who excels in large, complex, and high-precision machining and fabrication. Perfect parts on time is our company credo

Unlike most of its competitors who just manufacture parts for clients on demand, GMT Corporation goes the extra mile to understand their requirements and business model to figure out a design that helps enhance operational efficiency. In one instance, a client approached GMT Corporation with a design to manufacture a complex machined part. The company not only manufactured the part according to their needs but figured out an alternative approach and created a new design to machine the part more efficiently. With this, the client was able to reduce lead-time and cost while improving the efficiency of their machined part.

At times like these, the expert team at GMT Corporation spends a significant amount of time and effort to create the best possible design, especially for defense customers, who require high precision machining and fabricated parts and assemblies. Once the design is approved, the company makes a prototype while their engineering teams identify and resolve other underlying issues within the clients' ecosystem. Dedicated to providing on-spec and on-time delivery, the company deploys an Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) framework before moving on to first part and ultimately production. The company continuously works on enhancing operational efficiency and deploys seven Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs) and two quality labs to have a high precision review for the quality of machined parts. Further, GMT holds themselves accountable for their solutions even after leaving their facility by conducting a quarterly business review with most of their significant customers.

With such a powerful value proposition, coupled with its transparent business model, GMT Corporation caters to a wide range of industry verticals, including defense, agriculture, oil and gas, mining, wind energy, rail/transportation, craning/lifting and construction, to name a few. Moving forward, GMT envisions investing more in robotics and automation to enhance its in-house capabilities and productivity. The company is planning to adopt ‘geographic play,’ a strategic acquisition model, to seamlessly and effectively collaborate with customers who are geographically away from their facility. Further, GMT aims to enhance its capabilities and expand the business by establishing mutually beneficial partnerships with some major regional players in the market place. “We are now pivoting from being a machining house to a service and technology company in order to respond quickly and efficiently to our clients’ future requirements and serve as a one-stop-shop for the manufacturing industry,” concludes Snedegar.