Under new ownership, Tremblay's purchase of Cosen saw is first step in multi-year growth project. When Tremblay Tool Steels was in the market for a new automatic sawing machine for its facility in Macedonia, Ohio, the ultimate answer wasn’t too far from mind.
The auto function on an older sawing machine had conked out, one where the components weren’t made any longer given the age of the saw. Taking the necessary steps to get it back in full working order simply wasn’t a cost-effective option for the distributor.
So Tremblay explored a number of options to replace it before settling on a company Tremblay knew quite well: Cosen Saws.
Tremblay puts its extensive lineup of saws to work on a daily basis, so a dependable, rigorous machine was necessary. For them, Cosen fit the bill. Tremblay purchased a C-420C, joining family members the C-320NC, C520NC and C-460NC in the warehouse.
“We’ve been very happy with Cosen in general,” says Gary Kwiecien, plant manager. “If you’re looking for a workhorse piece of equipment with automatic function, it’s a great machine.”
One way that Cosen sets itself apart, Kwiecien says, is in its support after the sale. Parts are easy to obtain and easy to install. And all at an affordable price point.
“We haven’t had a lot of issues getting things we needed to keep production going. It doesn’t matter what machine you’re dealing with, things are going to break down. They stand behind their machines very well,” he says.
“Looking at everything we do here, they seem to be a very good fit for us,” Kwiecien adds.
That thought was echoed by Tim Byrne, the company’s president. “Cosen was not our only choice. But with the comfort level and support we’ve gotten out of Cosen, we thought that was our best choice.”
“The big thing with the new machine is it has an anti-harmonic system for reducing harmonics when you’re cutting big blocks of steel or harder-to-cut materials. We have a V-Drive system. It helps pulse overcome harmonics. You can turn band speeds up, you can turn pressure up, you can be more productive with because it counters the harmonic,” says David Granitto, the Cosen sales rep who works with Tremblay.
Granitto notes several features, including hydraulic tension and a hydraulic chip conveyor, assist with the production cutting Tremblay does. “And it has a rigid frame with a dual column that helps reduce harmonics and absorb vibration. You get better finishes, straighter cuts.”
Tremblay Tool Steels was founded in 1987 by Pete Tremblay, an engineer for the automotive industry. During the course of his career, he found himself recommending different grades of tool steels to other engineers and determined if he was going to do all that legwork, he might as well start selling them and reap some of the rewards.
The company began by focusing primarily on the automotive industry Tremblay left, dealing primarily in tool steels to that sector. Over time, however, the company expanded, both in terms of end markets for its products as well as some metals.
“I’d almost like to get rid of that tool steels name, we’re so much more than that,” says Byrne, who became president of the company three years ago. It pigeonholes us. People don’t think of the 4140, the A36 or the aluminums and brasses we sell.”
However, he also recognizes there is value in the brand. “It’s our job to educate the customers. We hired an outside sales business development manager to help get this knowledge out that we’re more than just tool steels.”
Tremblay Tool Steels is in the middle of a three-phase growth plan, all done with the blessing of its new owners, Doerrenberg Specialty Steels. The first phase is the addition of new equipment and inventory to better serve existing and potential customers.
Next year, phase two will begin. That will entail expanding the back of the existing building, while also bringing in new equipment and material.
Finally, in 2027 or 2028, Tremblay will build a new building adjacent to the current structure, built in 1995, again filling it with processing equipment and inventory.
For the time being, any business expansion will mostly come from gaining market share, rather than expanding its processing services. “We’re not adding capabilities other than the six-side mill machine and larger equipment for Blanchard grinding. Everything else is what we’ve always done,” Byrne says.
The company has a healthy base of long-term employees, though growth requires bringing on new people. That process has begun, with plans to add a second shift in the coming months. But it’s slow going. “There are people out there; it’s just a matter of finding them. It’s hard,” Byrne says.
Obviously, the company is eager to welcome new people and expand its sales reach, particularly given some of the return to normalcy among the customers when it comes to their expectations. “People don’t want to wait two weeks for material anymore. It’s not like COVID, people are getting impatient again,” he says.
Still, if you’re inviting in new customers, the need to be perfect out of the gate is imperative. “The worst thing is to have a bad first impression.”
Fortunately, he notes, machines such as the Cosen saws are relatively simple to train new employees on, another factor in the manufacturer’s favor.
Though Tremblay began as a distributor primarily to the automotive companies and their suppliers its founder was intimately familiar with, that has changed over time. Today, only about 25 percent of the company’s sales go into the automotive space.
Tremblay’s evolution away from the auto space became evident during the post-COVID period, when it managed record sales even with the chip shortage curtailing auto production. “A lot of it had to do with the price of steel going through the roof. But pounds wise we were doing well,” Byrne says.
The company hopes to add some more high-volume jobs to its existing mix of smaller orders, though keeping a good balance is ideal. “The onesie-twosie ones are where you make your margins. Higher dollars, but less volume. It’s good to have that mix.”
It’s not just the types of materials the company is selling where Tremblay is expanding. It’s also growing in the way its servicing its customers.
“If it was something you’d like, we’ll stock it. We’re doing inventory consignment orders. We’ll stock materials and you tell us when you need it,” he adds. “We’ll stock materials at your location, if there’s enough material. If you want to order a mill order’s worth of material, we’ll stock it at your location so you have the material and you don’t have to wait on delivery. Once a month, we come and inventory what you used and bill you.”
To Byrne, this is just part of the nature of selling tool steels, where distributors must be a little more active with their customers. That includes an innate understanding of the material itself. “We’re not just your steel supplier; we want to be your partner,” Byrne says.
“I don’t want to be someone you call up and get a quote from and never talk to you again. We want to see our customers.”
He pointed to a customer that phoned Tremblay about an issue with a mold cracking, wondering whether they needed to use a new steel. The company sent on the die drawings, where Tremblay noticed the wire channels were way too close to the outer edges, resulting in uneven cooling.
“The customer didn’t have to change their steel; they just needed to change the design where they put their cooling holes,” he says. “It was a huge savings to them and it didn’t have anything to do with their steel. We helped them solve a problem. That’s how we want to differentiate ourselves.”
That effort got a sizable boost a year ago, when Tremblay, then owned by partners Wayne Jones and Wayne Reynolds, was acquired by Doerrenberg, a German manufacturer of tool steels. Doerrenberg and Tremblay had an existing partnership, with Tremblay selling the material on consignment. Over time, the German company became interested in expanding that relationship while getting a greater foothold in the U.S. market.
Tremblay Tool Steels doesn’t just benefit from their material and strong financial backing, but also from their expertise. A leading engineer turned salesman for Doerrenberg spent two months in the U.S., visiting tool and die companies to discuss the issues they’re facing and what answers are available.
“He’s a weapon. People appreciate you being able to be their problem solvers,” Byrne says.
Though owned now by Doerrenberg, Tremblay is not a captive distributor. The company still sells material from other producers, tool steels and others.
This past June, the company had a huge shipment of material coming from overseas, part of its growth movement. Only a small portion of it was coming from the parent company.
Byrne says the new ownership has been truly beneficial to Tremblay. “They gave us the resources to do a lot of mill purchases. All of this material we purchased, instead of going to master distributors and bringing them in, we bought directly from the mills in big shipments.”
[Caption:]
This saw is one of four Cosen machines Tremblay Tool Steel runs at its Macedonia, Ohio, facility. (Photo by Dan Markham)