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www.us-
tech.com Focusing on the Customer Count On Tools: By Zachery Shook, Marketing Director, Count On Tools, Inc., Gainesville, GA
and-place nozzles and associated components for the SMT and elec- tronics manufacturing industries. It also happens to do some specialized contract manufacturing among its many offerings to EMS providers and OEMs. Proven engineering expertise, coupled with the company’s commit- ment to manufacturing excellence and investment in the latest produc- tion equipment, ensures that innova- tion and competitiveness is applied to all of its extensive product range. This year the company celebrates 20 years in business. Like many of today’s successful
C
electronics businesses, Count On Tools’ founder, Curt Couch started a spare-time business not in his garage, but in a work shed behind his house. In 1991, he became a U.S. dis- tributor of PB Swiss Tools, formerly known as PB Baumann Hand Tools. This business led to his further research in the Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and electronics manufacturing industry.
Discarded Tooling In 1993, after taking a leave
from Mitsubishi for the birth of his Production floor where custom nozzles are created.
ount On Tools is an important manufacturer of high-quality, high-quality, low-cost pick-
second son, Mr. Couch stumbled upon a new idea. He noticed that the SMT engineers were throwing away a significant amount of tooling that was used in the SMT equipment. He wondered why these nozzles could
not be reworked and refinished to extend their life and provide cost sav- ings to the manufacturer. From that idea, Count On Tools grew to become a reality. Mr. Couch started repairing
Panasonic nozzles in a shed in his backyard. His first major customers were Apple Computer, Motorola and IBM. This was the era when there was only once source for nozzles — the OEM. His next major develop- ment came when customers started making requests for custom tooling and nozzles for their equipment to accommodate odd-form components. This became a trademark service that would carry Count On Tools to much higher levels.
Better than OEM As business picked up and
more companies began soliciting his services, Mr. Couch decided to expand his operations from reworked and custom tooling to offer new tool- ing that could perform better than the OEM originals. Using his knowl- edge of the SMT equipment and its inner workings, Mr. Couch was able to not only replicate nozzles but improve their design to the point where each customer was afforded significant cost savings. In 1998, the company moved into a new location in Gainesville, GA and purchased its first CNC Swiss Lathe to produce new nozzles. Mr. Couch has always adhered
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December, 2011
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