As proud Midwesterners, we at Manor Tool & Manufacturing and Vogel Tool & Die have always worked to give back however we can to the great city of Chicago and the entire region.
That’s why we were thrilled and humbled to learn that Vogel Tool & Die received a 2018 Governor’s Export Award for Continuing Excellence from Illinois earlier this year. Our president Tom Simeone accepted the honor on Vogel Tool & Die’s behalf during a ceremony held at the Union League Club of Chicago on May 24.
A Recognized Leader in Exporting
Exports form a vital part of the Illinois economy. Indeed, Illinois is the largest exporting state in the Midwest and the fifth largest in the nation, creating high-paying jobs and contributing millions to the state’s economy. In 2017 alone, Illinois exported nearly $65 billion worth of products, an 8.6% increase over the previous year. This growth in exports outpaced the national average by nearly 31%.
The Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) introduced the Governor’s Export Awards to acknowledge efforts to promote exporting in the Land of Lincoln. Vogel Tool & Die was among five companies honored for Export Continuing Excellence this year in recognition of outstanding achievement.
Vogel Tool & Die dates back to the 1930s, when founder Julius Vogel invented a punch and die process for notching the ends of pipes so that they could fit against the sides of other pipes. His patented invention was a significant advance on the time-consuming grinding or torch cutting methods commonly used at the time. Eight decades later, his pipe-notchers remain one of the company’s most popular products.
After four generations within the Vogel family, Manor Tool & Manufacturing acquired Vogel Tool & Die in 2009. Today, it remains a respected leader in metal stamping, along with its parent company.
Looking Ahead
Both Manor Tool & Manufacturing and Vogel Tool & Die are deeply committed to the continued growth of manufacturing in the Chicago area and the entire state of Illinois. We’re delighted to be recognized as significant contributors to the local and state economy.
At the same time, we take this honor as a source of motivation. In the years to come, we hope to remain a model for fellow exporters in our city and state and continue to exceed the high standards we set for ourselves every day.
To learn more about our commitment to local manufacturing and our efforts to bridge the manufacturing skills gap, read our blog posts about the Spring Break Internship Program and our partnership with mHub Chicago.
Manor Tool continues to invest in technology that will better serve our customers. The goal is to maintain an up-to-date facility that evolves continuously, and provides the efficiency and high ROI that customers expect.
As you may know, this year we had the pleasure of installing a brand new 330 Ton Komatsu Servo Press in our facility. With this new servo press investment, we knew that an updated feed line, complimented with servo technology, would be required to have a complete setup for 2018.
So today, we are excited to announce that our 330 Ton Komatsu Servo Press setup is complete. The 330 ton Komatsu press is up and running, available for immediate use, and has been equipped with a COE SpaceMaster Compact Coil Line, to complement the servo press’ capabilities and increase our overall capacity.
Manor Tool is a family business with deep ties to the Chicagoland area. Beyond working to create the highest quality products for our customers, it’s also our company’s mission to continue to grow and nurture the manufacturing industry in Chicago. Our president, Tom Simeone currently works closely with an organization called mHUB, that is doing just that. Manor Tool wants to highlight the mHUB mission and their work, to encourage others to join the movement towards building up manufacturing in both Chicago and beyond.
While most teenagers use their High School Spring Break as a time to unwind and escape the daily grind of schoolwork, there were two extraordinary students from East Leyden High School that took a different path,and joined Manor’s ranks for their Spring Break this year.
Manor is elated to announce that on March 4th, our very own, Tom Simeone, was honored by the Technology & Manufacturing Association (TMA), becoming the 44th recipient of their prestigious Winzeler Award
TMA started as a small organization of a few tooling and machining companies that banded together in 1925 to better the industry, and has since grown into the powerhouse of an organization it is today.
Manor Tool is excited to announce the installation of a brand new 330-ton servo press in our Schiller Park, Illinois, facility. This press will serve as an important addition to our shop’s advanced metal stamping capabilities.
Manor Tool recently collaborated with the University of Illinois (UI) at Urbana-Champaign on the school’s Senior Engineering Project program. A graduation requirement for engineering majors, the class aims to prepare students for real-world industry scenarios they may encounter in their future careers.
While the far-reaching effects of technology in contemporary life are no secret, many future opportunities in engineering and manufacturing have yet to be explored. The world of tomorrow will be defined in large part by young people who choose to study engineering in the coming years.
At Manor Tool & Manufacturing Company, our involvement with the community goes far beyond our stamping and tooling services.
We are dedicated to helping engineering students connect to the manufacturing world, gaining essential real world experience while improving their current skills — and perhaps becoming inspired to seek out new ones.
Inspire Your Future: Uniting Education and Industry
We are proud of our relationship with the Inspire Your Future initiative. This organization is dedicated to bringing the lessons of the classroom to the real world.
Reaching over 24,000 high school students, Inspire Your Future provides valuable workplace experience for young people who want to see the relevance of their schooling first hand.
The group also plays a vital role for local businesses, helping to attract students to areas that employers need the most help to fill.
Training for CEOs
We’re not talking about chief executive offers here, but rather Career Exploration Opportunities. The CEO program offered by Inspire Your Future provides future engineers and manufacturers direct contact with the industry.
Students can choose from a number of valuable experiences, including company tours, on-site job shadowing, mock interviews, and company internships. The CEO program also brings the industry directly to students, with company representatives available to provide education to classrooms or school assemblies.
Empowering Students to be Industry’s Leaders
We are proud partners with the Inspire Your Future program, helping high school students learn all different angles of the manufacturing industry.
Young people can enjoy the benefits of learning about career options that suit their skills before making expensive college choices —maximizing the benefit of their education.
Our work also gives students an early advantage by letting them set career goals that reflect realistic opportunities in the world of industry, all while working with a trusted company that has been serving the community for over 50 years.
Our work with Chicago’s future engineers doesn’t stop with the Inspire Your Future program, however. We have a tradition of staying in touch with young people who are interested in exploring engineering and manufacturing.
In October 2015, we welcomed Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle to our open house celebrating Manufacturing Day; many students were in attendance to get better acquainted with the industrial and manufacturing field.
In addition to working with local high schools, we also have partnered with the University of Illinois to give college students important engineering experience in real world settings.
Dedicated to Improving the Community
With our long tradition of providing the best quality manufacturing in the area, we are proud to supplement our educational outreach programs with a broad range of services to benefit the community.
Our programs include innovative seminars areas such as Kaizen Events and much more. You can download our eBook on Kaizen Events here. To find out more about how we work with the community to build the future of engineering and manufacturing, please contact us today.
After 108 years of patience, faith, and undying loyalty, the Manor Tool Family and the rest of the City of Chicago can happily howl CONGRATULATIONS to our boys of the Chicago Cubs for winning the 2016 World Series.