WELCOME TO SMTS
Our mission is to help our members bring value to their customers. We know that by doing so, the Swiss machine tool and accessories industry’s North American sales and operating companies will continue to flourish. We achieve that goal by networking, promotion, sharing best practices and providing, at IMTS, customer events that strengthen the image of Swiss technology. We encourage emphasis on customer support that will ensure that customers fully benefit from Swiss products’ quality, strengthening N. American industry. We cooperate with other industry groups such as AMT and other Swiss groups such as SABC and the Swiss Business Hub.
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear fellow manufacturer,
Thank you for visiting the site of the Swiss Machine Tool Society (SMTS). Our goals are, first to help companies find the best solutions to manufacturing opportunities and problems. Second to offer to our members, services, resources, and contacts that will help them succeed in supporting their customers. By doing so we help assure that the best customer solutions are Swiss.
For leading-edge manufacturing solutions, contact individual SMTS member companies or email me. For information regarding full or associate membership in the Swiss Machine Tool Society, please contact our administrator Sutha Heck. She will be happy to assist you.
Harry C. Moser was the President and then Chairman Emeritus of GF Agie Charmilles, now GF Machining Solutions. He is Founder and President of the Reshoring Initiative®.
Beatrice Weiss, Bookkeeping/Accounting
Beatrice is the owner of
Bea 2 B Services and is a
degreed professional with over 18 years of accounting experience and international business management.
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Sutha Heck, Administrator
Sutha joined in 2019 as its administrator. For any questions please send an email at sutha.smts@gmail.com
STAFF
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Jack Burley, Treasurer
Jack is also with BIG DAISHOWA Inc.
BECOME A MEMBER
The Swiss Machine Tool Society is a membership dues based association of the North American operations of leading Swiss companies with a direct interest in the sales, distribution and servicing of machine tools and accessories. Associate membership is available for companies that provide services, e.g. freight forwarding and banking, to our regular members.
BENEFITS
Networking
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Network with the management of other Swiss companies in the industry. About half of the participants are native Swiss, the rest primarily U.S., providing a good balance of Swiss and U.S. experience.
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Meet two times per year, including once at the Swiss Embassy in Washington, DC, having lunch with the Ambassador or senior Embassy staff.
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The DC meeting typically includes one presentation on foreign currency/U.S. and global economic trends and one on political developments potentially affecting manufacturing and Swiss companies in the US.
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Review business conditions and trends in market segments.
Sharing Knowledge
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Members are often able to help each other with sales contacts.
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Presentations on relevant best practices including how Swiss companies maneuver through the U.S. system.
Sharing Resources
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Access to Swissmem, Swiss Embassy, other U.S. and international trade associations.
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During IMTS (September even years):
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Access to special complimentary suite with Bündnerfleisch, cheese, crackers, wine, chocolate (McCormick Place, M-F, noon to 7:00 pm).
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Customer dinner opportunity typically with Swiss entertainment.
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Joint Marketing of the Swiss brand
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SMTS website links to each member and highlights the advantages of Swiss technology.
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SMTS is currently developing data, articles and website content documenting skilled workforce actions by the member companies in Switzerland, and in North America: Employee training, support of Manufacturing Day and of training centers.
This effort is coordinated with and supportive of the Swiss government’s agreement with the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Labor and Education to cooperate on skilled workforce development. Skilled workforce training and the resulting quality and efficiency are amongst the strongest features of the Swiss brand. SMTS seeks to strengthen the brand by documenting and promoting the related actions by members as part of our general program to strengthen manufacturing in North America.
APPLY NOW!
Join the Swiss Machine Tool Society. Our annual membership fee is only $1,100. Membership is open for Swiss companies, associate membership for companies that provide services, e.g., freight forwarding, insurance, or banking, to our regular members.
Contact Sutha Heck for any questions.
IMTS SPONSORS
PARTNERS
SPONSORS
SMTS MEMBERS
The Swiss machining expert Blaser Swisslube turns your metalworking fluid into a key success factor – a Liquid Tool.
GF Machining Solutions is a leading provider of EDMs; 5-axis VMCs; Additive, Laser Texturing and Micromachining machines to precision part OEMs
Erowa is a leader in manufacturing solutions, including palletized workholding, standardized EDM tooling systems, custom work-holding and automation, and has applications in a variety of industries.
Agathon Machine Tools Inc., owned by Agathon AG, Switzerland, is known worldwide for manufacturing high-tech CNC indexable insert grinding machines and superior quality guide elements.
50 years ago, this family firm took its bold first step from Switzerland
across the Atlantic. The company’s “North American cargo hub” includes facilities in Chicago, New York, Duncan/S.C., Houston, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Miami and San Francisco.
BBC Bircher Smart is the
specialist and worldwide supplier of touch-free and pressure sensitive sensors. Our wide range of safety- and sensor systems is used in automatic doors and gates in industry as well as in public transport.
BIG KAISER is a worldwide leader in high-precision tooling systems and solutions for the metalcutting industry.
Since 1955 Fracht Group has been providing specialized transport solutions for both general cargo as well as major projects. Having now over 110 offices worldwide the company continues to grow year after year. As a family owned company we take great pride in servicing our global clients. Give your nearest Fracht office a call and let us show you our excellence in customer service.
HEULE is family-owned manufacturer of precision cutting tools based in Balgach, Switzerland with worldwide distribution through subsidiaries located around the globe.
IBAG North America was formed 30 years ago and is a Swiss-based company supplying high speed spindle technology for precision milling, drilling, and grinding for medical, semi-conductor, aerospace, aircraft and precision manufacturing. North American support includes sales, repairs, service and high speed cutting applications.
Diametal SA
From the very beginning, Diametal has specialized in the development and manufacture of custom and standard hard metal cutting tools, wear parts, watch components and diamond and CBN abrasive tools including grinding wheels.
The fact that cutting tools, hard metal wear parts and Diametal watch dressings are manufactured with our own grinding tools is the source of special synergies, which our international customers appreciate. Many years of research and development have given us extensive technological know-how, which we have learned to apply in an optimal way to solve our customers’ problems. We offer products of the highest quality and are certified according to ISO 9001, ISO 14001.
Schneeberger Corporation manufactures high quality tool grinders for production and regrinding. The company uses state-of-the-art mechanical engineering technology to make its ergonomic, highly automated and flexible products.
Since 1973, LNS North America has been optimizing the performance of CNC machines with the industry’s most advanced machine-tool peripherals.
PLATIT INC.
PLATIT develops and produces coating equipment based on plasma generating PVD technology (Physical Vapour Deposition) and offers complete turn-key PVD coating systems including all necessary peripheral equipment and technologies.
Fraisa USA is dedicated to providing our customers with the highest quality cutting tools for their metal machining applications. Our focus is on your milling application and helping you to save time and money by providing you with the absolute best tool, proven application parameters and support so that you are assured success in all your milling jobs.
Reishauer offers Gear Grinding Solutions: Leading process technology, high-precision machine and tooling with exceptional customer support.
Rollomatic is a private Swiss company specializing in the design and manufacturing of high precision CNC machines for production grinding of cutting tools, cylindrical grinding, and laser cutting of ultra-hard materials
REGO-FIX, inventor of the original ER collet system, is a world leader in the manufacture of Swiss precision toolholding systems
Starrag Group is a global technology leader in manufacturing high-precision machine tools for milling, turning, boring and grinding workpieces of metallic and ceramic materials.
Tornos, a global leader in the production of Swiss-type automatic lathes and multi-spindle machines, started in 1880 and marked the beginning of Swiss-type lathe technology.
As a highly experienced banker to subsidiaries of Swiss corporate clients in North America, UBS’s Swiss Corporate Desk in New York delivers superior service and high-quality solutions customized to your specific local needs
UNITED GRINDING NORTH AMERICA distributes and supports eight brands of grinding machines. STUDER, SCHAUDT, MIKROSA MAGERLE, BLOHM, JUNG WALTER, EWAG
Willemin-Macodel is a supplier of cutting edge, made-to-measure machining solutions for complex, very high precision workpieces offering high added value.
UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS
SMTS SPRING MEETING
April 5, 2024
The SMTS Spring Meeting will be held on Friday April 5, 2024, in person at Rollomatic Inc., 1295 Armour Blvd., Mundelein, IL 60060, USA. The Spring Meeting will feature updates and talks of interest to the members of the SMTS.
SWISS HOSPITALITY SUITE AT IMTS
September 09–13, 2024
The SMTS organizes the Swiss Hospitality Suite during the IMTS show. Members and their guests are invited to the Suite for a unique networking opportunity while enjoying Swiss specialities.
SMTS RECEPTION AT IMTS
September 10, 2024
SMTS ANNUAL MEETING
November 22, 2024
SMTS Annual Meeting will be on November 22, 2024. Members are invited to join and participate in the meeting. The meeting includes briefings on the state of the industry and economy and includes updates from members, such as best practices.
The SMTS Reception during IMTS takes place at Union League Club of Chicago. The reception represents a unique networking opportunity with representatives from the industry and Swiss government present.
News
The tragedy of COVID has brought a surge of interest in reshoring. Thanks to the support by the SMTS the Reshoring Initiative has been ready for the surge and helps supports U.S. and North American manufacturing.
Here are some of our recent media coverage and events:
1. USA Today: American manufacturers pine for home as COVID disruptions, Trump tariffs shake up supplies
2. IDUF (International Democratic Union Forum): The association of center-right (e.g. our Republican Party) parties in democratic countries. The panel was an ex-NY GOP congressman and Harry. Moderator was Tony Clement, an ex-Canadian member of Parliament. Host, the first person on the video, was Stephen Harper, ex-Canadian Prime Minister.
3. Boom & Bust: An interview show with the same Tony Clement in #2 above.
4. Mentioned in The Economist (subscription required)
5. Design News interview re expectations for Pres. Elect Biden. Got 14,000 views online. Used some great information from Amber.
6. One hour interview about Harry’s background, life, etc.
7. 19 article series of which about 8 are already posted. Worth reading the Aug 3 intro article which is at the end of this page.
8. In total about 50 or 60 webinars and podcasts, sometimes 3/day. Started with a Gardner series including a TCO training webinar that is now one of our key tools.
Corporations are reshoring. Demand for the Import Substitution Program is up 10X vs. 2019.