Story Highlights

• “Change is the Only Constant” –  Ian Wagter follows in his father Jack’s footsteps where they share a passion for all-things machining. After many years of working in a variety of manufacturing plan environments, Jack and Ian decided to go into business for themselves. With this, Jack and Ian embarked on a new journey where change is the only constant – because change is the best way to stimulate growth.
• “The Transformation Begins” – When Ian and Jack came across Lumar machine, the most sophisticated piece of technology was a fax machine and a customer base consisting of just two automotive companies.  Ian recognized Lumar’s potential and capitalized on Lumar’s established employee base. After riding out a learning curve, Ian made the transition from process engineering in large plants to taking on a general machine shop.
• “No Guts, No Glory” – With the recession that followed after 9/11, Lumar cut everything to a minimum. Despite maintaining lean operations, Lumar took a leap of faith and purchased more CNC machines during the economic downturn. With several auctions at the time, Lumar was able to purchase two Okuma CNC mills. Because of Ian and Jack’s ability to look forward while others hunkered down, they were able to take advantage of great deals in the marketplace.
• “What Service?” – Happy with their first Okumas, Ian began to shop for heavier equipment like a CNC lathe. Ian did his homework,  calling shop owners who owned different equipment and asked them about their experience with their equipment. He focused his research on service. He repeatedly asked, “How is the service from Okuma?”  Repeatedly, he got the same response – “What service?” The Okuma owners went on to explain they’d never had a need for service. With these strong endorsements, Ian bought his first Okuma CNC lathe, a Captain 370. To date, Ian has never had to replace anything other than a lightbulb.
• “The People’s Evolution” – Lumar has evolved from a manual shop into a high precision, high technology environment – a change that required the employees to reinvent their skills. With new technology and a newly trained workforce, Lumar successfully gained a foothold serving high precision customers in several new markets, while still retaining their two original automotive customers.

See the full story and video on the Okuma website, www.okuma.com.

About Okuma America Corporation

Okuma America Corporation is the U.S.-based sales and service affiliate of Okuma Corporation, a world leader in CNC (computer numeric control) machine tools, founded in 1898 in Nagoya, Japan. The company is the industry’s only single-source provider, with the CNC machine, drive, motors, encoders, spindle and CNC control all manufactured by Okuma. Okuma’s innovative and reliable technology, paired with comprehensive, localized service protection, allows users to run continuously with confidence - maximizing profitability.  Along with its industry-leading distribution network (largest in the Americas), and Partners in THINC, Okuma facilitates quality, productivity and efficiency, empowering the customer and enabling competitive advantage in today’s demanding manufacturing environment.  For more information, visit www.okuma.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @OkumaAmerica.

The Wagter Family of Lumar Machining & Manufacturing Ltd