Dec. 5—WAPAKONETA — The parking lot was full at Flex Machine Tools in Wapakoneta as attendees got a first-hand experience of the banging, drilling and whirring of machinery and technology.
Located at 705 Commerce Drive in Wapakoneta, guests learned how FLEX technology boosts productivity and transforms operations.
On demonstration was the FlexJet FLX waterjet; the FlexCNC C-series long-bed machining center; the new Flexible Tapping Center; a variety of pneumatic, electric and hydraulic tapping; and FlexERGO Arms designed for safe and ergonomic operations.
Another event was planned Friday to be structured around scheduled demonstrations with a much more targeted group of around t10 people.
Flex Machine Tools President Don Kemper began his tenure at Flex as vice president of operations in 2023 and took over as president shortly after. Visiting Flex as a customer to buy a machine tool for a former employer opened up Kemper's eyes. When the opportunity came for him to join, he did just that.
"I was impressed with the culture and the team here," he said. "Everybody works together."
The same can be said for the open house event. Employees worked with attendees, showing them the ropes of various machine tools and guiding them along for tours.
When a customer is interested in working with Flex, they must first identify a need for a piece of equipment. A time study and demonstration are conducted by the applications team to better assist the customer in understanding exactly how the machine operates. As the customer visits the facility for the part demonstrations, they see what drew Kemper in and what he continues to preach — culture.
"When a customer visits the facility and interacts with our team and sees the culture and our equipment, the close rate on those opportunities is probably three times what is if they don't visit our facility," he said.
Flex Machine Tools was founded in 1971 by Richard Kennedy as a government contractor. The FlexArm was developed by Kennedy in 1984.
Flex works with automotive industries, job shops, machine shops, fab shops and aerospace industries.
Reach Cade Higgins at 567-242-0351
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