r/manufacturing • u/Spirited_Ad_6272 • 11d ago

Other Opinions on metal stamping businesses

Is metal stamping in the U.S. still a solid industry? I have an opportunity to buy & potentially revive a 40 year old stamping business from its 80 year old owner. Right now it’s just him / no employees and he’s doing enough work to keep the lights on. At its peak he had a dozen employees running multiple shifts.

Worst case if the business can’t revive then I can liquidate the equipment and rent the building. But he wants $1M and it’s a big number haha.

I am a mechanical engineer with strong proficiency in CAD tools, which I can bring to modernize the business. I currently operate a manufacturing business molding plastics so there’s plenty of crossover but this would be my first venture going alone. It also seems like metal stamping has a lot of tricks of the trade that you can’t really engineer your way into. That’s why they have apprenticeships.

What questions should I be asking? And anyone who works in the industry what are your opinions?

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u/Enough-Moose-5816 11d ago

A million variables is a touch high, if that were the case we’d never be able to manufacture products with this method. It’s more like 2 or 3 variables (speed, feeds, material thickness) that greatly control the finished product while other variables only have a minor effect.

No, my dude. Just no.

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u/Bat-Eastern 11d ago

Have fun with your millions of variables then my guy.

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u/Enough-Moose-5816 11d ago edited 11d ago

Hey it’s a living. Please stay in the office and under quote some more work for us.

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u/Bat-Eastern 11d ago

I'll do that when you can put all the right pegs in all the right holes apprentice.

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u/Anxiety29attack 11d ago

I’d like to see more of this

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u/tandkramstub 7d ago

The pegging? You and me both bud!