Episode 804: Moser On Manufacturing – Fives Machining Systems: Designing Disruptive Solutions And Technologies

On this episode of Moser On Manufacturing, Harry and Lew welcome Harold Schoch, Chief Executive Officer of Fives Machining Systems Inc. and Matt Shockey, President of the Grinding Ultra Precision business line of the Fives Group.

Fives designs and manufactures machines, process equipment, and production lines for the world’s largest industrial groups. From the first railway lines to the Eiffel Tower lifts and Factory 4.0, for over 200 years Fives has been designing the disruptive solutions and technologies that make up the industry. As a pioneer of decarbonization and digitalization, Fives is always one innovation ahead thanks to its ability to anticipate customer needs.

Harry, Lew, Harold, and Matt discuss the skilled trades gap, supply chain challenges, the importance of reshoring, and more.

MEET YOUR HOST

Harry Moser

Harry founded the Reshoring Initiative to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. after working for high end machine tool supplier GF AgieCharmilles, starting as President in 1985 and retiring 12/31/10 as Chairman Emeritus. Largely due to the success of the Reshoring Initiative, Harry was inducted into the Industry Week Manufacturing Hall of Fame 2010 and was named Quality Magazine’s 2012 Quality Professional of the year and FAB Shop Magazine Direct’s Manufacturing Person of the year. Harry participated actively in President Obama’s 1/11/12 Insourcing Forum at the White House, won The Economist debate on outsourcing and offshoring, received the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s Industry Advocacy Award in 2014 and the Made in America 2019 Reshoring Award. He was recognized by Sue Helper, then Commerce Department Chief Economist, as the driving force in founding the reshoring trend and named to the Commerce Department Investment Advisory Council in August 2019.

Harry is frequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal, NYT, Forbes, Financial Times, New Yorker, Washington Post and USA Today and seen on Fox Business, MarketWatch, PRI, NPR, Manufacturing Talk Radio and other national TV and radio programs. He received a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an MS in Engineering at MIT in 1967 and an MBA from U. of Chicago in 1981.

Lewis Weiss

Mr. Lewis Weiss is Host of Manufacturing Talk Radio and President of All Metals & Forge Group, the principal sponsor of the show. He has 60 years in the metals industry as a manufacturer of open die forgings and seamless rolled rings, running a business that sells forged products globally to OEMs, major manufacturers, mid-size first- and second-tier suppliers, and small metalworking companies. Lewis Weiss puts his experience in manufacturing to good use as an expert consultant on various TV and radio programs nationwide.

SPECIAL GUEST

Harold Schoch and Matt Shockey

Harold Schoch Biography

Harold comes from a long line of machine tool builders in his family. He is blessed to be able to work with his son Buddy Schoch who represents the fifth generation of a machine tool building family. Beginning his apprenticeship with the American Tool Works Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, Harold served his apprenticeship and was trained as a machine tool geometry & alignment specialist and perfected the art of hand scraping!

After leaving American Tool Works in 1980 he spent a short stent with the Lodge &

Shipley Company before following in his great grandfather’s footsteps and joined the LeBlond Machine Tool Company. It was at LeBlond Machine Tool Company that Harold continued to sharpen his craft and become more rounded in the principles of machine tool mechanics and geometrical optimization.

During the economic downturn in the early 1980’s, Harold left the LeBlond Machine Tool Company to join the Mazak Corporation. At Mazak Corporation Harold’s hard work and commitment to excellence was rewarded by the opportunity to travel to Japan where he spent nearly three months studying every discipline used in the building of vertical and horizontal machining centers and lathes.

As a result of exemplary performance and ensuring the satisfaction of the customers he served, Harold was promoted to positions of leadership over the years. During his career, his talents were utilized on the shop floor, in field service, as a Production Manager, General Manager and eventually Vice President of Re-Machine & Retrofit Company, a reputable machine tool rebuilder, control retrofitter and service company where he spent 16 years.

In June of 2003, Harold left Re-Machine & Retrofit Company to start his own machine tool rebuild, retrofit and service business. With the support of three partners, he founded and became President of Machine Tool Solutions Unlimited (MTSU). The Company successfully served the manufacturing sector by specializing in machine tool rebuilding and CNC control retrofitting, performing machine tool alignments, calibration, and field service.

The simple principle of placing the “Customer Experience” first created within MTSU, a keen attention to quality and detail. Because of MTSU’s strong reputation and successful track record within the manufacturing industry, they were sought by Konecranes® as part of a friendly acquisition strategy to launch their US machine tool service operations. Konecranes was drawn to Machine Tool Solutions Unlimited, LLC because they were one of the few businesses that were financially sound, debt free, and growing during the 2008-2009 economic downturn. Konecranes wanted to launch their US Machine Tool Operations with a financially strong regional business and MTSU fit that criterion.

In October of 2009, Harold and his partners agreed to sell the business to Konecranes®. The acquisition of MTSU allowed Konecranes to launch its US machine tool operations with a highly respected company.

In 2008 Harold was approached by the Boeing Corporation and asked to author a training manual that taught the art of machine tool building and the principles of mechanics including machine tool alignment and calibration. Harold co-Authored the training manual with a friend who also spent their entire career in the machine tool industry. Upon completion of the training manual, Harolds team was contracted by Boeing to travel to the Boeing Craft College in Auburn Washington to teach the courses.

In 2014 Harold was asked by Fanuc Corporation to be one of 5 inaugural members of Fanuc’s Authorized System Integrators Leadership Council because his company was one of the largest retrofitters of Fanuc CNC control systems in North America. Parallel to being members of Fanuc’s Authorized System Integrators Program, Fives Machining Systems Inc. are also members of Siemens Solution Partner Program.

In 2018 Harold facilitated the sell of the Konecranes, Machine Tool Service Business to Fives Machining Systems Inc. after Konecranes acquired their largest global competitor in their core business, Demag. Harold was asked by the President of Konecranes to select the machine tool builder he would like to sell the machine tool business to and to facilitate the negotiations. Harold selected Fives Machining Systems Inc because they are the parent company of Cincinnati (Formerly Cincinnati Milacron) & Giddings & Lewis. In 2022, Harold was asked by Fives Group Chairman, Frederic Sanchez to assume the role of Chief Executive Officer for Fives Machining Systems Inc.

Harolds greatest accomplishment has been to help lead and facilitate bringing all businesses within the Fives High Precision Machines umbrella into a collaborative and unified global force under a One Fives, One United Team “banner”.

It is a privilege for Harold to spend the last few years of his career working with such a talented team that represents such notable and recognized names like Cincinnati, Giddings & Lewis, Landis, Line’, Kearney & Trecker, Warner & Swasey and Heald.

Working together with our sister Fives businesses as a “One Fives One United Team” collaboration, allows us to provide our customers with services, new machines, rebuilt & retrofit machines, digital solutions, additive solutions, and automation solutions that help them meet their productivity, efficiency, and financial goals.

We want to express our sincere appreciation for the opportunity to share our One Fives, solutions and our company’s rich legacy and current state-of-the-art offerings with Lew and Harry.

Matt Shockey Biography

President of the Grinding | Ultra Precision business line of the Fives Group; CEO of Fives Landis Corporation, Hagerstown, Maryland; and MD of Fives Landis Ltd., Cross Hills, West Yorkshire, England. Hands on career in precision grinding technology began 30 years ago as an intern at Landis, then working through engineering, field service, and manufacturing including leadership positions in operations, aftermarket, and the Fives | Michelin industrial metal 3D-printing business unit, AddUp. BS in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University.