Technical Member Profile: Champion Screw Machine Engineering, Inc.

Next year will mark the 60th anniversary for Champion Screw Machine Engineering. Established in Detroit in 1945 by brothers John and B.J. Mascow, the company is now located in a state-of-the-art facility built in 1993 in Wixom, Michigan.

“Champion today is a very different company than the one my grandfather knew,” says Katherine Mascow Coffman, president of the company. “Back then, the main products were surplus machines and the replacement parts and tooling that we manufactured ourselves. Now, a large portion of our sales come from the many high-quality product lines that we have added in recent years. We distribute for almost every recognized brand in the industry.

“I think that during these difficult times, it is important that we look for every possible way to provide our customers with a reliable, trusted source for the wide range of products they need," she adds. “We not only look at price, but also at how we can offer our customers the very best value in those products. Quality is very important to me, and we back everything we sell.”

Champion is a leading supplier of Acme-Gridley replacement parts, tooling and attachments. The company also stocks parts for Davenport, New Britain and Conomatic. It carries new and surplus parts, tooling and attachments, and it offers same-day shipping on a range of items. In addition to the parts business, the company has a service company that offers complete in-house rebuilding, reconditioning, spindle rebuilding, toolslide conversions, slide rebuilding and on-site field service.

Champion has been a member of PMPA since 1985, and the company was honored with the 2003 Member Participation Award. “The PMPA has been a very important part of where we are as a company today,” explains Ms. Coffman. “I have come to rely heavily on the advice and opinions of the many knowledgeable and experienced people within the organization. I never know what new piece of information or insight I might be exposed to, either at one of the meetings or on the listserv. The way we share information makes it unique. It gives me a good feeling when I know I have helped a fellow member in some way.

“The PMTS Show and the listserv are both very important to us,” she continues. “They provide us with an opportunity to keep a finger on the pulse of the industry. I value the ability to get a feel for the mindset of the industry as much as I value the technical information provided. It is interesting to hear other members’ thoughts and opinions about the range of critical issues our manufacturers face every day. When we know where our customers are coming from, it makes it easier for us to know which direction to take as a company.”

Ms. Coffman served as the vice technical chairman of PMPA from 1999 to 2000 and as technical chairman from 2000 to 2001. She is currently on the board of the Education Foundation and the Management Update Committee.

Champion Screw Machine Engineering, Inc. is located at 30419 Beck Road, Wixom, Michigan 48393. Telephone: (248) 624-4545. Web site: www.championscrew.com.