Technical Member Profile: Tsugami-Rem Sales LLC

Tsugami-Rem Sales LLC is the exclusive North American importer of Tsugami equipment, including Swiss-type automatic and gang-tooled lathes, bar-fed multifunction machines and machining centers.

In 1957, Robert E. Morris founded what is now Tsugami-Rem Sales. Initially known as Nichols-Morris Corporation, the company was a national sales organization for "rise and fall" milling machines. The name was changed to Rem Sales in 1960 when Mr. Morris began representing T.S. Harrison lathes in the United States market.

In 1978, the company became the sole North American importer of Tsugami machine tools. The manufacturer, Tsugami Corporation, is based in Tokyo, with production facilities in Nagaoka, Japan. Tsugami machines are known throughout the world for their machining and positioning accuracy, speed and reliability.

Today, Tsugami is the only line imported by Tsugami-Rem Sales. "In a lot of ways, we’ve become less of an importer and more of a Tsugami USA," says Jeff Boulden, the company’s marketing director.

The company is a division of Morris Group Inc. The group is comprised of 13 divisions, most of which are regional distributors of metalworking equipment. The founder’s son, Lee Morris, is chairman of the family-run company, while grandson, Brad Morris, is president.

At its headquarters in Windsor, Connecticut, Tsugami-Rem Sales has 47,000 square feet of space, with more than half of that comprising the company’s technical center. "The technical center is designed so that manufacturers can work comfortably with us in developing turnkey solutions," Mr. Boulden says. "There are two large amphitheaters, and we’re training in them all the time.

"The technical center is our showroom," he explains. "Rather than only displaying static machines, we can show people the custom-engineered solutions we’re working on. Of course, we’re always careful to respect our customers’ confidentiality. We bring machines here and configure them to customers’ needs, even a turnkey, to verify that the machine is functioning correctly or to prep it for shipment.

"We have a large capacity at our technical center, but typically a training session involves 10 to 12 people at a time," Mr. Boulden continues. "Obviously, anyone who purchases a Tsugami machine receives training in connection with that purchase. But we also have a regular schedule for programming, operation and service training throughout the year."

Tsugami-Rem Sales is a technical member of the PMPA. "Our customers are job shops and precision machining companies, several of which come from the ranks of the PMPA," Mr. Boulden says. "Two of our biggest markets are small arms manufacturers and manufacturers of medical parts such as orthopedic components.

"Our Midwest Regional Manager Dan Murphy is probably our most visible face in the PMPA," Mr. Boulden states. "He’s based in Chicago, but he travels around the country lecturing and presenting at PMPA chapter meetings. He and Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager Dave Taylor talk to people on subjects like improving machine performance and implementing lean processes in their shops." Mr. Murphy will also be moderating a roundtable at the PMPA National Technical Conference this month.

Many of the company’s people are active on the PMPA Listserves. "Unlike a lot of other associations, PMPA members really do use their Listserves," Mr. Boulden says. "There is quite a bit of traffic on it. Guys are on the Technical Listserve constantly."

Tsugami-Rem Sales will be exhibiting at Booth 100 at PMTS in Columbus, Ohio, this month. The company will also be presenting one of the three PMTS morning sessions for PMPA members.

"What I like most about PMPA is the quality of people that we meet and work with," Mr. Boulden points out. "We learn an awful lot going to the chapter meetings, both about the challenges that members face and how we can help them.

"We also learn about how we can run our business better," he adds. "We listen to what PMPA members are doing and that helps us do our job."