Exsys Tool Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Exsys, the exclusive importer of Eppinger tool holders, adapters and specialty products, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this June. For more than two decades, Exsys has served as an industry supplier of CNC tooling and tool holders, including the Preci-Flex modular tool holding system and a wide range of high-precision live and fixed toolholders for turning centers.

The company was established by President and CEO Stewart Bachmann and Craig Campbell, who served as vice president of sales until 1998. Originally an acronym for “Expert Systems,” Exsys began as a business launched by Walter Bachmann, Stewart Bachmann’s father, who had previously served as a director of manufacturing planning and had considerable experience with the production of special tooling.

“My father started his business out of our house in California, with boxes of toolholders stacked up on the washing machine,” Mr. Bachmann says. “But he did some significant volumes with that infrastructure and his knowledge of working with Eppinger to develop specialized manufacturing solutions. So, when Craig and I moved out to the Eastern time zone to start our branch of Exsys, I used what I learned from him to push our sales and applications expertise even further.”

Initially, the new branch of Exsys was focused on the sale of axial and radial toolholders, products the company has refined and optimized over the years. The company increased its capacity year after year, eventually forming an exclusive distribution partnership with Eppinger. Today, in addition to its current headquarters in San Antonio, Florida, the company has Canadian and Mexican distribution centers in Ontario and Monterrey, respectively, as well as factory representatives in Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru and Chile.

“We’ve been successful for 25 years for two reasons,” Mr. Bachmann says. “First, I’ve always insisted that our telephone is answered by a real person within three rings. Second, we always answer our phone, and we treat every call seriously, whether it’s an order for $30 or $30,000. And we’re wholly dedicated to our customers. If any of our products require repair, we’re at their facility, tearing it apart and reassembling it as quickly as we have to —within 24 hours, if necessary.”

Bachmann plans to maintain Exsys’ current trajectory through continued excellence in customer service. “We’re always looking for ways to cut our costs and increase our quality so we can pass those savings on to our customers,” he says. “We’re working to boost our stateside inventory, expedite the delivery of our key components and push quality control even further, all to ensure our customers can rely on us as they work to achieve their own manufacturing success.”