SCHAUMBURG – In June 2014, the future looked grim for Taurus Tool & Manufacturing after a 3-alarm fire in Schaumburg, Illinois engulfed the larger of two company buildings and smoke-damaged the other. The devastating fire started when a cutting tool machine ignited cooling oils and quickly became uncontainable.
Six months later, Taurus Tool founder Tom Breitenstein and his wife of 42 years, Melva, have not only survived a major setback, they are optimistic about days ahead.
While they’re at an age when most couples are focused on relaxation and easy living, the Breitensteins said there was a key determining factor that made them push towards rebuilding and relocating Taurus Tool: their employees.
“You think about what your options are, but it was impossible to look at 39 employees – at least ten of whom have never worked for anyone else but Tom – and tell them that you’re not going to re-open the business. So that was never really an option,” Melva Breitenstein said in recent interview with TMA.
Taurus Tool started in 1976, when Tom Breitenstein’s father sold his company to a large corporation.
“I chose to start up a smaller company and ended up competing with my father’s old business,” Breitenstein said. Within six years, Breitenstein bought his father’s company back from the corporate owners and used it to expand his own Taurus Tool & Manufacturing.
Now Taurus Tool is located in a 24,000 square foot Batavia Illinois industrial building with brand new, state of the art machinery.
“After the fire, besides being concerned about our employees, the biggest concern was for our customers,” Melva said.
The short twelve to fourteen-week cycle of tooling determined for Taurus Tool a move that any business would find daring, if not reckless. Taurus referred their cherished clients to competitors.
“We had to be sure our customers’ needs would be met while we were re-locating,” Melva said.
And because Taurus Tools put their customers’ needs first, their clients are now returning back to Taurus Tool as the company picks up where they left off before last year’s fire.
“It’s turned out to be the best of what could have been a bad situation. We’ve been able to keep our sales force, our customers and our employees during this time of transition,” Melva said.
Among Taurus Tools’ major customers are Boeing and Spirit Aerospace. Taurus Tool developed a unique drill bit that aerospace builders use in making holes in the shell of an aircraft.
“There are just under a million of those holes in a Boeing 727,” Tom said. “Before they began using our drill, they were getting only four holes per drill bit. With the bit we make, they get 200 holes from each one. The drastic change in number is from the design of the drill bit itself.”
As the company looks to celebrate its 40th year in 2016, Melva said she’s confident her husband’s legacy will continue with Taurus Tool’s 3-man management team.
“Jim Kantak, our general manager; Roger Wise – the head engineer; and Rich Thiele – production manager, allow us to leave now and then and take breaks,” Melva said, with Tom nodding. “We’re very proud of them.”
Now that they’re relocated and producing again, the demand for Taurus Tools’ products is growing.
“The biggest challenge now is getting the company back up and running at 100 percent, from its current 55 percent capacity,” Tom said. “It’s going to take us another six months to get up to where we were at the time of the fire.”
Part of the company’s growth is because more and more clients are finding manufacturing products and tools from overseas are not what they thought they would be, and many customers are returning to American-made manufacturing.
“That’s good for companies like ours,” Melva said. “We need a skilled labor force, and government regulations are all serious challenges for us. Small business owners are the backbone of the nation.”
The Breitensteins say all their work and effort rebuilding Taurus Tool is worth the sacrifice. They are rewarded knowing that they are providing a valuable service in the manufacturing field.
“Sure , there were times when Tom didn’t take a paycheck in order to make payroll – and that’s not been so long ago. 2008 and 2009 were tough years, as it was in 2001 when the economy was bad for aerospace,” Melva said.
But those tough times – even with last year’s devastating fire setback – have proven to be worthwhile and fulfilling overall.
“You can say that Taurus Tool is really like a phoenix rising from the ashes,” Melba said. “We’re sure there are better days are ahead.”
Published in 2015 by TMA News Bulletin. Written by Fran Eaton, TMA News editor
