Title: Hill Engineering Expansion
Date: 10/2/2003
Author: Hill Engineering
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Hill Engineering, a member of the Formtek Group of companies (which includes Cooper Weymouth-Peterson (CWP), B&K, Dahlstrom, Engel, Hill Engineering, Iowa Precision Industries, Lockformer, Rowe, and Yoder Manufacturing), will be adding new equipment and more than doubling the size of their tool and die shop in Danville, Kentucky.
The 8,000 square foot addition will make room for:
• A Wire EDM Machine
• A High Speed CNC Milling Machine
• A Radial Drill Press
• A monorail system
• Additional worktables and die racks
The company also recently acquired a completely rebuilt Mattison Grinder with a 24 by 60 inch table.
Allen Reczek, vice president and general manager of Hill Engineering, has seen the tool and die company grow from three employees in 1988 to the current 21, with the intention of employing four more people when the project is completed in late 2003.
Reczek said that the addition is necessary in continuing to maintain tooling for the company’s main focus, the Dana Victor-Reinz Plant in Danville.
“Our strong relationship with Dana has been great not only for both companies but for the Danville area also,” Reczek said. “With the additional space and equipment, we will also be in a better position to service other Danville area manufacturing companies.”
Hill Engineering’s relationship with Victor/Reinz division of Dana Corporation dates back to the 1950s when the Chicago based Victor Gasket (now the Victor/Reinz division of Dana Corporation) was Hill’s first major client.
And in 1988, Hill Tool and Die followed Dana to Danville, Kentucky to specifically service the world class stamping facility that Victor/Dana had recently constructed there.
“We moved to our present location in 1991,” Reczek said. “I remember seeing the building for the first time and thinking to myself, this place is huge…how will we ever fill it up?”
Together the two companies have designed and developed tooling for everything from the most basic cork gaskets, progressing through all stages of gasket technology including graphite/steel composites to today’s latest Multi-Layered System using 100 percent stainless steel laminates.
Currently the two companies are expanding their facilities simultaneously.
“We have grown to keep up with their needs as they also have grown,” Reczek said.