Thread-Craft, Inc. is a manufacturer of mechanical linear movement actuators including ball screw assemblies, acme or lead screws, roller screws and precision spindles. The Company's machining expertise also involves special tool holding devices and precision machine details. Thread-Craft is a full service ball screw and repair facility, capable of evaluating and repairing or remanufacturing products to OEM specifications. In addition, the Company offers precision machining, ID and OD grinding, CNC turning and milling, and thread grinding services.
Lloyd E. Johnson and Ture A. Lindholm founded the Company in the early 1950s. Originally employing three people, Thread-Craft occupied a total of 1,000 square feet. The initial product line consisted of threaded plug and ring gages and a thread grinding service. Thread-Craft relocated in 1956 to a 3,000 square foot facility in Warren, Michigan. Thread-Craft, Inc. was incorporated in 1958.
Early in the 1960s the majority of work consisted of worms, multiple starts, repair and new manufacture of acme screws and nuts; thread grinding, turning and milling, and ID/OD grinding. Jobs made complete-to-print began to make up a large percentage of Thread-Craft's work in the mid to late 1960's. Thread-Craft added 3,000 square feet to it's facility in 1967 in order to accommodate the Company's rapid growth and expanding product line.
In the 1970s, gages were removed from the product line and the focus became machine tool oriented. Lloyd E. Johnson bought Ture A. Lindholm's shares in 1979 and became the sole owner of Thread-Craft, Inc. The following year he rented an additional 3,000 square foot manufacturing plant located next to the existing facility to accommodate newly acquired turning and milling equipment. Lloyd E. Johnson retired in 1984 and was succeeded by Dennis L. Johnson as President. Dennis has continued Thread-Craft's total commitment to quality.
During the 1980s, Thread-Craft, Inc. experienced continued growth due to its ability to quickly and accurately provide superior quality machine tool components such as machine spindles, lead screws and nuts, fixtures, and a variety of other machine tool details. Ball screw assemblies were added to the product line in 1988. Thread-Craft purchased special machinery and equipment to manufacture the assemblies.
Thread-Craft's facilities grew to contain 12,000 square feet, but by the mid 1990's, Thread-Craft, Inc. had outgrown even that facility. In the spring of 1997, the Company moved into a new 26,000 square foot plant. This state-of-the-art facility features expanded and improved office and manufacturing space, as well as advanced production machines and material handling aids such as overhead cranes. In designing the new manufacturing space, the Company emphasized employee health and comfort by including climate control and a state-of-the-art air purification system.
By then, Thread-Craft, Inc. employed approximately 60 people. The transition took place quickly and smoothly. Once settled in the new facility, Thread-Craft's commitment to quality drove the organization to a new level of quality and efficiency.
Thread-Craft registered to ISO 9002:1994 in January of 2001. The Company also began its aerospace division in 2001, making critical military ball screw components for a large aerospace OEM. To meet the growing demand for its aerospace products, the Company expanded its facility by an additional 8,000 square feet in 2005. In 2011, the Company doubled its engineering department, doubled its assembly area, built a state-of-the-art inspection room, and added new test facilities. Today, commercial and military aerospace production is a staple of Thread-Craft, Inc.
Propelled by its growth into the aircraft and military market segments, Thread-Craft, Inc. has continued to improve the effectiveness of its management system in order to maintain certifications at the highest levels of the ISO and AS9100 standards.
