Author Archive

John Slater

John Slater, a FOCUS Managing Director and Advanced Manufacturing Team Leader, has thirty one years of M&A and capital raising experience. Prior to that time, he spent nine years as a practicing attorney, focused primarily on financial transactions, securities and tax matters. He can be reached at [email protected].

Machine Shop Robots Get Real

Ten years ago, many of the tasks in a high-precision machine shop could be done by easily hirable shop floor employees.  Not anymore.  Today every shop owner has to deal with the increasingly frustrating task of recruiting qualified workers. To read the full article, click here. If it prompts some follow-up questions on how …

Machine Shop Robots Get Real

Ten years ago, many of the tasks in a high-precision machine shop could be done by easily hirable shop floor employees.  Not anymore.
automation assembly

Automation Is Coming to Your Machine Shop. Are You Ready?

The FOCUS Advanced Manufacturing team recently returned from our trip to the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago. Our main takeaway from the gathering can probably be summed up in one word—Automation.

When you think of automation, you usually think of large manufacturing plants, like an automobile assembly plant, with hundreds of robotic arms installing …

Is your precision metalworking company looking for machinists

Is your precision metalworking company looking for machinists?

If your precision metalworking shop is looking to hire your next machinist—and we know what short supply these technicians are in— your local middle school or high school might be an appropriate place to look. That is if they have their own student-run machine shop business in place. And if they don't, maybe your company can help them get one started.
Heady Times for MA

Heady Times for M&A Volumes and Valuations

Global M&A volume reached $5.8 Trillion in 2021.  According to Reuters that’s an all-time record, more than $1 Trillion greater than 2007, the prior record year.  At FOCUS we hit our own record with forty deals closed during 2021.

Economics of Automation

Determining the ROI of welding robots on an assembly line is a complex math task.