Walter acquires Midwest-based fixtures, tooling maker
Walter has acquired PDQ Workholding LLC (PDQ) in Columbia City, Indiana, which specializes in workholding fixtures and tooling for various industries, including automotive and general engineering.
Walter says it expects to strengthen its offering of workholding products, primarily to customers based in the Americas and allow earlier access to component projects to improve efficiency and develop future sales of cutting tools.
The acqusition supports the Walter strategy to grow in advanced machining solutions and lightweight materials in a key region. This includes increasing its exposure to aluminum machining applications and enhancing partnerships with Machine Tool Builders.
“When a customer begins designing a new product or component, they procure fixtures ahead of cutting tools," said Walter President Christoph Geigges. "Therefore, PDQ has early access to new projects, creating a first-move advantage on the sale of cutting tools.
“PDQ is one of the leading custom workholding companies in the U.S., focusing on advanced fixtures used by companies in the same targeted industries as Walter," he added. "We know the initial tool supplier to any projects captures much of the replacement tool value in the first three years. Therefore, having PDQ within our portfolio of companies will significantly enhance our business opportunities in the Americas and strengthen our value proposition to customers. We are delighted to have PDQ within the Walter organization, and we look forward to working with them.”
Founded in 2010, PDQ operates from two manufacturing sites, Columbia City and Slinger, Wisconsin, and has 107 employees. The company focuses on custom stationary, hydraulic, and automated fixtures, alongside indexable tool bodies and carbide round tools. PDQ has a strong customer base, with 80% of sales in the U.S., and the remainder split between Mexico, Canada, Argentina, Switzerland, Thailand and South Africa.
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