NORTH SOUTH IS GROWING AGAIN! Introducing the New Machining Division Walking into a North South Machinery facility just feels unlike any other Machine Tool distributor. Their passion for all things performance radiates thru the building. In one corner you can find an industry-leading high precision Machine Tool running customer demos, and in the other… a vintage Senna-liveried Formula1 race car. The next room down may have the latest in Automation Technology on display, just steps away from their track ready Porsche GT3RS Clubsport. It’s an ethos that’s been deeply engrained in the North South DNA by CEO Jim Swartzbaugh dating back some 37 years to the company’s inception in the garage of he and wife Madonna’s Southern California home. When asked about the unique mixture of ‘Tools & Toys’ in the showroom, Swartzbaugh immediately reflected back to his roots, “Speed, Performance, Precision… It’s been a theme almost my entire life. Whether it was working in my father’s machine shop as a young boy, riding dirt bikes with my brothers, racing cars with my son or running a Machine Tool distributorship… its that perfect marriage between man and machine that has always been magical to me.” North South now prepares to take another step in that marriage, as it has announced the expansion of their operations to include their newly formed ‘Machining Division’. “You know us for our EDM and Fabrication products and services”, says Jim, “And today we are introducing our new Machining Division, where we will offer our customers some of the industries best Milling and Turning products. The new Machining Division will be headed up by Machine Tool veteran Bob Nugent, who we are proud to announce will serve as group President.” While not new to world of machining, the formalization of this new division at North South is just the latest sign of growth for their team. The recent addition of a new Milling Tech Center in Placentia, CA, as well as two Phoenix area facilities in recent years brings their total footprint to six locations and approaching 60 employees nationwide. The addition of several dedicated Applications Specialists and experienced Service Technicians to the team leave little doubt that North South is serious about its dedication to supporting this new division and its customers, not just selling to them. Logan Harrington is a key team member who supports North South’s customers in the Machining Division. “I joined the North South Machinery team because I believe in their business model, which is ‘service first’. At North South, we have a diverse set of tools that we can support our customers with, and we offer machines that range from entry level to extremely high precision advanced machines. Our on-site operations training, our applications support, and our extensive inventory of machines are just some of the reasons I knew North South Machinery would be a place where I could be my very best in supporting customers.” 48
A2Z MANUFACTURING SW • • May / June 2022 A2Z MANUFACTURING WEST COAST • • APR - MAY ‘22
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The new Machining Division will undoubtedly benefit from the support and experience of the veteran team of Sales, Admin, Service & Logistics personnel that have been the hallmark of North South for so many years. “Many make the mistake of thinking that we’re in the Manufacturing Business when we’re not… We’re in the People Business.” said Swartzbaugh, continuing, “Our success is a direct result of the many members of the North South family that have been with us 20, 25, 30+ years… that’s our real magic.”
Introducing North South Machinery’s Newest Line, Toyoda W i t h t h e announcement o f N o r t h S o u t h ’s expanded Machining Division, the news that a partnership with Toyoda JTEKT will be anchoring this expansion has brought elevated excitement to group. The Japanese-owned line of Machine Tools are well known in the manufacturing world for their durability and precision – from their Milling & Turning Centers to their Grinding Machines as well as their Flexible Automated Solutions. Bob Nugent, who was recently brought on to head up the North South Machining Division, says, “The team that has been assembled here, and the partnership with well known brand like Toyoda really has us all extremely excited about the potential here. Not to mention our continued growth with several other high end brands like Starrag & OPS Ingersoll, and the incredible automation solutions they bring to the party… we’ve got very high goals for what we feel we can bring to the market, and our loyal customers in particular.” Toyoda machines opened for business in 1941 with a grinding machine, specifically manufactured to support a major Japanese automotive company. Decades later, Toyoda expanded their lineup to horizontal machining centers, and later incorporated automation systems, vertical machining centers, turning lathes, and bridge and boring mills.
