The GWS Tool Group Blog

  Meet Richard Boyle, the Executive Vice President of Operations based out of our Arden, North Carolina facility. Since 2022, Richard has been responsible for the oversight and execution of manufacturing and supply activities within GWS Tool Group. From Working On The Shop Floor To Overseeing Them All Richard first started working in the automotive […]

The acquisition of Balax Inc. represents a significant addition to GWS, bringing incremental premium tapping solutions of both the standard and custom variety to the GWS portfolio. The Balax name in production tapping solutions is cemented in 65 years of experience and will marry perfectly with GWS’ current rapid-tap production unit to create greater value […]

Meet Brad Walma, our Second Shift Leader at our GWS-MI facility in Grand Rapids, MI. Brad has been working at this location since 2013. He first heard about our Michigan facility from a friend of his who told him the shop was spotless and a great place to work, so he knew he had to […]

Meet Dollin Islam, our Logistics and Quality Supervisor at our GWS-Edmonton facility in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Dollin or “Dolly” as she is known to her coworkers, has been working at this location for over fifteen years. She started as a general labor associate and has quickly risen due to her attention to detail and willingness […]

Meet Erin Hogan, our Office Manager at our GWS-MI facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Erin has been working at this location since 2016, making sure both customers and coworkers alike are greeted with a warm smile. In addition to offering exceptional customer service when processing orders, her accounting skills and ability to help out in […]

Meet Lori Sturdevant, our Lead Tool Design and Technical Service Associate at our GWS-Beloit facility in Illinois. Lori has been working at this location for 35 years, where she uses her vast experience with technical quotes, design and overall tap knowledge to help her customers every day. Designing Threads and Loving It Since 1986, Lori […]

Selecting a tap to avoid breaking and chipping is primarily dependent on the application. You need to decide the best way to handle the chips produced during the tapping operation by selecting one of four styles, Hand (straight flutes), Spiral Point, Spiral Flute, or Form Tap. Hand (straight flutes) Taps, “store” the chips produced within […]

The underlying assumption when a tool is provided for an operation is that it must be the best tool for the job. However, the reality is often that it is the best tool that the supplier can offer from their off-the-shelf standard tool offerings. This was the case for a large Tier-1 automotive components manufacturer […]

Meet Anna Swonger, our Shipping/Receiving Supervisor at our GWS-Arizona facility. Since 2008, Anna has been working at the Surprise, AZ location making sure our shipping and receiving departments run smoothly. In addition to ensuring our custom and standard tools get sent to our customers on time, she oversees the purchasing of everything that the production […]

Not every machining challenge requires customization, which is why GWS Tool Group offers a huge selection of ultimate performance cutting tool options for smaller shops or applications that need them. In this case, a large automotive job shop in Northern Wisconsin needed just that.  Working with the team at MSC Industrial, GWS application specialist Doug […]