This weekend I took a trip to Canada from Louisville, KY. I went to see Oneway's operation. What an impressive operation! To see the material come in and everything that takes place to get the finished product was quite impressive. Their tools and products are not inexpensive but now I know exactly why. I have no issues with the cost of their products. I have over 75 Pics that I am putting together showing the operation for a powerpoint presentation. It should be a great PPP. I am not paid or indorsed just a happy Oneway customer . Vince
-
Congratulations to Alex Bradley winner of the December 2024 Turning Challenge (click here for details) -
Conversations are now Direct Messages (click here for details) -
Congratulations to Gabriel Hoff for "Spalted Beech Round Bottom Box" being selected as Turning of the Week for January 6, 2024 (click here for details) -
Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.
Oneway Factory Tour
- Thread starter Vince Welch
- Start date
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Vince When they first introduced the Powermatic 2035 I got a tour of the Powermatic plant in McMinnville, Tn. What an impressive place. Quality was definitely no 1. Wasn't too long after that when they had a buy out and everything went to taiwan. Still good machinery for the price but I don't believe it is the quality it once was.
Hey John,
I would have liked to see that plant. Powermatic is a great lathe also. I really like their table saws.
I would have liked to see that plant. Powermatic is a great lathe also. I really like their table saws.
Vince,
I hope you enjoyed the rest of your visit to Ontario. I have been in Manufacturing my whole life and I was impressed with the OneWay factory. For a family business it is very well run. The only thing flashy is the large machines. The office area is small and very crowded. Even the shipping area is very small. Everyone I met was very nice when I did the tour earlier this year. Would love to see you PPP when you get it done. Oneway should post it on their site as many people would be interested, I think.
Steve Mushinski
Toronto, Ontario
I hope you enjoyed the rest of your visit to Ontario. I have been in Manufacturing my whole life and I was impressed with the OneWay factory. For a family business it is very well run. The only thing flashy is the large machines. The office area is small and very crowded. Even the shipping area is very small. Everyone I met was very nice when I did the tour earlier this year. Would love to see you PPP when you get it done. Oneway should post it on their site as many people would be interested, I think.
Steve Mushinski
Toronto, Ontario
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Vince Can't see it any more, the facilities are in Taiwan. The town of Mcminnville where powermatic was has lost 2 major factories in the last 10 years. 6 or 700 workers are out of work and there isn't much nearby. This world aconomy is killing us around here.
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2006
- Messages
- 19
- Likes
- 0
Sam, Since you were in manufacturing I was wondering if you could answer a question for me. I keep hearing about Chinese this and Taiwan that. From what I have heard they just build the stuf for American Companies to that company's specifications. If the design calls for cheap stuff thats how they make it. If it calls for quality, that's how they make it. Don't get me wrong, I am not a big fan of outsourcing adn i know there are chinese companies that make stuff to their standards and american companies buy it and sell it cheap, but what about american companies that contract chinese factories to build a product for them. If it is cheaply made, isn't that the american cos. fault? Seems the fact is, Americans are pricing themselves right out of the job market. If you had to pay 10 grand for a lathe that americans built or 2 grand for a lathe the chinese built for an american co, which would you do?
Kind of getting off my main question here. When Oneway gets the chinese to build a lathe for them, do they not tell the chinese HOW to build that lathe and WITH what?
Rich
Kind of getting off my main question here. When Oneway gets the chinese to build a lathe for them, do they not tell the chinese HOW to build that lathe and WITH what?
Rich
Rich:
Oneway is a Canadian company that builds their machines in Stratford, Ontario. They don't have them built in China.
Michael
Oneway is a Canadian company that builds their machines in Stratford, Ontario. They don't have them built in China.
Michael
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2006
- Messages
- 19
- Likes
- 0
Oh yes. It's powermatic. Got confused there. But whatever the names, the question is the same.
You get what you pay for...
Rich, I can point you to a firm that sells a $330 table saw and an $8750 table saw, both made in Taiwan.
I recall an article in FineWoodWorking, from, well, years ago that says exactly that. They did an extensive tour of Taiwanese factories and found everything from backyard shops making junk, to factories making about the best there can be.
TTFN
Ralph
rich stewart said:
Rich, I can point you to a firm that sells a $330 table saw and an $8750 table saw, both made in Taiwan.
I recall an article in FineWoodWorking, from, well, years ago that says exactly that. They did an extensive tour of Taiwanese factories and found everything from backyard shops making junk, to factories making about the best there can be.
TTFN
Ralph
Hard to answer
Rich,
Quaility has always come at a cost. The problem is not, us pricing ourselves out of the market, as much as we must compete on a very uneven playing field.
When I say "We" I mean Canadians and Americans as we really are in the same boat.
We have labour laws, environmental laws, and the huge cost of constant litigation to fight for them laws. Not to mention the cost of insurance to protect companies from that litigation.
How many Chinese workers have pensions, health care and holiday pay? We can start to ask our selves how many of our kids( or kids kids) will have those benefits? Even in offices today, where 40 hours was a good weeks work 10 years ago, now expect 45 ++ or you are not a team player. Oh by the way you will only be paid for 40.
What I see is we have to lower our living standards so that we can compete on the world stage. We can thank our Government's for all the "free trade agreements" for this. We do get lower prices on some products but at what cost??
So the answer to your question is very complex-ed with opinions on each side of the fence.
For what it is worth, I do try and support our companies that still produce products in Canada, and the US, but sometimes it is hard to find. Like with Delta, I do not think anything is made in the US anymore. Quaility products are still being made at home but we sometimes must look for them. Oneway lathes I think are an example.
I am in manufacturing as I work for General Motors in the assembly plants in Oshawa, Ontario. I do drive the Chevy Impala SS and the GMC Truck built where I work. All the ratings list these plants for building the best vehicles in North American. So I didn't have to go far when shopping for transportation and wanting the best.
Sorry for being long winded- Steve
Rich,
Quaility has always come at a cost. The problem is not, us pricing ourselves out of the market, as much as we must compete on a very uneven playing field.
When I say "We" I mean Canadians and Americans as we really are in the same boat.
We have labour laws, environmental laws, and the huge cost of constant litigation to fight for them laws. Not to mention the cost of insurance to protect companies from that litigation.
How many Chinese workers have pensions, health care and holiday pay? We can start to ask our selves how many of our kids( or kids kids) will have those benefits? Even in offices today, where 40 hours was a good weeks work 10 years ago, now expect 45 ++ or you are not a team player. Oh by the way you will only be paid for 40.
What I see is we have to lower our living standards so that we can compete on the world stage. We can thank our Government's for all the "free trade agreements" for this. We do get lower prices on some products but at what cost??
So the answer to your question is very complex-ed with opinions on each side of the fence.
For what it is worth, I do try and support our companies that still produce products in Canada, and the US, but sometimes it is hard to find. Like with Delta, I do not think anything is made in the US anymore. Quaility products are still being made at home but we sometimes must look for them. Oneway lathes I think are an example.
I am in manufacturing as I work for General Motors in the assembly plants in Oshawa, Ontario. I do drive the Chevy Impala SS and the GMC Truck built where I work. All the ratings list these plants for building the best vehicles in North American. So I didn't have to go far when shopping for transportation and wanting the best.
Sorry for being long winded- Steve
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I had to photograph our governor speaking yesterday and a student asked why the US didn't work with mexico to improve it's living conditions so they all will want to stay home instead of come here. His answer was "we are, we've lost 8 major company's to mexico in the last 2 years." so True.
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2006
- Messages
- 19
- Likes
- 0
Yeah, that health care is hell. I have to pay a huge chunk of my paycheck toward health insurance. That keeps me buying stuff from Wal-Mart who buys all their stuff from overseas to keep prices low so people like me can afford to buy it because I am paying so much for health care.......gah! Round and round. How does that whole thing work in Canada? Good health care? No lines? Quality care? How is it funded? Oh wait. I'm in a turners forum. I made my first natural edge bowl the other day. As soon as I get a chance from working 80 hours aweek(because I have to pay healthcare) I will take some pics. I kind of like it. Also bought some waterlox. Been hearing things about it and wanted to try it out. I'll tell you what i think when I get a few minutes to try it out.