Enterprising Entrepreneurs
Quality Stamping & Machining, Inc. of Sumner, Washington, has endured market shifts for 30 years and plans to continue groundbreaking aerospace work.
By Jennifer Ferrero
Chuck and Judy Girtz started Quality Stamping & Machining, Inc. 30 years ago, after Chuck had worked as a machinist for 20 years in the Pacific Northwest. If you are doing the math, you might notice that if Chuck started working in his 20s, he’s now in his 70s and still going strong. While some retire in their mid-60s, it seems the retirement age may be increasing. In the case of Chuck and Judy Girtz, they are enjoying their aerospace manufacturing components business and plan to continue running it. Their primary work is for Boeing’s Commercial and Defense programs. “I still enjoy what I’m doing, even at age 75; I report to no one, just the tax man and Boeing,” Chuck reflected.
The company controller, Janice Holland, shared that both Chuck and Judy are partners in the business, “Judy has run every machine in the facility and has done the accounting. Chuck is still involved with managing the business, and all employee hiring and reviews.” She cites their ethics as the reason they operate a high-quality machine shop. Chuck said he enjoys the work and seems to have a strong grasp on the company’s big picture and growth plan.
Chuck noted that industry ups and downs have been challenging, mentioning COVID as one of the greatest challenges. But he and Judy have persevered.
Don Craig, planner, has been working for the company on and off since the turn of the 21st century in 2000. Craig has been a trusted employee and originally encouraged Chuck to start the business. He said the company excels at both sheet metal and machining and offers formed parts that “most people struggle with.”
Don said back when Chuck started the business, “There weren’t many sheet-metal houses; many people can machine a part in the garage, but working with sheet-metal parts sets the company apart.” He credited the special equipment they’ve bought, combined with special skills.
“It takes special equipment to do this stuff; hydro-press/hydroforming is expensive and you have to have the work to justify that expense,” Craig said. They also perform stretch extrusion, and use press brakes for aerospace parts.
He added, “We shine for Boeing because there are people who can’t make a good part, and we have good results.” Quality equipment and the ability to run it have helped them build a niche market and hire people with the right experience. Craig said that Chuck will hire conscientious people “as they come in the door,” even if they don’t have an immediate position. Also, Chuck said they work with AJAC Training to hire staff.
From a strategic standpoint, QSM’s investment in equipment is well beyond machining. While they have 30 CNC mills and punch presses, the other half of the work is with sheet metal — forming and bending, and complex assemblies. They also have 3, 4, and 5-axis machining and draw forming, which Chuck explained, “If you take a balloon and pull it over your fingers to stretch it, metal reacts in the same way; we hold the material on the outside and push the tooling through it to get it to conform to shape.” Additionally, they do stretch forming, which includes stretching and bending metal over a die. They also perform brake forming of titanium, machining, sheet metal work, and the assembly of complex systems. According to Chuck, fewer people do these processes, so there is less competition, but the end product is highly desired in the aerospace industry. Chuck added that they have twice the equipment as their competitors and do a wider variety of things. These types of projects may help the company further expand its commercial operations.
The Girtz’s purchased the raw land in Sumner, Washington, 30 years ago and started building their first facility. They’ve invested in three facilities on the site so far, and are now leasing another nearby site. “We’ve been growing continuously,” Chuck shared.
Right now, they have about 90 employees. They’ve ranged from 80 to 110 employees over the last five years. Chuck stated that the market has been variable, which caused challenges for the entire regional aerospace industry. This uncertainty affected hiring — they were hesitant to hire more employees until he was sure of a steady workload forecast. However, as of today, he affirmed, “We have more opportunities for work than what we can do; the only cure is to add more employees.” In the next two years, Chuck expects to grow staffing by 20-30%.
Now that the forecast is on an upward trend, manufacturers like the Girtz’s are making continued investments for the future. The company is a Tier 1 supplier, with over 80% of its work going directly to Boeing Commercial or Defense, and the remaining 20% eventually ends up on Boeing airplanes. Chuck said half of their projects are for Boeing Defense, but “Boeing Commercial is coming back.” He wants to continue to expand the commercial side of the business.
They also outsource some work to regional vendors and work directly with other Tier 1s. Their specialties are stamping, complex sheet metal forming, deep draw, hydro-press, machining, and complex assembly. Regarding hiring, Craig asserted, “Training for staff at the entry level — they must have the right mechanical ability.” Applicant math skills are determined with a written test, which “Tells us whether they can think and have the math skills to be a machinist.”
Don said the programmers who then send the project to the machine hold many of the math skills. “The programmer would need algebra, calculus, and higher-level math. Often, the programmers know about machine tools and make parts.”
For training, they pair the new employee with experienced machinists and said there are many questions new employees have, like, “How do you set up the tooling? How do you make those? How do you make the flat pattern?”
Janice added that they have a culture of partnership. Employees lend a hand to others, and employees may be moved around to different departments. “Chuck will move people around with different skill sets; (employees are) not just in one job the whole time they are here. Chuck is a big training guy, and we partner with AJAC and bring in the younger kids and partner them with the older guys and gals,” she said. They are training so they have employees for years to come. Additionally, she said Chuck will consider cross-training employees and moving them to different departments if they have an aptitude for something else.
Employees said they do feel this leads to better employee satisfaction. If you don’t like a certain area, do something different. Janice shared that they have a boomerang culture, in which employees that have started at QSM, left for another job and then come back, like Don Craig. She said people always ask, “Is the grass greener on the other side?” But because Chuck is pro-employee, they decided to grow the company little by little, with integrity, by rehiring skilled employees.
Chuck said their strongest competencies are rush projects or Aircraft on Ground (AOG) projects. “The things we tend to do the best are when Boeing needs something in a hurry, or they have special projects they need to expedite. We work with Boeing Spares for replacement parts. When an airplane is sitting, the cost of the part is secondary to them getting the part so they can fly it.”
With a business name that includes the word “quality,” quality and timely delivery are really important. With strong business management, Chuck and Judy have enjoyed a strong workforce and continual growth. Chuck’s goal is to deliver the work on time and always at the highest quality. After a half-century of work, Chuck still brings clarity and enthusiasm to entrepreneurship, benefiting both customers and Boeing.
