Cutting Tool Control, Inc. of Seattle has distributed products to Pacific Northwest manufacturers for over 45 years with no plans of slowing down.

By Jennifer Ferrero

Cutting Tool Control, Inc. (CTC) of Seattle, Washington, was founded by Bruce Lowry in his early 20s, when he realized he was good at selling products to manufacturers. He had worked for some other distributors when he decided to rent a warehouse where he could live and start a business. Lowry named the business after seeing a space-themed movie in the late 1970s that featured a control panel. He thought the word “control” epitomized the ability to bring next-level services to his customers. The business started when Bruce realized he had an affinity for solving customer problems with products in the marketplace. Today, the business is a distributor of coolants, lubricants, fire suppression equipment, and oil mist collectors for CNC machines, plus the sale of grinding and regrinding of cutting tools for machinery. Their offerings are not broad, but what they do offer, according to Lowry, is problem-solving products for their customers in the Pacific Northwest.

The business has operated for over 45 years and now has 10 employees. Brian Tengs, controller, has been with the company since 1984, and Bruce calls him “My best employee” because, he said, he himself is not great with money, and “I wouldn’t have anything if it weren’t for him.” In 1986, the company grew to 100 customers with inside and outside sales!

The company truly launched when it became a distributor for Blaser Swisslube, a family-owned Swiss company offering machine coolants. Bruce said, “It was different from everything else we sold.” The product is used in machines across all industries, wherever a coolant is needed.

Josh Beamon is an area sales manager with Blaser Swisslube and has worked directly with Bruce for 10 years. He shared, “They’ve been a great partner and always do everything we’ve needed.” The partnership between the two companies now stretches over 38 years.

Both companies and the employees of CTC said the reason for their successful partnership is the focus on problem solving for customers. Beamon said, “We refer everyone who comes to our company, based in the Pacific Northwest, to Cutting Tool Control. They’ve gained our trust and support over the years, to be that face of our company — they are the first people any of our customers see or deal with as our distributor; they stock our product and deliver it. But they are the front line of defense for any kind of problem or for support.”

Beamon said that with a commodity like coolant, people want to buy the cheapest product. He noted that their product is premium, but it “delivers a better tool life, better finish, lower cost on making the part, better service, and ultimately a better end product.”

Beau Lowry, one of Bruce’s three children who are slotted to take over the business upon his retirement, has been with the company for eight years. He credits CTC’s success thusly, “I think it is finding unique technologies to offer, and giving extremely good support to the customer.” Both Beau and his co-worker, Josh Robinette, inside and outside sales, said their ability to listen to their customers and find solutions is what makes them successful.

One issue that frequently arises for manufacturers is maintaining machinery while ensuring employee safety, reducing costs, and minimizing waste. CTC helps by keeping its ear to the ground for new technologies and solutions. Beau said, “Coolant maintenance — a lot of people don’t know about it — (you want to) get the most tool life, with lower consumption.” Josh Robinette added that a big part of their job is educating their customers on the best products for maintaining their machines. “Every application is quite a bit different. If a customer is dumping their sump every six months, we can extend the coolant 12-18 months. We’ve had customers with the same coolant in the sump for 20+ years.”
Other product lines that CTC represents are fire suppression systems and oil mist elimination systems for CNC machines. According to Bruce, these systems provide safety for machine shop employees. Both systems are sold directly to manufacturers, who install them on the CNC machines. This allows machines to run 24/7 safely, without fire concerns, and with cleaner air in the factory.

The company is not a “catalog house,” Bruce shared. He said many salespeople have a catalog and go door-to-door selling products from it. He said his concern with that model is that it doesn’t necessarily yield problem solving. “Almost everything we have is based on value. When solving problems, we like to know more.” His theory is that if you want to keep customers long term, you must show that you will increase their profitability. Therefore, he said CTC’s greatest skill is “providing high productivity.”
Another service they have is finding tools that other businesses can’t find. They also have a surplus of tools, in addition to scrap carbide and cutting tools, which they recycle and sell from their 6,000-square-foot facility. Bruce added, “There is a market for these items.”

Peter Boucher is a 30-year CTC customer through his business, 3V Precision Machining. He said he and Bruce have developed a working relationship that has turned into a friendship over the years, “Yes, he’s a friend; friendship comes with respect, and it’s there with me, and with him.”

Boucher runs 40 CNC machines and makes products for commercial aerospace and space applications. He appreciates that CTC delivers products directly to his facility and visits them. He said that Bruce has been a great problem solver for them. “Bruce has a great eye to know when something will make sense and work. If he sees something that will make us money, he tells us about it.”

Currently, 3V Precision Machining runs Blaser Swisslube in their machines, which Boucher said is the best available. It costs them a bit more, but he said it is worth the money and is ultimately cost saving. Additionally, they use the fire suppression system and the oil mist elimination unit to clear the air.
Boucher said he cares deeply for his employees and their safety. “You are running cutting oil that can catch fire easily. You want a system that will put it out in a nanosecond. We had that happen once; it shuts the machine off and everything else. The worst thing ever would be if an employee were harmed if you don’t have that system.”

As one of CTC’s longest-term customers, Boucher said he’s talked to Bruce about retirement, as he has now retired and turned his business over to his own son. He said Bruce is one of the best salespeople he knows, “an expert,” at what he does. “He looks at problems and sees them.”

Given Bruce’s commitment to his business, Boucher wonders how he will retire and pass it on to the next generation. “My son runs my business now. I ask Bruce when he’s going to retire. You must have a purpose when you retire. To build my business, I put two lifetimes of work into it, so I don’t have a problem retiring.”

Bruce has built a legacy through delivering high-quality and useful products along with a problem-solving approach. He is beloved by employees, family, customers, and partners, and is an earnest salesperson who brings safety and profit to the marketplace. Cutting Tool Control was born from a true passion to serve the manufacturing industry and has had great success with customers and partners alike. Bruce and his family look forward to continuing this exemplary precedent for years to come.