Jim Wright

Starting today, I'm going to give the world a first hand view of what it is like to own, operate and grow a small manufacturing business. Beginning with this picture. This is a picture of my not-so-glamorous shop in northern Illinois. It's also the reality of thousands of other small machine shops across the country. Mostly older machines (newest 2019), less organized and dirtier than I aim for. I've worked here since I was 13, ran it since I was 24 and owned it since I was 26. I’m 32 now. I’ve been considered an old soul and have always kept it real, but what I am about to do scares me. See, my Opa started this company in 1977 and he always wanted to break $1M in revenue. To celebrate him and the 50th anniversary of Center Tool Company I’m going to do it. I will double our revenue AND do it publicly. We are on target for $500k in ’26 (pretty much been 500-800k since 1977, very unspectacular) In ’27 we will break a MIL. In the grand scheme of things that's pretty small, but it could be entertaining to ride along on the journey. I’m going to show basically every aspect of what I know and how I do things. I will post about stuff and include actual screen shots, pictures, statements, and documents. Maybe some videos of day in the life or the joys of defense contracting... I’ll break down the inner workings of not just turning raw metal into finished tooling or parts, but also working with customers, banks, lawyers, the government, family/business and family-business dynamics, personal/business finances, and raising a young family through this. What do you want to know and/or what I am doing wrong? Comment or DM America sits at the precipice of reindustrialization. We have a monumental opportunity in front of us. It’s time to burn the ships and go all in. Bringing manufacturing back to our country could return a healthy middle class and economic boom across small town America - where I live.