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Friday, October 11, 2013

Certified Heat Treating Adds A New Location

Certified Heat Treating, Inc. of Miamisburg, Ohio and The Biehn Group of Companies are pleased to announce the acquisition of Heat Treating Incorporated in Springfield, Ohio. 

Certified Heat Treating and Heat Treating Incorporated have served the metal treating needs of the Tri-State area for many decades and the merger of the two companies is a natural progression of synergies, mutually benefiting the companies, and the customers they serve.

The two companies are known and respected for quality and excellent customer service.  They are both ISO 9001:2008 certified, adhere to lean manufacturing principles, and are dedicated to 5-S programs.  These proven practices will continue to maintain an industry leading work environment resulting in the attraction and retention of the best associates available.  This reinforces both companies' positions as leaders in the Miami Valley heat treating industry.  Dedicated to workplace improvement, Heat Treating Incorporated is a member of the DOL-approved Heat Treating Apprenticeship Program and Certified Heat Treating is currently a finalist in the Dayton Business Journal's Manufacturing Awards in the category of Workplace Training.

The integration of the two companies will result in the combining of equipment, knowledge and personnel in the production, vacuum, and induction heat treating departments.  This enables both Certified Heat Treating and Heat Treating Inc. to continue to provide their customers with unmatched service and quality metal treating.  The capacity gained in this acquisition will allow Certified Heat Treating Inc. to treat up to 150,000 additional pounds of material per day.        
                                                                                                                                                                                    
After the acquisition, the combined company will continue operations under the name Certified Heat Treating Incorporated at both the Miamisburg and Springfield sites.  Currently, all operational, accounting and customer service departments will continue to operate independently.  Mike Trimble will be in charge of managing CHTI/Springfield and Bob Biehn will continue as manager at CHTI/Miamisburg.


If you would like to find out more about the acquisition and merger or about Certified Heat Treating Incorporated, please contact the president, Joe Biehn, at 937-901-1574 or via email at jbiehn@cbmfg.com, or visit our two web sites, www.certifiedheattreating.com and www.heattreating.com

Ceramic Snap Off and Titanium Hybrid Blades

Ceramic Snap Off and Titanium Hybrid Blades

American Cutting Edge, Inc. is proud to bring the first line of ceramic snap off and titanium hybrid blades to the United States. These blades have a demonstrated blade life up to 85 times longer than their carbon and stainless steel counterparts and offer an unrivaled level of precision cutting. Other extreme performance materials have already made their mark in fixed cutting applications in the packaging and converting industries. Now they are finally available in snap off form, and for hand knife use.

In addition to their extreme performance, the ceramic blade is chemically inert, non-magnetic, corrosion resistant and can withstand extreme heat without deformation. These blades are also available with all ABS plastic hand knives, with no metal parts, in addition to traditional plastic hand knives with metal guides. These are added benefits to electronics and chemical companies with clean rooms, food and food packaging processesors and others concerned about contamination.

In CATRA (UK) tests, these new blades have demonstrated dramatic increases in blade life. In independent testing, blades are required to cut through synthetic test card containing 5% quartz, until the blades are determined to be “blunt." This is measured by an inability to cut through 5 mm of the card. While stainless steel cut 0.3 meters and carbon steel cut 1.6 meters during their “useful life," our proprietary titanium hybrid blades cut through an amazing 8.8 meters of material before dulling. Even more impressive, our ceramic blades cut through a whopping 25.4 meters!

The difference in performance is a function of the extreme hardness of our ceramic and titanium hybrid materials. While traditional steel blades have a hardness of HV640 to HV800 (HRC of 57 to 64), our ceramic blades have a hardness of HV1310 and the metalized ceramic particles in our titanium hybrid blades measure HV2900. In fact, they are too hard to be properly measured on the Rockwell scale.  As hardness increases, the blade will take a better edge and hold it far longer, as evidenced by the test results.


In business since 1965, American Cutting Edge, Inc., a division of CB Manufacturing, is proud to be the exclusive US distributor for this exciting new line of blades. Please contact a Blade Specialist today, so we can help you find the best cutting solution for your application. 

Friday, July 12, 2013

West Carrollton Manufacturer Sharpens Its Efforts

SUBSCRIBER CONTENT: Jul 12, 2013, 6:00am EDT

Strategies

West Carrollton manufacturer sharpens its efforts

Combined companies post 15% growth

Joe Cogliano ■ DBJ
Cutting Edge: Chuck Biehn is CEO of CB Manufacturing, which posted more than $25 million in revenue last year, up 15 percent from the prior year. Biehn is holding a knife used by a food processor to cut chicken.
 

Senior Reporter-Dayton Business Journal
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For years leading into the recession, CB Manufacturing in West Carrollton had been carving itself out a nice slice of the metalworking cutting tool and industrial knife markets.
But as the economy tanked, its revenue dropped more than 20 percent. And to top it off, Charlie Biehn, the company’s founder, passed away in 2009.
That prompted Chuck Biehn — Charlie’s son and the current CEO of CB Manufacturing and its parent, Biehn Co.— to look for the silver living.
“It was our chance to take out a clean sheet of paper and start over,” Biehn said.
So about two years ago he set out to reinvent the 120-person Biehn Co., for which CB Manufacturing is the flagship operation.
For starters, Biehn invested in a more strategic marketing and sales plan that included exiting certain markets — and shedding underperforming business — and going more heavily into others such as companies that cut scrap metal and do slitting work.
Biehn also was inspired to improve operations across the company so he ramped up in-house training, such as lean processes, and pushed execution by putting more emphasis on key performance indicators.
“The company really has a focus right now,” he said.
That mix of changes seems to be the right recipe for success at CB Manufacturing, which posted more than $25 million in revenue last year across all companies combined, up 15 percent compared to the previous year. It also marks the second consecutive year of double-digit increases.
Based in West Carrollton with a Miamisburg mailing address, CB Manufacturing makes industrial knives and blades used in recycling, cutting up scrap plastic and tires and metal; film slitting; and food processing.
For example, its products are used by some plants that cut McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish into individual patties. Other affiliated companies provide razor blades and thin industrial blades; heat treating; industrial hand tools; and sourcing services from low-cost countries.
A major thrust of the new plan was that making metalworking cutting tools wasn’t a good niche for it to be in, so the company sold that business and put more efforts into industrial knives and heat treating. It also quit introducing as many new products in its catalogue division that sells utility knives and similar hand cutting tools.
Biehn felt the risk was low because CB Manufacturing used a variety of analytical tools to determine where it will see increasing sales; its costs and margin per order; return on marketing costs; and other metrics.
“For example, it greatly increased our business in the food cutting sector as we recognized that this was an area we are very competitive in and had not been chasing it as hard as we could be,” he said. “There was some risk in some of these changes but the data doesn’t lie and you have to follow it.”
Ray Attiyah, author and founder of Mason-based business improvement firm Definity Partners, sees an increasing number of manufacturing leaders using more analytical tools in their businesses.
“When used effectively, most leaders are able to confidently make bolder bets while leaders who are busy looking in the rear view mirror are left to make reactive improvements and risk becoming a commodity,” said Attiyah, who also owns more than a dozen companies.
While things are going well now at CB Manufacturing, success didn’t come overnight. Biehn’s biggest challenge was changing the culture, and that started with attitudes.
That meant shedding some negative workers — whom he refers to as people with a “can’t do, loser” mentality — and putting more effort into making sure new hires were a better fit. In addition, performance evaluations were changed so the No. 1 item was attitude and cooperation with others. That’s weighted higher than knowledge or production output.
“I’m constantly talking about compassion for others in the company, how attitude makes the difference in how to approach problems,” he said.
Also, Biehn himself had to come in every day in the right frame of mind to set an example.
Communication was another key to getting workers to buy into his new vision.
Biehn put the company’s financials on display for employees — so they knew “the good, the bad and the ugly” — and began holding regular town hall meetings and sending out bulletins.
He admits his company still has its share of problems — personnel issues, letting down a customer occasionally, machines breaking down — but says that happens everywhere. The key to CB Manufacturing being more successful than most is the new focus and positive attitude.
“You just have to keep doing the right things, and do it over and over again to show people you’re serious about changing the company,” Biehn said. “Today it’s a much happier place to work.”
CB Manufacturing/ Biehn Co.
Contact: Chuck Biehn, CEO
Address: 4455 Infirmary Road, Miamisburg 45342
Phone: (937) 866-5986
Web: cbmfg.comamericancuttingedge.comcertifiedheattreating.com
Business: Manufacturer of industrial knives and blades; heat treating

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

American Cutting Edge Welcomes New Supply Chain Manager


American Cutting Edge would like to welcome the newest member of our team, Dan Brownfield! Dan will be joining ACE as our Supply Chain Manager. He brings with him 25+ years of experience and a wealth of knowledge. He has a proven track record of improving inventory turns, running lean inventory, improving logistics and evaluating new vendors. Dan will have a major impact on our operations and will help us reach our strategic goals related to his field. We are excited to have him on board. 


Thursday, December 13, 2012

Trust Us With Your Sourcing Needs!



As a valued customer of American Cutting Edge, you know that we are in the blade business, so you don't have to be. But did you know that we can help with your general sourcing needs as well? Evolution Resources, the sourcing division of American Cutting Edge, has helped many companies like yours to find the highest quality parts, such as gears, castings, machined parts, springs, screws, plastic parts, and many, many others. We'd like to do the same for you! 

It's a very tough marketplace these days and you have to make sure your costs are in line with your competition.  At American Cutting Edge we have a hybrid model where we manufacture many of our products domestically, but import certain items due to cost, raw material and quality standards.  By doing this we are able to maximize our company's employment and business in America, while offering our customers the best quality and price they have come to expect from American Cutting Edge.
  
As the world is shrinking, many companies are attempting to source products overseas themselves. However, they quickly find that it is incredibly difficult to find reliable sources, they struggle with quality and reliability concerns, language barriers, slow communication, forced prepayments with no credit terms, and absolutely no guarantees on the products. Because of Evolution Resources' extensive experience, we can solve all of these issues, and give you the comfort of dealing with an American company. We back every product with a 100% guarantee, so you can be assured of the OEM quality you demand!

Evolution Resources and American Cutting Edge have spent 35 years refining our sourcing skills. We've made 100s of trips overseas to find and qualify our partner factories. As a result, we have a wide network of long established, trusted partners, ready and willing to help you and increase your profits.

Don't take a chance with money and reputation on the line. Call American Cutting Edge or visit Evolution Resources online at www.evolve-now.net! Let your friends at American Cutting Edge and Evolution Resources make your job easier!
    

Friday, June 29, 2012

Professional Sales Position

 

Our company is growing and looking for motivated people to help drive our sales!  Apply today to become part of our highly successful team!


Job Profile


American Cutting Edge,
A Division of CB Manufacturing & Sales
Centerville, OH

Job Summary:

  • Prospecting for new customers
  • Negotiating and closing sales.
  • Professional and goal driven
  • Three to five years B2B sales experience preferred.
  • Mechanical aptitude as we sell industrial razor blade products
  • Proficient with Microsoft Office and Outlook, ACT!, and MAS
  • Telephone sales work, both outbound and inbound.
  • Experience selling to or through industrial distributors and end users a plus.
  • Developed overcoming customer resistance and objections to buying strategy.
  • Some travel may be required
  • 4+ year college degree or equivalent.

We are a distributor of industrial razor blades and related hand tools. Our company is fundamentally a “Selling Machine” offering stocked items for same day shipment and custom blades.


Compensation / Benefits:

    The position provides full benefits, excellent working conditions and offices and will pay a salary and performance based bonus. Pay is commensurate with experience.

How to apply:

E-mail your Resume with Cover Letter to:  tcoble@americancuttingedge.com or fax to: 888-900-9136
                                              

      Please view our website at: http://www.americancuttingedge.com/