Machinist match up

In December,when Production Pattern & Foundry, Inc.moved from the Bay Area into a 100,000-square-foot plant on 15 acres in Mound House, it lost a convenience.

The machine shop the company had relied upon decided to stay put in Oakland.

That left PP&F in the position of trucking parts back and forth over the mountain for machining.

The convenience will return late this year when Eckman Industries, LLC of Richmond, Calif., opens a second location in Mound House to machine the needed parts.

It's a big company the two Mound House shops will supply: Paccar, owner of Peterbuilt and Kenworth trucks.

The machining match up was made through a mutual industry acquaintance.

"We've been using some local machine shops," says Production Pattern & Foundry Vice President Dave Schultz."But because our parts are so large, they can't be accommodated by smaller local shops,with machines set tight and close together.

Eckman Industries has been doing the same kinds of parts in steel that we need done in aluminum."

Eckman Industries currently employs about 25 at its existing plant, founded in 1982.

But it's too early to know the hiring needs at its second location, a 10,000-square-foot building set on one acre in Mound House, says President Gary Eckman.

Eckman Industries is setting up a production line at its Richmond location right away to begin machining the parts, says Eckman.

When its new plant is finished by the end of this year, the company will move the entire operation in progress to resume production on site in Nevada.