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MiMfg Magazine
October 2017
Member
Spotlight
Twenty percent of businesses fail within
their first year and only half make it five
years. If you reach your 10-year anniversary,
your company has lasted longer than
two-thirds of all businesses. That begs
the question — just what does it take for a
manufacturer to achieve 90 years in business?
“It takes a lot of hard work and a
fantastic team of talented men and women,”
says Brad Lawton, chairman and CEO
of Farmington Hills-based Star Cutter
Company, a specialty manufacturer of
cutting tools and tool cutter grinders.
“There’s a tremendous loyalty here. Our
company is loyal to our employees,
community and customers — in turn,
they have been loyal to us. We give to them
and they give back to us. That’s the only way
reaching this milestone has been possible.”
Star Cutter is breaking the mold for
longevity in other ways. Most businesses
that thrive for nearly a century are long
removed from its original owners. For
Star Cutter, it remains family-owned and
operated. That’s a great source of pride for
the company and for Lawton; the story of
Star Cutter’s resiliency is a family legacy.
“
Whether [your business
is] in year one or year
100, it’s the people you
bring in who will determine
how far you go.
”
“Our history has been filled with
successes and challenges, like any business,
but how we grow during the good times
and how we pull together during the bad
times has a lot to do with why we’re still
competitive,” explains Lawton. “My
grandfather, Howard Lawton, founded
this company in Detroit in 1927. Think
about all he and the entire Star Cutter
team has had to go through to make a
90th anniversary possible.”
From the Great Depression and World
War II in its first 10 years, to the ups and
downs of the 20th century, the Great
Recession during Michigan’s lost decade
and the economic resurgence of the last
eight years, Star Cutter Company has
survived it all. Now looking toward their
The Lawton family celebrates Star Cutter Company’s 90th Anniversary with a
company picnic at The Big Pines in Luzerne. From left to right, Vice President of
Business Information Systems Julie Grimm, President & COO Jeff Lawton, Chairman
& CEO Brad Lawton and Grand Traverse Construction President Bryan Lawton.
100-year anniversary, the company
continues to focus on what works
— developing their people.
“We’re enjoying our 90th
birthday but we definitely have
our eyes on 100,” exclaims Lawton.
“We expect to continue our growth
on building a truly global business.
Whether it’s through developing
new relationships or broadening
our export efforts, Star Cutter will
succeed because of the effort we put
into finding the right people and
providing them the skills to succeed.”
Through local connections across
the state, Star Cutter works to
provide all employees with proven
resources to further their education.
“Our focus on specialty products
demands that our employees increase
their knowledge and performance
potential — when you don’t know
what the next project is, you must be
qualified to build anything,” says
Lawton. “We’re partnering with
local high schools and programs
at Alpena Community College,
Delta College, Kirtland Community
College, Northwestern Michigan
College, Schoolcraft College and
others to ensure every person has
strong expertise whether they are
degreed engineers or skilled
workers on the facility floor.”
On the future of Star Cutter,
Lawton remains enthusiastic.
“Change is inevitable in
manufacturing — the Star Cutter
of 1927 is a lot different from the
Star Cutter of 2017 but we’ve
never pulled away from our faith
in the people who come to work
each day to make this company
successful,” he says. “Whether you
are in year one or year 100, it’s the
people you bring in who will
determine how far you go. Our team
has gotten us through 90 incredible
years and I have no doubt they’ll
take us through another 90.”
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