Pro CNC Press Releases

June 2010 - Pro CNC Adds Staff to Meet Customer Demand

Pro CNC has recently added 5 additional full time staff as a result in increased demand from customers. Additional machinists and sales staff were added in the month of June. With orders up over 20% compared to the same time last year, the additional staff was required to keep lead times low and service high, which customers have come to expect from Pro CNC. In a sure sign of the economy improving, Pro CNC president Paul Van Metre was quoted as saying "Customer demand has…... More...

June 2010 - Pro CNC Buys 5-Axis CNC Mill

Pro CNC has purchased it's first 5-Axis CNC mill which was installed recently The machine is a Haas VF-2 SS with a 5-axis trunnion. The addition of this high speed machining center will allow Pro CNC to offer customers CNC machining services for parts that require complex 5-axis machining. This machine can handle parts weighing up to 80 lbs. and will accommodate a part swing of 17.5". The CNC machine has a 24 position tool changer, a 12,000 RPM spindle, spindle and table probing and high speed…... More...

May 2010 - Another Successful DFMA Bootcamp

Pro CNC has recently completed another Design For Manufacturability & Assembly (DFMA) Bootcamp at a Seattle area military hardware manufacturer. With nearly 20 manufacturing and mechanical engineers in attendance, the Bootcamp was one of the largest the company has done recently. Engineers learned about DFMA concepts ranging from selecting the right size and form of raw materials for CNC machined parts, to modeling tips for parts that are easy to machine, how to least expensively dimension threaded holes, best practices when creating drawings and many other topics related to…... More...

March 2010 - Pro CNC Newsletter featured on MMS Blog

For the past 17 months, Pro CNC's president Paul Van Metre has published a monthly eNewsletter providing advice on Design for Manufacturability (DFM). The newsletter has recently been featured in a blog entry from Derik Korn of Modern Machine Shop , one of the premier metalworking print and online publications. The title of the blog is "Who Are the New DFM Consultants?". He profiles Pro CNC as a company who is trying to educate customers to reduce the cost of machined parts with helpful advice on…... More...

February 2010 - Pro CNC Hires Project Manager

Pro CNC has hired a very experienced project manager to oversee complex projects. Pro CNC used to provide just machined components with no additional value added work. With these types of simple projects, dedicated project management just isn't necessary. Over the last few years, Pro CNC has branched into providing complex assemblies, contract engineering services, and turn key products. With this ever increasing level of complexity in the services provided, Pro CNC has added an experienced project manager to ensure that our performance on projects such as these…... More...

January 2010 - Quality and Delivery at 100%

Pro CNC recently received several 100% score supplier report cards. Many of Pro CNC's customers keep supplier report cards on all vendors to monitor and track the quality and delivery performance of their vendors. As with many companies, these ratings affect decisions about preferred vendors, which companies get to bid on work, and stay on the approved supplier list. Pro CNC has always been at the top of the list as a preferred vendor with our clients. But recently Pro CNC received several report cards from customers with…... More...

January 2010 - Pro CNC wins Partner of The Year

Pro CNC has been awarded the Partner of the Year Award for 2009 from Bucher Aerospace. Bucher's Production Manager and Supply Chain Manager had the honor to present on December 16, 2009 the Partner of the Year Award to President Paul Van Metre and Sales Manager Jon Edwards of Pro CNC Inc. By using measurable data for on-time delivery and quality in conjunction with Engineering support, Communication and Flexibility, Pro CNC Inc. was voted by Logistics, Quality and Supply Chain as the Partner of the Year…... More...

December 2009 - Pro CNC adds CATIA design capability

Pro CNC has added a seat of CATIA V5R19 mechanical design software to meet the increased demand for design work in native formats. Driven by a large design project for a major aerospace contractor, having the software will now allow Pro CNC to design projects entirely in CATIA when needed. With this addition, Pro CNC can now offer native design engineering services in Pro/ENGINEER and CATIA.

CATIA is one of the worlds premier high end 3D CAD and entire product lifecycle software platforms. It…... More...

November 2009 - Pro CNC Launches New Web Site

Pro CNC is pleased to announce the release of its brand new web site. With 90+ pages, more engineering resources, a new gallery, and an entirely new layout, we have improved on our previous award winning website. If you are reading this, you are likely already on the site, so enjoy! www.procnc.com... More...

October 2009 - Pro CNC Adds Prototype Capacity

Increased demand for our machining and assembly services has prompted Pro CNC to add a weekend shift to its dedicated prototype machining department. This will allow us to provide quick turn machining even faster than we have in the past. With a large, dedicated prototype division that is larger than many entire machine shops, we have even more capacity to turn around the most complex CNC machining and assembly prototype projects in record time. All under our ISO 9001:2000 and AS9100 quality system. Customers can expect that now,…... More...

September 14, 2009 - Pro CNC honored on INC 5000 list twice

For a second year in a row, Pro CNC Inc. has made it on INC magazines INC 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in the United States. Despite the economic troubles of the last year, Pro CNC continues to grow and add new customers as a result of it's aggressive sales and marketing efforts and it's decision to stay broadly diversified across defense, medical, aerospace and commercial markets.... More...

June 22, 2009 - Pro CNC Sells First Two Installations of Its Custom Web-Based ERP System

During the past month, Pro CNC has been installing its custom web-based ERP system at two local manufacturer's sites. More than software, the system implementation has introduced the best practices and streamlined systems that Pro CNC has enjoyed to other companies. It is very exciting to share our ubiquitous information system that has contributed to the satisfaction of Pro CNC's customers for several years.... More...

March 30, 2009 - Dock-to-Stock Status with Esterline Control Systems

Pro CNC has just received approval for Dock-to-Stock status with Esterline Control Systems. Over the past 12 months we have earned 100% on-time delivery and 99.43% quality ratings, which made us eligible for this distinguished status that very few vendors ever achieve. This will reduce the cost of doing business with Pro CNC for Esterline Control Systems as all shipments will bypass receiving inspection and go directly to stores. We look forward to providing this additional cost-saver to Esterline Control Systems and continuing to provide all…... More...

January 5, 2009 - Prototype Capabilities Expand to Include Turning

In response to demand for turned prototypes and internal tooling support, Pro CNC has taken delivery of a HAAS TL-1 toolroom lathe. This lathe allows Pro CNC's prototype machinists to use several ways to machine turned parts: manual, conversational programming, and offline CAM.... More...

December 12, 2008 - Approved Supplier for Northrop Grumman Corporation

Pro CNC has recently received approved production supplier status with Northrop Grumman Corporation. After working with Northrop for the past year in support of tooling and R&D projects and exceeding their expectations, Pro CNC was recommended to receive approval for flight production parts. Pro CNC can now provide design, machining and assembly support to any division of Northrop. This significant approval is testament to the ability of the company to perform at the highest level for the most discerning clients.... More...

September 2, 2008 - Pro CNC Nationally Recognized for Fast Growth

Inc. Magazine recently published their list of the top 5000 fastest growing private companies in the United States. Among those listed was Pro CNC, already recognized many times regionally for fast growth.... More...

August 4, 2008 - New Horizontal Mill Support VMI Growth

Increased demand for Pro CNC's robust vendor-managed inventory service called for the addition of new equipment. Pro CNC took delivery of a Mori Seiki NH4000DCG, a machine known for its repeatability and low cost of ownership. Vendor-managed inventory is becoming increasingly popular to help share risk along the supply chain, and equipment like the NH4000DCG are perfect for supporting kanban-type inventory management systems.... More...

April 5, 2008 - Pro CNC Adds Contract CMM Inspection Services

Recognizing that our 5 axis CMM with full scanning capabilities is somewhat unique in the area, Pro CNC has started offering contract CMM inspection services to other companies which may allow them to objectively quantify difficult to measure features.... More...

March 23, 2008 - Pro CNC Adds Largest CNC Machine & More Manufacturing Space

Pro CNC has just added another CNC machine to its equipment list. The HAAS VF-7 is the largest CNC mill that Pro CNC has acquired with 84” x 32” x 30” (x,y,z) travel. The new machine will allow the company to offer much larger machined parts than it previously could. To fit the new machine Pro CNC has expanded its facility by an additional 4,000 sq/ft up to a total of 18,000 sq/ft. The new space will hold our expanded prototyping area…... More...

October 31, 2007 – Pro CNC receives AS9100 certification

Pro CNC has just received its AS9100 certification from TUV USA. TUV, an international ISO and AS registrar, recommended Pro CNC for AS9100 registration after conducting a week long audit. The certification will allow Pro CNC to increase quality to its aerospace customers and is quickly becoming a requirement for many aerospace contractors.... More...

October 18, 2007 – Pro CNC Honored as 50th Fastest Growing Private Company

Pro CNC has been ranked the 50th Fastest Growing Private Company in Washington State by the Puget Sound Business Journal. The company has been on the list five times now, in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Pro CNC was one of only 4 companies out of 100 to be on the list 5 times or more.... More...

September 1, 2007 - Zeiss CMM added to equipment list

Pro CNC has just installed a Zeiss CMM to increase our capability to do complex dimensional inspection. This top-of-the-line CMM has travels nearly 40" long and has a full 5-axis scanning head to accurately scan complex parts. Combined with the latest Calypso software, it is a powerful combination.... More...

June 29, 2007 – Pro CNC Honored as Best Company to Work for two years running

For the second year in a row, Pro CNC was ranked among the best companies to work for in Washington State by Washington CEO magazine. Among companies with up to 99 employees Pro CNC ranked #38. In today's tight labor market, we believe that offering the best place to work will allow Pro CNC to attract and retain the highest quality employees who really care about their work. This in turn enables Pro CNC to offer our…... More...

April 2, 2007 – Increased Demand Means New Equipment with new capability

Increased customer demand has prompted Pro CNC to add more equipment on the shop floor. Pro CNC has just installed two new CNC machines both with capabilities that are new to the company. The first, a Mori Seiki NL2000SY/500 is a very capable dual spindle lathe with Y axis and bar feeder. It is capable of machining complex mill/turn parts complete, including off axis milled features. The second is a Fanuc Robodrill T21iE which is a lightning fast mill for smaller parts. With 24,000…... More...

October 19, 2006 – Pro CNC Honored as 46th Fastest Growing Private Company

Pro CNC has been ranked the 46th Fastest Growing Private Company in Washington State by the Puget Sound Business Journal. The company has been on the list four times now, in 2001, 2004, 2005, and 2006. Co-owners Darcy Hughes, Kelsey Heikoop and Paul Van Metre were awarded a plaque at an awards banquet at the Seattle Convention Center. Based on the company's performance so far in 2006 we are hoping for an even better ranking in 2007.... More...

September 18, 2006 – Pro CNC receives ISO 9001:2000 certification

Pro CNC has just received its ISO 9001:2000 certification from TUV USA, an international ISO registrar. After passing the rigorous 3 day final audit in August with zero findings the company has received its formal certificate. This certification will give Pro CNC a formal framework from which to continue improving our quality and all aspects of customer perception. We have already seen improvement activity from our ISO 9001 efforts.... More...

July 5, 2006 – Pro CNC Honored as Best Company to Work for

Pro CNC was just ranked among the best companies to work for in Washington State by Washington CEO magazine. Among companies with up to 99 employees Pro CNC ranked #23 and was the only manufacturer on the list. We feel honored to have been included in this list of great companies. We believe that offering our employees a great work environment will ensure that Pro CNC always performs for our customers at the highest level possible.... More...

September 15, 2005 – Pro CNC Announces Largest Capital Equipment Purchase

Increased demand for our services has initiated the purchase of a 3 Spindle Horizontal Toyoda cell system. This system, with three 400 mm horizontal machining centers and 20 pallets is our largest capital equipment purchase by far. It will allow us to cater to our customers ever increasing demand for small batches of parts delivered with very short lead times. By virtually eliminating set-up times we will be able to reduce cost associated with delivering KanBan or JIT type orders and offer aggressive pricing while…... More...

May 12, 2006 – Increased Demand Means New Equipment

Increased customer demand has prompted Pro CNC to add more equipment on the shop floor. Pro CNC has just ordered two more Mori Seiki VMC's. The new machines will allow the company to continue to offer competitive lead times and meet the demands of our customers.... More...

September 1, 2005 – Pro CNC Adds 50% More Manufacturing Space

With demand continuing to build and space on the shop floor getting tight, the company has just increased the size of the manufacturing floor by nearly 50% by adding another 4000 sq/ft of space. The new space will be used primarily for housing new capital equipment that will be acquired over the next few months.... More...

February, 1 2005 – Pro CNC Recognized in the National Press

Pro CNC was just featured in the cover article of the February Issue of Modern Machine Shop magazine. The article profiled how Pro CNC has used the concept of using a "Franchise Template" to drive its operations and build its internal systems. It is nice to be recognized by such a distinguished and widely read publication. We firmly believe that this concept is critical to Pro CNC's success in building a company that can respond well to rapid growth while maintaining an…... More...

October 22, 2004 – Growth through Acquisition

Pro CNC has just finished acquiring the equipment, personnel and clients of another local machine shop. After working very successfully together for several years on various projects the merger seemed natural. The addition of their 3 machines and 3 very talented staff members will add a significant amount of much needed capacity. Everyone at Pro CNC is very excited by the company's first acquisition and we hope it won't be the last.... More...

October 14, 2004 – Pro CNC Honored as 52nd Fastest Growing Private Company

Pro CNC has been ranked the 52nd Fastest Growing Private Company in Washington State by the Puget Sound Business Journal. The company was honored with a spot on the 2001 list and after the economic downturn of 2001 and 2002 was well positioned to grow rapidly once the economy improved. Co-owners Darcy Hughes, Kelsey Heikoop and Paul Van Metre were awarded a plaque at an awards banquet at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. Based on the company's performance so…... More...

October 1, 2004 – Web site Honored

Pro CNC's web site was honored by Modern Machine Shop as the Job Shop Site of the Month of October. They list our simplicity and professionalism of our site as attributes. They list the quality of the content as the main reason we were honored. We certainly appreciate the honor and hope you are enjoying our site as you browse.... More...

April 7, 2003 – Prototype Division Established Using Best Practices

When Pro CNC was launched in 1997 a majority of the initial success was due to unequaled technical and manufacturing expertise supporting early stage product development OEMs. The organization was perfectly aligned to support the engineering expertise, cost competitiveness and schedule characteristics of prototype machining. With many of these products being successfully launched, demands for additional volumes, certifications and traceability increased. Through the years we have always worked to exceed client expectation and, as a result, built our operations system with the robustness to handle the…... More...

March 31, 2003 – New Equipment Brings Added Capacity and Flexibility

Pro CNC continues to grow with increasing capabilities and capacity. Solid performance in 2002, combined with promising forecasts for 2003 and beyond, led to our largest ever, single investment in capital equipment. “The addition of these milling centers will be a great benefit to our productivity,” said Shop Manager Brian Anderson. “Beyond the obvious gains in capacity by adding equipment, these machines will bring increased flexibility and enable us to continue aggressively implementing lean techniques.” The milling centers added include another vertical Mitsubishi M-V5Cn, which…... More...

October 3, 2002 – Lean Transformation Reducing Lead Times by 50%

Pro CNC has always been strong believers in continuous improvement by seeking out the most high tech manufacturing equipment, software and business practices. We are very excited to be taking another step towards eliminating waste in order to reduce costs and increase capacity. Pro CNC has just signed on with Gemba Research to implement a process known as the Lean Transformation. The goals for this project are quite remarkable yet all attainable. We are looking to reduce work in process and finished goods inventory by…... More...

January 18, 2002 – Boeing Satellite Seeks Approval for Pro CNC Parts to Enter Space

Boeing Satellite Systems has just announced their desire to add Pro CNC to their list of approved suppliers for flight related components. After two years of using our Pro/ENGINEER™ capabilities to compliment their internal design efforts, we will now get the chance to see Pro CNC parts in space. This is a compliment to the level of satisfaction achieved and superior quality maintained throughout this relationship. We are eager to obtain this approval and continue taking this partnership to new horizons.... More...

October 19, 2001 – Pro CNC Honored as 14th Fastest Growing Private Company

Pro CNC has been ranked the 14th Fastest Growing Private Company in Washington State by the Puget Sound Business Journal. Starting the business in 1997 and just out of college, the owners have worked very hard to establish themselves as the premier source for precision CNC machining and design. This dedication lead to a growth of over 250% in our first 3 years of operation. Pro CNC is devoted to improving internal services and capabilities in an effort to continue…... More...