Solmac, Incorporated

Solmac, Inc. Forges Ahead

In an area defined by its industrial roots and proximity to the Great Lakes, Solmac, Inc. of Williamsville, New York stands out as the new kid on the block. The CNC machine shop’s owners, Boris Soldo and his wife, Carolin, exemplify the new generation of manufacturing specialists that industry insiders and government officials say is critical for the United States to re-establish itself as an economic force.

The Soldos founded Solmac in 2005, with a clear vision and deliberate strategy to become a leader in advanced precision machining and design. Like its dynamic and entrepreneurial- spirited founder, Solmac is not waiting for the local economy to rebound: it is forging ahead into the emerging world market where growing demand for highly complex manufactured goods has exposed the current lack of skilled labor in foreign markets and revealed new business opportunities in the U.S.

Solmac is the culmination of Boris Soldo's experiences and aspirations. An emigrant of war-torn Croatia, Boris and his family moved to Germany when he was a young teen. While attending school there, he joined an apprentice program to become a tool and die maker. The program was a perfect fit for Boris who has a natural aptitude for programming and design and enjoys hands-on work.

When Boris moved to the Buffalo, New York area with his family in 1999, he immediately found work as a machinist but knew that he wanted to earn a mechanical engineering degree, too. He discovered a program at the State University of New York College at Buffalo that allowed him to work full-time and attend evening classes.

Boris was not the only one in the family pursuing higher education. His new wife, Carolin, worked towards her M.B.A. at University at Buffalo early in their marriage. A class assignment to write a business plan changed the course of their lives. Carolin wrote about her husband’s career field—manufacturing. Her research into the local manufacturing industry and its opportunities for growth convinced her and Boris that starting a machine shop was a viable new business venture, with the potential to realize significant income.

Carolin’s thoroughly- researched college business plan helped secure the private funding needed to start their new business. The couple decided to name Carolin as CEO of Solmac, qualifying it as a woman-owned business—an edge when bidding for competitive government contracts.

Originally they rented small space in a building owned by the Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corporation but quickly outgrew it as orders came in and employees were added. They purchased their 25,000 square-foot new facility in Williamsville with loans from M&T Bank and NYBDC http://www.nybdc.com/about.htm

Solmac started out manufacturing large parts on conventional CNC machines: one lathe and one mill. They outfitted their new facility with large doors to accommodate incoming shipments of raw materials and an overhead crane capable of moving 10-tons.

By early 2009, Solmac had completed several jobs that required precision turning of small components. After turning these parts on a conventional lathe, Boris’s interest is Swiss- turning was piqued when Mike Narciso, a Tsugami specialist at Morris Great Lakes, explained that cycle times could be reduced dramatically by taking advantage of the dual spindles and automatic bar feed function.

Planning to attract similar but larger quantity orders, Solmac purchased a Tsugami SS-20 "Super Swiss-turn" CNC Precision Automatic Lathe. Outfitted with an optional "chucker kit," the SS-20 proved its value quickly on diverse parts like fittings, piston heads and aluminum valve caps. A connector rod proved to be the most challenging job. The part featured a hex shape, OD and & ID threading, and boring. "At the end of the day, we were able to turn the part complete," Boris Soldo stated.

Solmac is an approved vendor for federal contracts. Looking toward the future, the Soldo's are working toward ISO-9001:2008 certification. "Certification will allow us to expand our potential customer base," adds Soldo.

If their past personal and professional accomplishments are any indicator of future success, the Soldo's are well on the way to realizing their plans to become a leading manufacturer in the Great Lakes region. Local economies and the U.S. economy in whole stand to benefit from entrepreneurs like the Soldo's. Our company is proud to work with them and the countless other individuals whose drive, ambition, intelligence, and creativity contribute to the vital ongoing success of U.S. manufacturing.

Other Resources:

Manufacturers looking to grow should consider contacting the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership works through local resources to provide a variety of assistance include lean implementation, identifying market diversification and export opportunities (some fees may apply.) Click here to find your local office.