Lucas Industries is a model for success

Vermont Business Magazine, Dec 01, 2004 by Edelstein, Art

Lucas Industries, a Springfield tooling supplier, is on an upswing. The company supplies tools for the aircraft and automotive industry, but recently made inroads in the medical industry and is looking at potentially large contracts in that field.

The company name is 32 years old. Lucas started as a pattern supplier for local area machine tool shops. In 1992 it transitioned into the aircraft industry and began building tooling for that industry.

Three former employees, Dave Antonowich, Robert Byington, and Gary Westfall, purchased the company in 2001 from its former owner who wanted to retire.

"We wanted to continue to grow," said company vice president Antonowich. "We've grown at the rate of $750,000 per year.

Lucas customers include big names in the aircraft industry such as Boeing, Sikorski and Pratt & Whitney, as well as smaller companies such as Hexcel Corp and Eurocomposites. In all, Lucas has 50 customers worldwide and 30 employees. Annual sales figures are $3.7 million.

Located on Clinton Street in an 18,000-square-foot facility, Lucas will expand in the spring by either adding on to its current space or renting extra space elsewhere in town.

"It's just taken off," said Antonowich of his company's success. The company is heavily technology-based and 50 percent of its employees are engineers and programmers. The company has hundreds of thousand of dollars invested in computers and software.

"When we first started we transitioned in 1992 to aircraft due to the then-owner who came from that background," said Antonowich. "We started to expand and grow and in 2001 when we became employee-owned we really started to flourish with new-found energy."

According to Antonowich, the aircraft industry is ever-changing with aircraft design and upgrading existing aircraft.

"In the beginning it took a bit of banging on doors, but now we are widely known as a key tool supplier for these corporations through our reputation and word of mouth," he explained.

Lucas does well because companies like Boeing find it easier to have a smaller company provide its tooling due to a faster turnaround time.

"We can produce a complete tooling string in six to eight weeks compared to 15 to 20 weeks at a big company," he said.

The company does not have a large sales staff, however, with just Robert Byington working the East Coast, and a single West Coast sales representative.

"There is a lot of work in aircraft right now not necessarily related to the Iraq War," said Antonowich.

Lucas made a smart business move when it entered the medical area. Because it is a composite shop (basically a fiber-glass manufacturer) it finds work with medical instrumentation companies who are looking to change their tooling from metal to composites.

"Everything composite is lighter and we are trying to create lighter medical supplies, the medical industry wants this," Antonowich explained.

To get this business Lucas attends medical shows and general business shows. Prospects, he said, "look fantastic."

Lucas is planning on adding more jobs. In 2001 there were 18 employees, the number is now 30 and these pay in the $30,000 to $70,000 range.

According to Antonowich, his company has been able to utilize the available workers in Springfield, which has helped Lucas grow while also helping the community.

"We were able to acquire skilled labor locally, and as far as our business we were able to enter a thriving business of military and civilian aircraft industry."

"Before our purchase we mainly built wooden patterns for the local machine tool shops, but we've done a real turn around in the business and have changed 100 percent," said Antonowich.

Lucas is helping revitalize Springfield according to Antonowich.

"We've been used a lot as a successful company model when community people talk about how a company can succeed in an industry that wasn't thriving and had hard times."