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The culture of Yankee ingenuity is a defining characteristic of historic American industrial and economic energy and power. That culture and the first special machine tools have a common genesis.

History gives much of the credit to a single individual for their simultaneous rise. Special machine tools have been fundamental to mass production since 1798 and the production of 10,000 U.S. Army muskets.

In 2003 the American special machine tool industry is in serious decline. Its principle market, the American auto industry itself, is involved in a fierce struggle with powerful global competitors.

This historically invaluable resource is not being called upon in 2003 when needed like never before.

About the Author

Jim Egbert spent 45 years in the American special machine tool industry. He advanced to V.P Engineering, V.P. Operations, V.P. General Manager and ultimately President of one of the leading special machine tool companies in the world, with four plants in the U.S., one each in Canada, England, and Germany. He retired in 1991. He later accepted the positions of President of a division of another large special machine tool company, retiring again in 1997.