With all the High-Tech Manufacturing today in the USA and around the world, it’s quite refreshing to know there is still Manufacturing done the old-fashioned way.
A little-known company at 2000 feet elevation in the Smoky Mountains an hour north of Chattanooga Tennessee is a Mennonite-Owned Manufacturer of World-Class Machine Tools such as 3 and 4 roll plate rolling machines, angle, pipe and tube bending machines. Amon Weaver, Jr. started this company over 30 years ago in the hills of Liberty Kentucky and Since then have opened a new plant in Spencer Tennessee on about 5000 acres which is the home to about 40 or so Mennonite families.
They run their fabrication shop machines with diesel generators and their gear hobbing machines with Belgium horses walking on treadmills. In fact, in Liberty, they have a corral set up to harness up to 4 Belgium horses at a time to give them more power in the gear hobbing shop there. If the power drops, a bell will ring at the corral and the horses will speed up their pace. I’ve seen Mrs. Weaver come outside their large Farmhouse, which has been the home of their 13 children & lead a Belgium to the treadmill connected to the inside of their house to run her washer, dryer, ice maker, etc. while at the plant with customers and who are simply amazed at their lifestyle and customs.
I was once at the machine shop with one of the machinist and he was excited to show me the new Buggy he had built by hand. It was a work of art, to say the least, and the craftsmanship was superb. The ingenuity of these people is to be admired. One thing I always notice and very much respect is their work ethic; in the Mennonite community EVERYONE works, from about 5 years old until you can’t. There are no social or welfare programs.
While there you may see a group of buggies parked outside the Weaver home where the ladies are quilting. My understanding is they donate their quilts at times to underprivileged or handicapped families. In the community, there is a woodshop with unique wood products all hand-made by the locals and sorghum or honey as well which I always try to remember to get some to bring back home.
We are proud to have been a factory-trained sales and service dealer for Waldemar Design & Machine (WDM) for going on 12 years, and this year we were chosen to be their Southeastern US Servicing Dealer. They have grown to two operations since and have an excellent reputation for quality-made machines. And with only word-of-mouth advertising.
If you’re in need of a custom-made roll entirely Made in the USA including the consumable parts. Please give us a call to discuss getting a quotation from WDM and visiting this unique manufacture at their Spencer Tennessee location.