Reich Tool & Design Inc., a Menomonee Falls-based designer and manufacturer of tools and dies, recently launched Trinity Biomedical Inc., a new biomedical division.
In July 2007, Reich Tool & Design moved into a new 52,000-square-foot building in Menomonee Falls. The building included a 2,500 square foot medical-grade clean room, where Trinity’s first orders will be fulfilled, said Brett Reich, vice president.
Trinity’s clean room was recently certified, Reich said, but each potential customer needs to inspect it before the company can become a supplier.
"We’re going through the auditing process to prove that our systems are acceptable – they’ll tour and inspect our facility so that we can become an approved supplier," he said.
Reich Tool and Design has about 50 workers, but Trinity Biomedical only has one. When the company begins receiving orders, it will start hiring production workers, Reich said.
"It depends on how fast we start picking up orders," he said. "If one company starts giving us work, we could hire five employees. We’ll be hiring five to 10 employees within the next year or so."
Although it’s building is less than two years old, Reich Tool and Design has a 30,000-square-foot expansion plan ready once Trinity’s orders kick off.
At the same time, Reich’s business is growing. The company is now looking for three new employees, and its shop floor is booked through January.
"We’ve been super fortunate through these times," Reich said. "We have so much quoting activity right now that if a quarter of it went, we would have trouble taking it on."
Although many auto suppliers are feeling pain now, Reich Tool and Design’s work in the automotive sector shows signs of significant growth.
"The companies will have to come up with more fuel efficient cars, and that will require brand new tooling," Reich said. "We’re not quite there yet, but we’ll see it in the next half a year."
For more information, visit www.reichtool.com or www.trinitybiomedical.com.
