In a small town in southern Michigan, a business built on steel, sparks and sheer determination has become a vital link in the chain of American manufacturing. Michigan Tool Works and its sister company, Michigan Plastic Works, are more than a tool shop. They’re a full-service operation built on hard work, trust and an unwavering drive to do things right.
Founded by Pete Stemen and Brent Morgan, the company has grown from a two-man passion project to a thriving 40-person team. From custom molds to molded parts, product design to production consulting, their operation in Sturgis, Michigan, has become a quiet powerhouse and a valued partner to Fratco.
“We started in 2006 with no money and one machinist,” Pete says. “Brent and I were working day jobs, and my wife ran the office before we could even afford to work here full time.”
Su negocio echó raíces en la fabricación de herramientas, concretamente moldes de inyección y soplado, pero creció rápidamente cuando los clientes empezaron a pedir más.
“People started saying, ‘Can you run these molds too?’” Pete explains.
“So we started Michigan Plastic Works. That allowed us to take someone from idea to mold to finished product. We became a one-stop shop.”
Trabajar mano a mano con Fratco
Pete y su equipo se pusieron en contacto por primera vez con Fratco cuando surgió la necesidad de un utillaje duradero y fiable para su creciente línea de accesorios de plástico. Lo que empezó como unas pocas reparaciones se convirtió en una revisión completa del utillaje que fortaleció a ambas empresas.
“We build new molds for Fratco, repair old ones and help modify existing tooling when the products change,” Pete says.
They’ve been incredible to work with. Great people, great feedback and they take the time to collaborate so the end product is done right.
Recently, Michigan Tool Works helped to rebuild Fratco’s entire injection mold portfolio as a proactive approach to replace its tooling ahead of the end of its service life. Much of the previous tooling had been imported and wasn’t built to last. Pete’s team replaced it with carefully engineered, American-made tools designed for endurance and precision.
“They’ll get a lifetime out of what we built,” Pete says. “We don’t cut corners—I won’t sell what I can’t guarantee.”
Irónicamente, uno de esos nuevos moldes Fratco estaba en una prensa cuando se produjo un incendio en la división de plásticos el año pasado. Las llamas destruyeron toda la maquinaria, pero se salvó el edificio gracias a un miembro del equipo que pasó por allí y vio salir humo del tejado.
“We lost everything in the plastics shop, but we rebuilt,” Pete says. “Everything’s new now—better layout, better machines and better output. And Fratco got a brand-new mold out of it.”
Desde la base
Pete’s journey into manufacturing started the way many Fratco partners and customers can relate to—through a high school shop class, a strong mentor and a desire to build something real.
“I was a farm kid. My teacher told me what toolmakers made, and I thought I’d be rich,” Pete laughs. “Cars, boats, women, houses—I had it all planned at 17.”
He didn’t strike it rich right away, but he did gain something better—experience. That early exposure to the trades sparked a work ethic that carried him through decades of highs and lows in the manufacturing world. Today, Michigan Tool Works employs toolmakers with decades of experience alongside a growing team of younger technicians.
Pero Pete se apresura a señalar el creciente desafío que supone el sector.
“It’s hard to find young people willing to learn it,” he says. “College isn’t for everyone. I tell kids all the time—find a job China can’t take.”
Para reforzar ese mensaje, Pete y su esposa pusieron en marcha un programa local de becas en memoria de su hijo fallecido que apoya a los estudiantes que se inician en oficios cualificados. No se requiere un título de cuatro años, sólo dedicación a un oficio.
“We’ve funded future toolmakers, barbers, nurses—you name it,” he says. “We’re trying to get more kids to see that the trades are a real path forward. You don’t have to sit in a classroom for four years to have a successful, rewarding career.”
That philosophy mirrors Fratco’s own values. As a company that has spent over a century building American infrastructure, one pipe at a time, Fratco knows the future depends on the hands that build it.
Más que un taller mecánico
Michigan Tool Works and Michigan Plastic Works handle everything from hand tool grips to millions of units for unique industries. They mold parts for agriculture, furniture, construction and even the funeral industry. No two projects are alike, but the attention to detail remains constant.
On any given day, you’ll find high-tech EDM machines burning steel with hair-thin wire, injection presses forming parts by the millions and laser welders fine-tuning precision molds under a microscope.
Still, Pete insists it’s not the machines that matter most—it’s the people.
“I’d go fishing with every single person here,” he says. “You can’t fake it when you’re in a boat with someone. If I’d fish with you, I’ll work with you.”
That people-first mindset extends to customers like Fratco. Over the past two years, Pete’s team has helped Fratco refine product designs, rebuild worn tooling and solve fitment issues as new product lines have developed.
They’ve been incredible partners. They listen, they collaborate, and they’re willing to work through the process. That’s all any of us want—to get to the best possible product.
El juego largo
For Pete, success hasn’t come from flashy pitches or quick wins. It comes from showing up, solving problems and sticking with it—even when it’s hard.
“We’ve made our share of mistakes,” he says. “But we learn fast and we never stop trying to get better.”
Esta mentalidad, además de las agallas del Medio Oeste, ha ayudado a Michigan Tool Works no sólo a recuperarse de los reveses, sino a volver con más fuerza.
“We’re not here because we’re the smartest,” Pete says. “We’re here because we’re the hardest working.”
In a world where fast and cheap often win the bid, companies like Michigan Tool Works prove there’s still room for something better, something built to last. And in partners like Fratco, they’ve found a shared commitment to doing things the right way, every time.
Whether it’s pipe or tooling, drainage or design, when it’s made right, it works right.
And that’s exactly how both companies plan to keep molding the future—one part at a time.
