United Tool celebrates 50th year...

United Tool and Engineering, 4090 Prairie Hill Road, celebrated its expansion as well as 50 successful years of service during an open house Thursday.

United Tool and engineering employs 100 people in South Beloit. The job shop designs dies, performs metal fabrication and stamps out parts. Major customers include the medical, food equipment, construction, agriculture, auto, truck, bus, lighting and paper making industries. Some of the company's customers include Warner Brake in South Beloit and Taylor Freezer in Rockton.

During the open house more than 500 customers, suppliers and friends took tours of the newly constructed area, completed on July 21.

After Midwest Construction in Roscoe began constructing a 65,000-square-foot building for United Tool and Engineering in April, the expansion brought the company's total space to 150,000 square feet.

United Tool and Engineering President Rod Meade said the new building was erected to house the company's new powder coating line, designed to powder coat parts up to 24 feet long. The longest in the Stateline Area, the new line generated plenty of interest from prospective customers. Once the new feature is up and running on Dec. 1, more customers will be coming on board, Meade said.

The new building will house 14 welding stations, shipping and receiving space as well as United Tool and Engineering's three newly acquired companies. Challenger Manufacturing, Southern Wisconsin Metal Fabrication and United Laser will all share space in the new facility and employ a total of 85 workers.

United Laser, a group of 15 employees acquired in 1998 has already moved to the site as well as Challenger Manufacturing, a South Beloit company acquired last January. Southern Wisconsin Metal Fabrication, a group of 15 workers in Evansville, is scheduled to move in by the end of the year.

In addition to the powder coating line, the United Tool and Engineering has purchased two new lasers: the Trumpf model 3030 and 3050. Each laser can cut up to a one inch thickness and a diameter of 5 to 10 feet.

Bill Fulton and Rene Marchal started United Tool and Engineering in 1956. After the small tool and die shop outgrew its first location a 8,000 square foot building was erected at 4095 Prairie Hill Road.

Six years later, Rod Meade, a journeyman tool and diemaker, partnered with Fulton and Marchal. The group added a new CNC mill and a 10,000 square foot addition in 1988. Six years later, the main building had grown to 75,000 square feet.

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