The company’s first computer-controlled cutting machine, added in 1999, was running at full capacity.
Campbell said the new computerized router, which cost about $70,000, has cut production time in half. The technology also has allowed Gerstner to hire two workers, create new product lines and offer greater customization.
“We have been able to produce more in the same period. If this pace continues … we are still going to need more people to assemble and finish out the product,” Campbell said.
Currently, Gerstner employs 15 full-time workers at its production facility at 20 Gerstner Way, off Edwin C. Moses Boulevard. The original three-story section of the company’s building was constructed in the wake of the 1913 Great Flood and celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.
Gerstner produces about 200 chests a month in 40 different styles. Apart from the use of CNC routers to cut out parts, the wooden chests are built, fitted and finished by hand.
The lockable, multi-drawer, felt-lined chests range in price from $500 to $3,000.
The company also produces a line of kit chests with pre-machined tongue-and-groove joinery for customers who want to assemble and finish the chest themselves. The kit chests range in price from $250 to $300.
In 2004, Gerstner launched a division in China to make a lower-cost, factory-produced line of wood chests to compete with imported knockoffs. The Gerstner International models range in price from $150 to $700.
“Our main competition is a metal toolbox,” Campbell said. “This was a way for us to offer a lower-priced unit to get people to understand the benefits of wood, and get them used to our name.”
Campbell declined to disclose the family-owned company’s annual revenues.
Founded in 1906, Gerstner & Sons originally thrived by producing tool chests for the machinists and tool and die makers in the region’s metal machining industry. The chests gained popularity because wood draws away moisture, which prevents precision metal tools from rusting.
Over the years, Gerstner’s customer base has shifted away from the machining industry to hobbyists and collectors. In recent years, the company has introduced specialized chests and cases for gun and knife enthusiasts, as well as jewelry, watch and coin collections.
“Anything with small pieces and parts is ideal to store in our product, because it’s a product that is not only functional, but fits in different settings as far as living rooms, bedrooms. It’s not just relegated to the workshop or the basement,” Campbell said.
Thirty years ago, 80 percent of Gerstner’s customers were machinists. Today, that sector represent about 30 percent of the company’s business, he said.
“With this new technology, we are looking at being able to expand our work base and keep adding production to the Dayton area,” Campbell said.
CNC technology has allowed Gerstner to produce new custom products that include bed parts for sleeper cabs on semi trucks, as well as cigar humidors that are incorporated into high-end wine refrigerators. The new router also allows for greater customization, such as carving a company logo into a chest.
Gerstner is in the final prototyping stages of a new wall-hanging display case for guitars that will be launched in the coming weeks on the company’s website. Campbell said
“Gerstner & Sons is a great example of how companies in the Dayton region’s manufacturing industry are staying relevant,” said Angelia Erbaugh, president of the Dayton Region Manufacturers Association.
“Regardless of the type of manufacturer they are … they continually look for ways to increase their markets and their expertise,” she said. “This often involves adding new technology and new product lines, which often leads to adding more jobs. That’s good for the company, good for the region, and good for workers.”
Campbell said Gerstner uses modern technology where possible, but the human touch is needed to hand assemble the chests to avoid cracking the wood. “We take pride in what we make,” he said.
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