Drasgow, Inc. is a Multi-Spindle Screw Machine Shop. I, Karl W. Drasgow founded the Company at my home in the town of Sheldon. I graduated from High School and BOCES in 1980 and obtained an entry level job at a local machine shop. I then worked on the shop floor for the next 23 years running: CNC Mills, CNC Lathes, producing proto type parts on manual machines and ending up as a Lead-person in a Multi-Spindle Screw Machine Department. I left the Lead-person position to start my own company producing Screw Machine parts for assembly. In 2003, Drasgow was incorporated.
During the time that I had worked as a machinist, I established a small farm business, raising beef and pork to be sold for consumption. Eventually this farm was successful enough to build an agricultural repair shop. It did not take long after that shop was built to buy a Manual Mill and Lathe to do machine work there. This shop is where I set-up my first 2 Screw Machines. The Machine Shop business soon outperformed the Ag business. I weatherized the pig barn and set-up 2 more Screw Machines in it. I also revamped my beef barn; installing an overhead crane system to increase my steel storage area.
Drasgow soon outgrew the Sheldon facility. In 2007, we underwent a major expansion and constructed a 6,570 sq. ft. building on Poplar Tree Road in Wethersfield. I expanded the business here in Wyoming County, New York because of my employee base. Machining is a skilled trade and it takes years to build up an experienced work force. The Wethersfield property was picked because of its access to good, clean 480-volt electrical power. During the first 5 years in the new plant, we also doubled our Screw machine capacity going from 4 to 8 Screw machines.
In 2012, Drasgow started a 3 phase addition to our existing building. We added 4,000 sq. ft. on the North End creating a Steel Warehouse and installed a 60 X 60 ft. free standing 10,000 pound Over Head Crain System with 16 feet of clearance under the hook. We added 4,000 sq. ft. to the South End creating our new Tool Room. This gave us the ability to bring in a used Screw machine and do all necessary repairs to get the machine up and running. We can also take care of any required Machine maintenance in this area. We added 1,286 sq. ft. of office space in the rear of the South end addition including a new Training Room. This allowed us to re-organize the old Office area in the front of the building to double the size of our Quality Assurance Department and keep up with the increased volume of inspection. This addition brought our Plant to 15,786 sq. ft. total and we were able to go from 8 to 12 Screw machines.
In 2022, Drasgow built another addition adding 4,356 sq. ft. to our building and added 7 more Screw machines. Bringing us to 20,142 sq. ft. total and 19 Screw machines.
I have also continued my education by graduating from the University at Buffalo School of Management’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) and High Tech. Rochester’s The Entrepreneurs Network (TEN) program as well as becoming a certified ISO 9001:2015 auditor. I function as a Quality System Specialist as well as the Plant Manager.
Drasgow, Inc. manufactures parts for assembly in the Automotive, Truck, Utility and Plastic Industries. We use the internet for PO’s & Prints to come in. My employees can afford to live well here in Wyoming County and also benefit from reduced travel costs. I believe this is the future of Small Business in America. Drasgow uses Lean Manufacturing Principles and Just in Time Delivery to compete in an international marketplace. The parts produced at Drasgow are shipped all over the world. Traditionally, my biggest end user is Toyota. However, last year Ford was on top and Chrysler was not far behind. Chevrolet is also rapidly becoming a large part of our business. On shoring is much more competitive now than it was 10 or 20 years ago and Drasgow has filled the void between expensive in-house manufacturing and less expensive, lower quality, overseas parts.
1998 – Drasgow’s original agricultural repair shop (started production machining in 2003).
2007 – Drasgow’s new 6,570 sq. ft. building on Poplar Tree Rd. in Wethersfield.
2012 – Drasgow adds 9,216 sq. ft. for a combined total of 15,786 sq. ft. in Wethersfield.
2022 – Drasgow built another 4,356 sq. ft. addition bringing us to 20,142 sq. ft. total