Wilson Tool International is one of those well-kept secrets in the Twin Cities business world.
The company keeps a low profile, making products only for other manufacturers. But don’t be fooled. Wilson, which has expanded eight times since 1978 at its production, research, and headquarters compound in Hugo, is making a big splash around the world.
Wilson produces tools for punching, bending, and stamping sheet metal in numerous industries—particularly appliances; enclosures for electronics products; and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment. The Maple Grove–based Manufacturers Alliance, which this year named Wilson one of Minnesota’s three best large manufacturers, calls the company the largest independent toolmaker in the world.
Some 6,000 of Wilson Tool’s 20,000 customers are overseas. In 1991, just 100 were abroad. In 2004, the company opened a plant in Shanghai. Brian Robinson, the 17-year company veteran who became Wilson Tool’s CEO in June, stresses that Wilson didn’t go to China for cheap labor or to export from there. Instead, it went largely to cut delivery times.
“We followed our customer base,” Robinson says. “We’ve got to find ways to compete with low-cost manufacturers around the world.”
How has Wilson stamped out a place among global rivals?
Productivity gains. Before the 2001 recession, Wilson employed 900 workers worldwide. Today, its sales are the same as then, but with a work force that’s 200 employees fewer.
Low employee turnover. Company officials say their turnover rate is less than 1 percent. They believe high wages and benefits, in the 90th percentile for their field, keep good workers.
Work force interaction. Toolmakers, engineers, and salespeople typically work in very separate silos. At Wilson’s stamping division, that’s been diminished, which encourages the sharing of ideas.
Research. On average, Wilson introduces a half-dozen products, and files six to eight patents annually.
Founded in 1966 by Ken Wilson, Wilson Tool started selling in European markets in 1982. Six years later, it acquired a plant in Swindon, England, and began production there. The company is closely held—Wilson, his wife, and their nine children own all of the stock. So expect Wilson Tool to stay based in Minnesota for some time.
