When he was laid off from a machinery
repair shop, Joseph C. Parker took his
skills to his garage, where he started
doing small repairs for family-owned
shops.
That led to a referral to do contract
work for Kelsey-Hayes, but Parker and
his company, C&B Machinery, were
limited by space in the jobs they could
take from the new client. In the early
days of his business, Parker took every
risk necessary, without thinking much
about it, because he had nothing to
lose. So he rented a building to expand
the business, and within seven months,
was the largest supplier for machinery
repair and tooling for that plant.
That led to a request from Ford to see
if he could retool micromatic stack
hones, and today, C&B Machinery is a
global preferred supplier to Ford.
Parker, who serves as CEO, has based
his business on leading by example,
with the philosophy of getting the job
done with honesty and integrity, facing
problems head-on and giving customers more than what they pay for.
And with the company’s history of service support and business ethics, C&B
has no need for a marketing or sales
department; work still comes by word-of-mouth, and Parker believes that
good business results from open communication.
Going forward, Parker plans to continue growing his business, and in the
last 18 months, designed and built a
new machine, a double disc grinder,
which sold two units before the first
casting was even poured.
HOW TO REACH: C&B Machinery, www.cbmachinery.com or
(734) 462-0600