Manufacturer and distributor J.W. Winco offers over 25,000 standard machine components and industrial parts – in both metric and imperial sizing – as well as customized pieces. The company has operated for over thirty years and is still headquartered in New Berlin, Wisconsin, where it got its start as a distributor in 1985.
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The company offers a broad inventory as well as in-house machining and manufacturing services and customization options to satisfy any part or component need. It promises free shipping for orders over $50 and can ship product within twenty-four hours, thanks to its enormous inventory and all-encompassing product categories
J.W. Winco has expanded its reach across the continent. It has satellite offices in Canada and Mexico and a strong network of stocking distribution companies, direct sales engineers and manufacturer representative agencies located throughout North America. To drive its next wave of growth, it is revamping its online presence and logo and expanding its capabilities.
Each of the Winkler brothers at the company’s helm has a unique view of what sets the company apart. From Chief Executive Officer John Winkler’s perspective, it is the, “technical sales ability to offer suggestions to our customers about our products that fit their application requirements, our in-house machining, labeling and packaging services and flexibility, along with our vast offering of quality mechanical components.”
Robert Winkler, chief technology officer for J.W. Winco, values “the ability to customize and make up the parts for customers. We can do prototyping. We have the ability to modify because we also have a machine shop that can do modification which takes care of all of the customer’s needs.”
J.W. Winco’s success originated in the packaging, printing and machine tool industries through regular attendance at trade shows. Here, company representatives met and interacted with equipment designers and engineers, developing relationships and generating business with a cross-section of industries.
“We cover all industries from the smallest machine or equipment builder to the automotive and aerospace industries,” John Winkler said. He listed packaging, entertainment and printing as the top three.
In 2009, the company merged with its largest supplier, Otto Ganter and Co. GmbH KG, a machine components manufacturer in its fourth-generation of ownership. Otto Ganter has a global presence and a reputation that precedes it. With its help, J.W. Winco was no longer just a name; it became a well-known brand.
“We continue to maintain a local, family-owned feel, but we’re part of a large international organization. From a global perspective, we’re part of a huge conglomerate of companies, but while we have a large territory like North America, we still try to make sure that our employees, our associates and our partners feel a good connection and support by us that will allow us to remain successful in the future,” explained Mark Winkler.
Both J.W. Winco’s ownership team and its workforce are dedicated to making the best possible customer experience by applying an in-depth understanding of the company’s products and the many applications for its machine components and assembly hardware.
The company is ISO 9001:2008 certified and working towards achieving ISO 9001:2015 certification by the end of 2017. Quality and service are paramount and would not be possible without its dedicated, trained and highly-experienced staff that includes diverse ethnicities, backgrounds and abilities: a source of pride for the company.
John Winkler knows that “without a dedicated, hardworking team of employees, we could not have grown or continue to grow and succeed as we have over all these years. That’s the staple of who we are and what we do today.” The dependable team supports customers when they need it the most.
Currently, seventy-five percent of its employees have been with the company for ten years or more. J.W. Winco attracts and retains employees because of the work culture that has been fostered throughout the years.
“We all work hard, but at the same time, we like to have a little bit of fun. We like to hold company functions, company picnics, Christmas parties to keep morale at a high level, and that is something I think the employees appreciate,” John Winkler said.
J.W. Winco also boasts a clean and organized facility that is equipped with the latest tools and technology to deliver the consistent results expected by its customers.
“We want to make sure everybody has the best tools – the right tools to get the job done effectively,” Robert Winkler noted. In addition to investing in its effectiveness, J.W. Winco invests in greening its facilities and processes to be a good environmental steward.
“We actually have tried to do our part as a good corporate citizen – to manage good recycling programs, to use alternative fluids and things in our manufacturing processes that are biodegradable and not harmful to the environment,” Mark Winkler explained.
“We’ve also tried to minimize our storm water runoff by installing a green roof to minimize the amount of rain runoff going into the local stream systems as well as into the Great Lakes Basin,” he continued.
The launch of its new web platform in September has been the primary focus of J.W. Winco recently. The update is anticipated to drive the next wave of for the company as it will work with mobile devices and offer greater filtering capabilities to help customers find products faster and easier.
The website will be equipped with a modern 2D and 3D CAD program to improve relationships with suppliers and have greater order accuracy. From the website, products can be built, priced and customized to specification for order. Buyers can check on product availability and other special application options online. And customers can stay in the know with J.W. Winco’s social media accounts and monthly newsletter which are easily accessible through the new online platform.
J.W. Winco has also rebranded its logo to better reflect the company. Its new era of growth, is defined by investments in its infrastructure to sustain increases in demand from its expanded distribution sales channels.
In addition to investing in itself, J.W. Winco develops and launches new products and product lines, which John Winkler notes is, “something that our parent company continues to do, because it’s demanded by our customers to become more of a one-stop-shopping source.”
“We want to make sure that we become the number-one source for North America, to make sure that we are providing the best of customer service and delivery as well as quality products,” said John Winkler of J.W. Winco’s future goals.
“We want to ensure that we are a trusted company that can provide technical support to our customers so that they always rely on us in the future for that ability to provide custom solutions,” Mark Winkler added. “We want to continue to enhance that in our manufacturing processes to keep our prices competitive as well as grow our market share.”
The aim is to carry forward the same principles and values that have afforded J.W. Winco success from the very beginning: outstanding quality, service and selection that make it a component of its customers’ operations each day.
