History
Proudly a women-owned, second-generation manufacturer since 1975, Advanced Tool Inc was started by Sherry’s dad, Harold “Butch” Lockwood. The business was originally run out of his garage in Sauquoit, NY. In 2007, Rob and Sherry DePerno purchased the business and grew it from a regional tool & cutter grinder into an international manufacturer.
Sherry’s Vision
When I purchased this business from my parents in 2007, my dad told me I would never be successful being “just an end mill manufacturer”. After all, he built this business by doing many MORE things and actually never saying no to an opportunity. However I felt that just because we could do more, didn’t mean we should.
I wanted to build a business where we could do something and be so great that we could compete world-wide. This meant outperforming the biggest and the best companies with UNLIMITED resources. I knew Carbide End Mills was one area we could achieve this. Getting focused on only one thing also allows every person on our team to become a master in that one area. Fast forward to today, and our custom designed end mills are used nationally and internationally in five other countries.
AND My dad has since told me that if he ever tries to tell me how to run this business, that I should tell him to keep quiet.
Giving Back
Not only does Advanced Tool Inc support various charitable organizations, but 5% off all proceeds support families battling ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). Rob DePerno witness the devastation of the disease after losing his mom to ALS in 1999.
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