Home / GWS Tool Group Announces Acquisition of STF Precision (STF)

GWS Tool Group Announces Acquisition of STF Precision (STF)

The acquisition of STF Precision enhances the GWS product portfolio and capabilities in the area of PCD and CBN solutions and further expands the GWS manufacturing presence into the Carolinas.

Posted: October 27, 2020

Located near Asheville, N.C., STF is a leading manufacturer of precision cutting tools, primarily in the categories of polycrystalline diamond tools (PCD), single-crystal diamond tools (SCD), and Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN). The company's product capability portfolio includes brazed PCD-rotary tools for non-ferrous materials, PCD 8-facet drills for aerospace composites, PCD grooving inserts for automotive applications, and multi-stepped brazed PCD monoblock tools.

GWS Tool Group (Tavares, FL) has acquired STF Precision, the third add-on acquisition in 2020 for GWS.

STF has the equipment and experience to design, manufacture and regrind tooling for a wide variety of applications, including boring, grooving, turning, and profiling difficult-to-machine materials such as high-silicon aluminum, composites, carbon fiber, and plastics. With the addition of STF, GWS further solidifies its position as the premier multi-disciplinary manufacturer of high-performance cutting tools in the marketplace today.

“STF is an ideal fit for our organization,” said GWS CEO Rick McIntyre. “The experience and know-how of the team that we are bolting on, combined with their proprietary manufacturing processes that they have developed over time, will create immense value for GWS customers. Rotary PCD tooling has been a limited category for GWS for some time, and this fills some of those gaps perfectly.”

STF Precision Co-owner and President Jason Ford said, “I am very excited for STF Precision to be joining GWS Tool Group. We have accomplished a lot at STF, feel strongly about our ability to produce some of the most precise and capable products in the industry, and are incredibly excited about the GWS engine being able to expand our reach.”

Jason Ford will continue with the GWS team as general manager for the North Carolina manufacturing operations, and Co-owner and Vice President David Novak will be joining the GWS leadership team as director of Systems and Integration.