July / August - Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association

However, Checker Machine’s most
valuable asset isn’t its equipment. It’s
the company’s employees, according to
Lipinski. Currently, Checker Machine
employs more than 60 people, many of
whom have been with the company for
20 years or more, and most employees
have at least 10 years of industry
experience.
“The skills of our workforce go
beyond many shops,” Lipinski said.
“I know our customers appreciate being
able to simply hand their drawings off
to us. They know we have the right
experience to take care of them.”
Checker Machine was founded in
1976 by Thomas Lipinski. He had been
working as a shop foreman for Carl Berg
at American Machine Tool, which was
one of the largest contract shops in the
Twin Cities at the time. After finding out
that the company was closing its doors, he
and dozens of other employees decided to
start their own shops, giving rise to several
well-known companies in Minnesota.
“Some of the best talent came when
American Machine Tool decided to shut
its doors,” Lipinski said. “I have great
respect for all of those companies.”
In 1981, Thomas Lipinski built a
permanent facility for Checker Machine
in New Hope. He designed it specifically
to be able to accommodate large parts.
“He had a vision in mind for the company
early on,” Lipinski said. “And the company
is still living out that vision today.”
Checker Machine prides itself on
being flexible. Whether a customer
needs immediate access to equipment
or increased support in order to grow,
Checker machine does its best to
accommodate change. It’s one reason
why Checker Machine is a qualified
supplier of 3M.
“Our customers’ needs are changing
all the time,” Lipinski said. “We know
we’ve got to accommodate them or
we’ll become a liability.”
As for Rudolph Technologies, it
is looking no further than Checker
Machine to supply its frames now and
into the future. “Checker has excellent
quality, its costs are right in line, and
delivery is never an issue,” Kelly said. PM
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