Original Date: 05/12/1997
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

In 1884, Cincinnati Milacron, Inc. began as a small shop, known as the Cincinnati Screw and Tap Company, which served local industry. Five years later, the company saw the future in milling machines, and changed its name to the Cincinnati Milling Machine Company to reflect its new direction. Over the years, the company grew and expanded its product line (e.g., precision grinding machines, numerical controls, machine tools, plastics injection molding machines) and, in 1970, adopted its present name. Today, Cincinnati Milacron is a global leader in industrial processes, products, and services including plastics processing machinery, moldmaking equipment, composites processing systems, flexible manufacturing cells, metalworking fluids, carbide wear parts, and industrial magnets.

With its corporate headquarters located in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati Milacron maintains numerous U.S. and international operations, employs 12,500 personnel worldwide, and achieved $1.7 billion in revenues for 1996. The BMP survey focused on the company’s Cincinnati-based Machine Tool Group which serves a broad range of markets such as job shops, and the automotive and aerospace industries. Among the best practices documented were Cincinnati Milacron’s metrology services; building a culture of leaders; machine tool product development process; carburizing process inspection; automatic test system; and spindle carrier runoff.

The driving force behind Cincinnati Milacron came from its founder, Frederick A. Geier. He championed an uncompromising vision and dedication to the company, its employees, and the surrounding community. This outlook was carried on by his son, Frederick V. Geier, and his grandson, James A. D. Geier. The Geier family legacy guided Cincinnati Milacron to outstanding success and growth; promoted a family atmosphere for its employees; sponsored community projects; and gave selfless contributions to the city of Cincinnati.

Although strong supporters of the community, the Geier family always downplayed their contributions. Upon accepting the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce’s 1996 Great Living Cincinnatian Award, James Geier said of their family, “Our attitude has always been: the community has been good to the Geiers and we have always tried to reciprocate.” Three generations of Geiers have dedicated themselves to numerous community projects, including the Community Chest (forerunner of United Way) and United Way campaigns. Most notably is the Geier Family Lodge which was built for Cincinnati Milacron’s locally-sponsored boy scout troop, the first industrial-sponsored troop in the United States. The Lodge, built with logs brought down from Canada, was completed in 1957 and features a totem pole that dates to 1932. Today, the Lodge still sits adjacent to the corporate headquarters, and is available to anyone for scouting functions.

The Geier family also emphasized a strong family atmosphere at Cincinnati Milacron. The company traditionally sponsors holiday parties and open houses; maintains on-site recreation facilities; and promotes employee activities. Every few years, Cincinnati Milacron hosts a Family Day for its employees and their families. A special attraction is the 1884 Room, located on the top floor of the corporate headquarters. Remembering the past is a strong tradition at Cincinnati Milacron. Upon stepping off the elevator, visitors are transported back to 1884, the year the company was incorporated. The entryway recreates, in three-quarter scale, the corner of Pearl and Plum Streets in downtown Cincinnati, complete with cobblestones, gaslights, and the train station of the old Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis & Chicago Railroad. Across the street is a replica of the original shop, the Cincinnati Screw and Tap Company. Upon entering the shop, visitors can view the tall, stand-up desk to the left where business transactions took place. All the machines within the shop are authentic and appear much as they did over a century ago. Two small executive dining rooms are also located on this floor, and feature murals with scenes from the 1880s.

Over the years, Cincinnati Milacron has made great strides in its transition to become a better-balanced, more global company with the ideal resource and product mix to grow on a consistent, profitable basis. In the early 1990s, Cincinnati Milacron began implementing a corporate-endorsed leadership philosophy based on principles developed by Stephen Covey. This philosophy has played a role in enabling the company to regain its competitive position and set about building a new culture of leadership at all levels. The result was the evolution of a proactive empowered culture characterized by customer focus; active involvement by all employees; attention to detail; and balance between production and production capability. Despite its global ambitions, Cincinnati Milacron still maintains basic core values of customer satisfaction; employee opportunity; company growth and profitability; and integrity in all that it does. The BMP survey team considers the following practices to be among the best in industry and government.

TABLE OF ACRONYMS:
The following acronyms were used in this report:

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.