Company History
Stark Industrial LLC, a testament to one family's generational commitment to success
In the spring of 1959, Raymond Wilkof launched a small business in downtown Canton, sharpening and selling precision cutting tools. Short on capital but rich in experience, Wilkof created a company that not only specialized in high-quality goods, but expert customer service. Fifty years later, his one-man dream continues to thrive as Stark Industrial LLC, a three-generation, family-owned manufacturing company which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
Located near the Akron Canton Airport, Stark Industrial specializes in precision parts, measuring equipment and component parts for a growing list of international markets, including medical, environmental control, aerospace, rubber, machine tool, steel, and food processing.
Commitment
Stark Industrial's story is more than just an anniversary; it is a testament to one family's generational commitment to quality and success. Wilkof's son Sam, who joined the company in 1976, expanded Stark Industrial's precision measuring equipment and precision parts divisions.
In 2005, grandson Jonathan, an engineer specializing in industrial technology, joined the company and successfully led it through a rigorous ISO 9001:2000 certification process. Each generation of Wilkof's has helped to diversify Stark Industrial, which has been a key to its longevity in manufacturing in Northeast Ohio.
A Competitor
In this era of outsourcing, Stark Industrial not only is competing successfully, but has even recaptured shares of the market from such foreign competitors as India. That's because Stark Industrial manufactures unique parts with world-class precision and superior machining quality. Using CNC machining techniques, parts are manufactured for a wide variety of industries. A complement of manufacturing services is used to take raw material such as stainless, aluminum and exotic metals through a variety of processes.
Stark Industrial also is unique in that employee turnover is almost nonexistent. Most of the company's highly-skilled 40-member workforce has been at Stark Industrial for decades.