Published in American Machinist

American Operator founder and CEO William Fry wrote this piece for American Machinist on one of the most pressing challenges facing U.S. manufacturing: what happens to machine shops when their owners retire with no one to take over.

The article makes the case that succession planning is not a last-minute financial transaction but a core operational issue, as critical as maintenance scheduling or workforce development. It also argues that the best future owners for these businesses are often already inside them, running shifts, managing production, and solving problems on the floor every day. What they lack is access to capital and deal structures that make ownership possible.

American Operator exists to bridge that gap, keeping machine shops locally owned, operationally stable, and rooted in the communities they serve.

Read the full article on American Machinist →