Coldwater Machine Company
Coldwater Machine Company, now operating as Lincoln Electric Automation, designs and builds turnkey flexible automation systems, precision machined components, and proprietary solid-state friction welding solutions for OEMs and Tier 1 manufacturers across automotive, appliance/HVAC, aerospace, life sciences, and energy industries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1954
- HeadquartersColdwater, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Coldwater Machine Company does
Coldwater Machine Company serves OEMs and Tier 1 manufacturers across five primary verticals — Automotive (primary), Appliance and HVAC (primary), Aerospace and Defense (primary), Life Sciences and Medical Devices, and Energy — through project-based, custom-engineered automation and machining engagements. Revenue is generated primarily from custom automation system sales (hardware plus integration) and build-to-print precision machining of tool steel, stainless, aluminum, titanium, Hastelloy, Inconel, and exotic alloys, complemented by prototype and low-volume friction welding services. The go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales, with regional account managers covering Michigan/Canada, the Southeast U.S., and the Midwest (Illinois/Iowa/Wisconsin via the Parmerison Corp. channel partner). Sales cycles involve custom engineering proposals and multi-month build programs led by quoting and program management teams. Pricing is quote-based; no standard product pricing is publicly disclosed. Certifications include AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015 (NSF-ISR), positioning the firm among a limited group of aerospace and defense-certified automation suppliers.
Coldwater Machine Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Coldwater Machine Company
- Legal name
- Coldwater Machine Company, LLC
- Website
- https://coldwatermachine.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1954
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Coldwater Machine Company, now operating as Lincoln Electric Automation, designs and builds turnkey flexible automation systems, precision machined components, and proprietary solid-state friction welding solutions for OEMs and Tier 1 manufacturers across automotive, appliance/HVAC, aerospace, life sciences, and energy industries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Coldwater Machine Company industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Automation Equipment
- NAICS
- Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing (33351), Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332)
- SIC
- Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial Controllers & Control Systems (PLCs, PACs, CNC Controllers) (IMAHAHAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- CNC Machine Tools (Turning, Milling, Machining Centers) (IMAHADAA)
Keywords
Where Coldwater Machine Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Coldwater
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Coldwater Machine Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom Automation Systems: Design, build, and integration of turnkey manufacturing automation systems including robotic cells, laser welding systems, and assembly automation. Revenue is project-based, typically involving multi-month custom engineering and build cycles with significant one-time hardware and integration components.
- Precision Machining Services: Build-to-print precision machining of metal components including tool steel, low carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, Hastelloy, Inconel and exotic alloys. Produces prototypes, one-offs, and short-run production for diverse industries.
- Friction Welding Services: Prototype and low-volume friction welding services using SpinMeld solid state joining system for 100-600 part range production runs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Coldwater Machine Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Coldwater Machine Company designs, builds, and integrates custom flexible automation systems and provides precision CNC machining and robotic assembly services. It delivers turnkey production cells—plastics hot plate welding, injection molding, pad printing, friction spin welding, friction spot welding, laser welding, AI-based straightening, and automated assembly—primarily to automotive, appliance/HVAC, aerospace/defense, life sciences, and energy manufacturers.
Product overview
Lincoln Electric Automation (formerly Coldwater Machine Company) offers a comprehensive portfolio of automation systems, precision machining services, and advanced joining technologies. The product lineup includes: Plastics Hot Plate Welding System, Injection Molding/Pad Printing System, Friction Spin Welding (SpinMeld), Friction Spot Welding (SpotMeld), Straightening Machines, and Laser Welding Systems. These products are complemented by service offerings including Build to Print for Aviation and Energy, Precision Machining, Testing & Inspection Solutions, and Process Automation. The company provides industry-specific automation solutions for Automotive, Appliance/HVAC, Aerospace/Energy, and Life Sciences sectors. The portfolio is unified under the Lincoln Electric Automation brand following the company's acquisition by Lincoln Electric Holdings in December 2018.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SpinMeld: Solid state joining system for rotary friction welding applications, used for joining bar stock, tubes, rods, cylinders, fasteners, studs, nuts and fittings
- Spotmeld
- Solid State Joining Center
Products and services
- Plastics Hot Plate Welding System
- Injection Molding / Pad Printing Automation
- Build-to-Print for Aerospace and Energy
- SpinMeld Friction Spin Welding
- SpotMeld Friction Stir Spot Welding
- AI-Enabled Tube and Bar Straightening
- Laser Welding Systems with Seam Stepping
- Testing & Inspection Solutions
- Process Automation & Robotic Assembly Cells
- Precision CNC Machining Services
- Appliance & HVAC Automation Systems
- Automotive Automation Systems
- High-Mix / Low-Volume (HMLV) Automation Systems
- Life Sciences Automation Systems
Quantifiable outcome
- Cycle time reduction of 60-80% for tube/bar straightening operations
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Coldwater Machine Company
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Coldwater Machine Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Coldwater Machine Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Pro Systems LLCcoreIndiana-based automation systems designer and integrator acquired by Lincoln Electric alongside Coldwater. Serves automotive, industrial, electrical and medical applications. Coldwater represents Pro Systems' cooperative interests in sales relationships.
- Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc.coreLincoln Electric Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LECO) acquired Coldwater Machine Company LLC, Pro Systems LLC and related assets in December 2018. The acquisition accelerates Lincoln Electric's automation strategy and expands automated cutting and joining solutions portfolio.
- Parmerison CorpcoreSales relationship for expanding automation sales in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Parmerison specializes in design and integration of small to mid-size automated systems. Led by president Jim Adamski, the partnership extends Coldwater's reach in the Midwest region for turnkey automated solutions.
- LIFT Consortium (Boeing/EWI)minorIndustry partner in LIFT Consortium project led by Boeing and Edison Welding Institute (EWI) to validate and develop refill friction stir spot welding (RFSSW) using aerospace alloys. Coldwater contributes SpotMeld technology expertise and RFSSW testing for joining aluminum grades to eliminate rivets in aerospace structures.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves13 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Coldwater Machine Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Genesis Systems Group: Genesis Systems Group is a Davenport, Iowa-based robotic integration and automation solutions provider focused on non-automotive applications like aerospace, heavy equipment, and renewable energy. It is one of the largest FANUC robot integrators in North America, directly competing with Coldwater's automation systems business for similar OEM and Tier 1 customers.
- Acieta: Acieta is a Midwest-based automation integrator (Iowa) with comparable robotic welding, machine tending, and custom assembly cell capabilities serving automotive, heavy equipment, and consumer goods manufacturers. Overlap with Coldwater spans robotic integration, automotive body-in-white, and project-based custom engineering.
- Wayne Trail Technologies: Wayne Trail Technologies is an Ohio-based automation integrator specializing in welding systems, robotic cells, and tooling for automotive and industrial manufacturers. Geographic proximity and overlapping automotive welding and assembly automation business make it a direct local competitor.
- Hirata Corp of America: Hirata Corporation is a Japanese-headquartered automation systems integrator with US operations serving automotive and industrial manufacturers. Coldwater's own Engineering Manager (Gordon Mattix) previously managed projects at Hirata, signaling comparable technical scope and customer overlap in automotive assembly automation.
- Automated Concepts Inc. Automated Concepts is a Midwest-based custom automation integrator specializing in robotic welding, assembly, and material handling for Tier 1 automotive and heavy equipment customers. Closely comparable in scope and customer mix to Coldwater's automotive and appliance automation business.
- Midwest Engineered Systems: Midwest Engineered Systems (MWES) is a Waukesha, Wisconsin custom automation integrator specializing in robotic welding, material handling, and assembly systems for industrial manufacturers. Comparable business model, customer base, and Midwest regional footprint to Coldwater Machine.
- Shape Automation: Shape Automation designs and builds custom robotic automation systems for welding, assembly, and material handling, with strong presence in automotive Tier 1 and OEM accounts. Comparable product portfolio, project-based revenue model, and customer base to Coldwater Machine.
- Pro Systems LLC: Pro Systems is an Indianapolis-based automation systems designer and integrator acquired by Lincoln Electric alongside Coldwater Machine in December 2018. The two companies are now sister entities inside Lincoln Electric Automation, serving automotive, industrial, electrical, and medical applications with overlapping capabilities.
Broad incumbents
- FANUC America: FANUC America is the largest industrial robot supplier in North America and a critical equipment vendor to Coldwater's automation cells (e.g., FANUC R-2000i/165 robots in Laser Seam Stepping work cells). It is both a supplier and a competitive threat via its own integrator network and direct-to-OEM system integration offerings.
- KUKA Systems: KUKA Systems is a global automation solutions provider and robot OEM serving automotive, aerospace, and consumer goods. As a much larger, publicly-backed incumbent, it competes with Coldwater on large multi-cell programs while also offering robot platforms that smaller integrators like Coldwater purchase for their own systems.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Coldwater Machine Company social profiles
Digital presenceColdwater Machine Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coldwater Machine Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Coldwater Machine Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coldwater Machine Company M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Coldwater Machine Company
What does Coldwater Machine Company do?
Coldwater Machine Company designs, builds, and integrates custom flexible automation systems and provides precision CNC machining and robotic assembly services. It delivers turnkey production cells—plastics hot plate welding, injection molding, pad printing, friction spin welding, friction spot welding, laser welding, AI-based straightening, and automated assembly—primarily to automotive, appliance/HVAC, aerospace/defense, life sciences, and energy manufacturers.
Is Coldwater Machine Company a public or private company?
Coldwater Machine Company is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Coldwater Machine Company founded?
Coldwater Machine Company was founded in 1954.
Where is Coldwater Machine Company based?
Coldwater Machine Company is headquartered in Coldwater, United States, in the North America region.
How does Coldwater Machine Company make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom Automation Systems are the primary driver. The others are precision Machining Services and friction Welding Services.
Who are Coldwater Machine Company's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Genesis Systems Group, Acieta, Wayne Trail Technologies, Hirata Corp of America, Automated Concepts Inc., Midwest Engineered Systems, Shape Automation and Pro Systems LLC. Broad incumbents are FANUC America and KUKA Systems.
Does Coldwater Machine Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coldwater Machine Company.
What industry is Coldwater Machine Company in?
Coldwater Machine Company's product category is Industrial Automation Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAHAH, Industrial Controllers & Control Systems (PLCs, PACs, CNC Controllers), with a secondary code of IMAHADAA, CNC Machine Tools (Turning, Milling, Machining Centers). Its NAICS code is 33351 and its SIC code is 3550.