S&S Industrial Supply

What S&S Industrial Supply does

S&S Industrial Supply, Inc. is a family-owned industrial cutting tool distributor founded in 1970 by John Sandmeyer Sr. in Kalamazoo, Michigan, now headquartered at 7600 South Sprinkle Road, Portage, MI 49002. The company distributes carbide endmills, carbide drills, taps, gauges, tool holders, band saws, abrasives, indexable milling and drilling tools, carbide-tipped tooling, and general MRO products sourced from 200+ manufacturer brands including Ingersoll, Tungaloy, Kyocera, YG1, Kennametal, and OSG. It also distributes AutoCrib automated Tool Management Systems — specifically the RoboCrib VX500, VX1000, and XL2000 vending platforms — a line it has carried for 16 years.

The business model is a traditional territory-based industrial distribution operation. S&S employs 13 people, with field sales coverage across Southwest Michigan (Grand Rapids, Lakeshore, Kalamazoo/Portage) and Indiana, plus inside sales support. Pricing is quote-based with applied discounts against manufacturer list, consistent with project-driven specification sales rather than volume e-commerce. Recurring revenue is generated through consumable cutting tool replenishment and, for AutoCrib customers, ongoing vending-system replenishment tied to installed tooling management infrastructure. Digital engagement is light: the company website hosts machining calculators (linking out to custompartnet.com) and product catalogs but does not appear to transact significant online volume.

The company is privately held with no institutional investment, and was led from 2009 onward by second-generation owner John Sandmeyer II following the founder's death. The structure is a stable, sub-scale regional distributor rather than a growth-stage platform — competitive position rests on local relationships, multi-vendor breadth, and the embedded AutoCrib vending footprint rather than scale economics or proprietary technology.

Name

S&S Industrial Supply

Legal name

S&S Industrial Supply, Inc.

Website

https://ss-industrialsupply.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

S&S Industrial Supply is a family-owned industrial cutting tool distributor founded in 1970, serving manufacturers in Southwest Michigan and Indiana with carbide tooling, MRO supplies, and AutoCrib automated tool management systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Cutting Tools Distribution

NAICS

Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423840), Industrial Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42383)

SIC

Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080)

akta.pro primary industry

Workshop Tools, Equipment & Lift Systems Distribution (TLAKAOAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial MRO Supplies for Vehicle/Equipment Workshops (Bearings, Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Fasteners) (TLAKAOAK)

Keywords

• Industrial cutting tools
• Tool management systems
• Carbide tooling distributor
• MRO industrial supplies
• Automated tool dispensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Portage

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Industrial Cutting Tools Sales: Distributor of industrial cutting tools including abrasives, bandsaws, carbide drills, carbide endmills, taps, tool holders, gauges, and indexable tooling. Revenue generated from product sales with quoted/discounted pricing model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

S&S Industrial Supply is a family-owned industrial cutting tool distributor that supplies manufacturing companies with carbide endmills, drills, taps, tool holders, band saws, abrasives, gauges, indexable tooling, and MRO products sourced from 200+ manufacturers. The company also distributes AutoCrib RoboCrib automated tool management and dispensing systems (VX500, VX1000, XL2000) with associated software for inventory tracking, ERP integration, and reporting. Revenue is generated primarily through quote-based product sales to local manufacturing customers in Southwest Michigan.

Product overview

S&S Industrial Supply is a family-owned industrial tool distributor based in Portage, Michigan, founded in 1970. The company operates as a multi-product industrial supply platform offering two primary categories: (1) Tool Management Systems including the RoboCrib line of automated inventory dispensing machines (VX500, VX1000, XL2000) with associated AutoCrib.net software for inventory tracking, ERP integration, and reporting; and (2) an extensive catalog of cutting tools sourced from 200+ manufacturer partners including carbide endmills, drills, taps, gauges, tool holders, band saws, abrasives, indexable mills/drills, and MRO products. The company also provides online machining calculators as a complementary digital tool for customers. The core business model combines distribution of third-party cutting tool brands with proprietary tool management hardware and software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RoboCrib VX500 Automated inventory vending machine system for tool crib management, providing 24/7 secure dispensing of industrial supplies with badge/PIN authentication, bin configurations, and software reporting. Supplied by S&S Industrial Supply as part of its AutoCrib partnership.
• RoboCrib VX1000 High-capacity automated inventory dispensing system with 1000 lbs weight capacity and up to 1048 bin SKUs, designed for larger tool crib operations.
• RoboCrib XL2000 Extra-large automated inventory vending system with 2600 lbs weight capacity and up to 2574 bin SKUs for high-volume industrial tool cribs.
• Carbide Endmills Carbide end mills distributed from manufacturers including Imco, Guhring, Helical, OSG, Titan, Widin, and YG1 for milling operations.
• Carbide Drills Carbide drill bits distributed from manufacturers including Guhring, Kennametal, OSG, Widia, and Widin for drilling operations.
• Taps Threading taps distributed from manufacturers including Emuge, Greenfield Industries, OSG, Precision Dormer, YG1, and YMW for creating internal threads.
• Gauges Precision gauging equipment distributed from manufacturers including Meyer Gage, GSG (Southern Gage), and Vermont Gage for quality measurement.
• Tool Holders Tool holder systems distributed from manufacturers including Briney, Parlec, Sowa, Command Tooling Systems, Pioneer HPI, Talon Precision Tooling, Techniks, and YG1.
• Band Saws Band saw blades and equipment distributed from manufacturers including Wikus, Arntz, and Simonds.
• Abrasives Abrasive products distributed from manufacturers including 3M, Carborundum, CGW, Kingspor, Pasco, Random Products, and Superior Abrasives.
• MRO Products Maintenance, repair, and operations supplies distributed from manufacturers including ORS Nasco.
• Indexable Mills Indexable cutting mills distributed from manufacturers including Dapra, Ingersoll, Kyocera, Millstar, Tungaloy, Widia, K-Tool, and YG1.
• Indexable Drills Indexable drill systems distributed from manufacturers including K-Tool, Widia, and YG1.
• Carbide Tip Tooling Carbide-tipped cutting tools distributed from manufacturers including CJT Koolcarb and Hannibal Carbide.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AutoCribcoreTechnology or IntegrationS&S Industrial Supply has partnered with AutoCrib to provide customers with RoboCrib Tool Management Systems. They offer the RoboCrib VX500, VX1000, and XL2000 automated dispensing machines. These systems provide 24-7 tool availability, badge/PIN authentication, automatic purchase orders, ERP system integration, and over 200 standard reports for inventory management.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Fastenal: Largest U.S. fastener and industrial supply distributor with $7B+ revenue and onsite vending solutions. Highly comparable to S&S through its industrial vending/programmatic supply model (the AutoCrib RoboCrib product line).
• Applied Industrial Technologies: Industrial distributor ($1.6B+ revenue) specializing in bearings, power transmission, fluid power, and industrial rubber products. Comparable to S&S as an industrial MRO distributor with technical sales support serving manufacturers.
• MSC Industrial Supply: U.S. metalworking and industrial MRO distributor with ~$3.8B in revenue and a vast catalog of cutting tools, MRO supplies, and fasteners. Closest large-scale peer to S&S in product mix (cutting tools, abrasives, MRO), but operates nationally versus S&S's regional focus.
• Grainger: Fortune 500 industrial supply distributor with $17B+ in revenue offering MRO products, safety supplies, and material handling. Overlaps with S&S in MRO distribution but serves national enterprise customers and lacks S&S's cutting-tool specialization.

Emerging players

• Kennametal: Manufacturer of metalworking tools including carbide inserts, drills, endmills, and tool holders that S&S distributes. Directly comparable product portfolio; serves as both supplier and potential competitor if Kennametal expands direct channel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about S&S Industrial Supply