crotts & saunders

What crotts & saunders does

Crotts & Saunders is a regional industrial equipment distributor and metrology solutions provider founded in 1964 and headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The company sells and services machine tools, coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), vision systems, optical comparators, and collaborative robotics, serving manufacturing companies across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and parts of West Virginia. Crotts & Saunders is credited as the first company to import a CMM into the United States and has operated continuously for over 60 years, building a domain reputation in precision measurement. Since 2013 the company has operated as part of The HEH Group family of companies, alongside affiliates Ultra Tech (robot integration), Motch & Eichele, and Advanced Spindle Technology.

The company distributes equipment from several leading OEMs, including Mazak (multi-tasking, 5-axis, turning, vertical/horizontal machining centers, and Swiss Syncrex machines), Mitsubishi EDM (Wire EDM MV/MX Series and Sinker EDM EA/Gantry Eagle Series), Fanuc CRX collaborative robots, Mitutoyo metrology equipment, Hydromat rotary transfer machines, and Takamaz CNC turning products. Core services include turnkey engineering solutions, machine service and repair, preventative maintenance, ISO-standard calibration (A2LA accredited), contract inspection, CMM rebuilds, and Mazak Mazatrol training classes at the company's Technical Center. The firm also runs a Steals and Deals program for refurbished and rebuilt equipment, extending reach to price-sensitive buyers.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: hardware sales (capital equipment distribution with OEM-authorized margins), professional services (application engineering, technical support, training, and calibration), and engineering services (turnkey manufacturing solutions). Pricing is quote-based on equipment and custom services; training classes are listed at $1,500 per person or free for buyers of recent Mazak machines. The go-to-market is direct field sales supported by application engineers and service technicians in the territory, supplemented by content marketing (Manufacturing Insights blog, Mazak Minute video series) and customer events (Seminar On Swiss, Mazak Dine-n-Dash). The primary customer segment is mid-market and enterprise manufacturers needing machining capacity, quality inspection, and automation integration, with a secondary focus on high-precision Swiss machine shops facing labor shortages.

Name

crotts & saunders

Legal name

Crotts & Saunders

Website

https://crottsandsaunders.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Crotts & Saunders distributes machine tools, metrology equipment, and automation systems for manufacturers in the Southeastern US. Operating under The HEH Group, the company sells Mazak, Mitsubishi EDM, and Fanuc cobot products with engineering services and training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Winston-Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Equipment Distribution: Crotts & Saunders distributes machining equipment, metrology equipment, and automation products as part of The HEH Group's family of companies.
2. Service and Technical Support: Machine service technicians and application engineers provide technical support, training, and service for sold equipment.
3. Engineering Services: Turnkey solutions and engineering services for manufacturing applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Crotts & Saunders distributes machine tools, metrology equipment, and automation systems in North and South Carolina, Virginia, and parts of West Virginia as part of The HEH Group family of companies. The company sells Mazak CNC machines, Mitsubishi EDM equipment, Fanuc CRX collaborative robots, and Mitutoyo metrology instruments, while providing turnkey engineering solutions, machine service and repair, preventative maintenance, calibration, and contract inspection services. It is credited with being the first company to import a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) to the United States.

Product overview

Crotts & Saunders is a machine tool distributor and metrology solutions provider that has operated for over 60 years, specializing in precision measurement equipment and CNC machining solutions. The company offers a portfolio of distributed products including Mazak CNC machines (Multi-Tasking, 5-Axis, Turning, Vertical/Horizontal machining centers, and Swiss Syncrex machines), Mitsubishi EDM equipment (Wire EDM and Sinker EDM), and Fanuc CRX collaborative robots. Their core services center on metrology including CMMs, vision systems, calibration, and contract inspection, complemented by engineering solutions, machine service, and training programs. Crotts & Saunders serves North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and parts of West Virginia, operating as part of The HEH Group family of companies with shared expertise in machining and metrology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Metrology Equipment & Services

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FanuccoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023Crotts & Saunders offers Fanuc CRX collaborative robots as part of their automation solutions. The company works with Fanuc to provide cobot installations for machine tending and other manufacturing applications. Ultra Tech, part of The HEH Group, is an A3 Certified Robot Integrator and Authorized Systems Integrator for Fanuc since 2001.
• Mitsubishi EDM (MC Machinery)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrotts & Saunders, affiliated with The HEH Group, represents Mitsubishi EDM equipment. MC Machinery is a market leader in EDM technology offering wire EDM, sinker EDM, and gantry-style machines known for speed, accuracy, and performance.
• MazakcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrotts & Saunders distributes Mazak machines in their territory. Mazak offers multi-tasking machines, 5-axis machining centers, turning centers, and Swiss-style machines including the Syncrex series.
• HydromatminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrotts & Saunders offers Hydromat rotary transfer machines including the Eclipse 12-100, EPIC II Series, and ICON6-150 for precision metal cutting applications.
• Takamaz MachineryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrotts & Saunders offers Takamaz CNC turning products including gang series, X series, XY series, XW series, and GSL series machines.
• MitutoyominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrotts & Saunders offers Mitutoyo metrology equipment including vision systems and CMMs as part of their product lineup.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hartwig: Mazak distributor covering the US Midwest/South with machine tools, automation, and field service — directly comparable distribution, application engineering, and training business model.
• Productivity Inc: Midwest-based CNC machine tool distributor and automation integrator with service and training — comparable customer profile, OEM portfolio, and regional distribution economics.
• Methods Machine Tools: Long-standing Mazak distributor serving multiple US regions with CNC machines, automation, and field service — directly comparable business model, OEM mix, and customer segments to Crotts & Saunders.
• Gosiger: Mazak's largest US distributor with multi-state territory coverage, offering CNC machines, automation, and integrated manufacturing solutions — closely matches Crotts & Saunders' product, service, and channel structure.
• Ellison Technologies: Multi-OEM CNC machine tool distributor and automation integrator with regional service centers — competes with Crotts & Saunders for the same Southeast manufacturing accounts across Mazak and complementary lines.
• Yamazen Inc: Machine tool distributor in North America representing multiple Japanese and European OEMs — comparable multi-OEM distribution, application engineering, and field service model.

Broad incumbents

• MC Machinery Systems: North American arm of Mitsubishi EDM manufacturer and broader machine tool OEM — overlaps with Crotts & Saunders' Mitsubishi EDM product line and competes at the OEM level for end-customer relationships.
• Mitutoyo America: Manufacturer of CMMs, vision systems, and precision metrology instruments — Crotts & Saunders distributes Mitutoyo in the Southeast; directly comparable metrology product line and overlapping customer base.
• Fanuc America: Manufacturer of industrial robots, cobots (CRX), and CNC controls — Crotts & Saunders integrates Fanuc CRX cobots; Fanuc's direct sales and integrator network compete for the same automation customers.
• Mazak: OEM of multi-tasking, 5-axis, turning, and Swiss CNC machines — Crotts & Saunders' principal distribution partner; Mazak's direct customer relationships and digital channels define the competitive ceiling for distributors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crotts-and-saunders-llc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 →

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