Family-owned and operated for 35+ years, Precision Works started as a two-man lathe shop and grew into one of the Cincinnati region's most respected full-service CNC machining facilities.
Dale Horton started Precision Works in 1987 with a single manual lathe, a CNC knee mill, and a straightforward belief: if you machine a part right the first time, everything else takes care of itself. That philosophy hasn't changed.
We've grown from that two-machine shop into a 14,000 square foot facility with 12 CNC machining centers, 3 EDM units, surface and cylindrical grinding, and a dedicated CMM inspection room. The customer list has grown from a handful of local tooling shops to include aerospace primes, defense contractors, medical device manufacturers, and automotive OEMs across the country.
What hasn't changed is ownership. Dale is still on the floor every morning. He knows the tolerances on every job running that day, and he signs off on first articles personally. When you work with Precision Works, you're working with the people who own the business — not a sales rep two layers removed from the machine.
ISO 9001:2015 certified since 2004, AS9100D since 2011. ITAR registered. We hold the credentials because our customers require them — but the quality comes from the culture, not the certificates.
From a two-machine startup to a full-service precision manufacturing facility — the milestones that shaped Precision Works.
Dale Horton opens Precision Works with one manual lathe and a Bridgeport knee mill in a 1,200 sq ft leased shop on the east side of Cincinnati. First customers are local tooling and die shops.
Investment in two CNC turning centers marks the transition from manual to computer-controlled machining. Capacity grows threefold and first automotive customers come on board.
Move into current 14,000 sq ft facility. Addition of vertical machining centers and first surface grinder. Employee count reaches 18.
First contract with a Tier 1 aerospace supplier for structural bracket machining. Begins the investment in quality systems needed to serve aerospace customers long-term.
Achieves ISO 9001:2000 certification after an 18-month quality management system build-out. Opens the door to major OEM and prime contractor supplier lists.
Dedicated climate-controlled CMM inspection room installed. First Zeiss CMM purchased, bringing full dimensional verification in-house and eliminating outsourced inspection delays.
Achieves AS9100C certification, formally qualifying for aerospace and defense manufacturing. Wire EDM capability added to serve complex geometry requirements.
Installation of first 5-axis simultaneous machining center opens complex aerospace and medical device work previously requiring multiple setups or outside processing.
Completes ITAR registration to support defense customers with export-controlled components. Expands customer base to include direct defense prime contractors.
Successfully re-certified to AS9100D, the current revision of the aerospace quality standard. Zero major findings during surveillance audit. Facility now operating at capacity with 34 employees.
Our leadership team averages over 22 years of precision machining experience. These aren't managers who started in sales — they started on the machines.
Founded Precision Works in 1987 after spending eight years as a machinist and then shop foreman at a Cincinnati defense supplier. Still signs off on first articles personally and reviews every quote before it goes out. 40+ years in precision machining.
Joined the company in 1994 and built the quality management system from scratch. Holds Precision Works' ISO and AS9100D certifications and manages the inspection department. ASQ Certified Quality Engineer.
17 years at Precision Works, started as a CNC operator. Now leads process engineering, tooling selection, and DFM reviews for new customer programs. Specialist in 5-axis setups and EDM process development.
Our certifications aren't wall decorations. They represent a documented quality system that governs every part we touch.
Certified since 2004. Our quality management system covers order entry, material procurement, process control, inspection, shipping, and corrective action. Annual surveillance audits by accredited third-party registrar.
AS9100D certified for design, development, and manufacture of aerospace components. Supports first article inspection (FAI) per AS9102, material traceability, and nonconformance management per AS9100D requirements.
Registered with the U.S. State Department Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Authorized to manufacture components subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations for defense prime contractors.
All measurement equipment calibrated on a documented schedule traceable to NIST standards. CMM calibration performed annually by certified metrology lab. Gage R&R studies conducted for critical measurement processes.
Full material traceability from mill cert to finished part. Raw material certified to AMS, ASTM, or customer-specified standards. Heat/lot numbers recorded and retained for a minimum of 10 years per AS9100D requirements.
Formal corrective action (8D) process for all non-conformances. Monthly quality metrics review with department leads. Lean manufacturing principles implemented throughout production floor. Zero-defect mindset embedded in training.
At most shops, quality is what happens at the end when the inspector checks the part. At Precision Works, it starts when we read the drawing.
Our engineers review every drawing for GD&T interpretation, material questions, and tolerance stack-up before we write the program. Problems caught on paper don't become problems in metal.
Operators verify critical dimensions at the machine using calibrated gaging. We don't wait for the CMM room to find a problem on a finished part.
Every shipment includes material certifications, dimensional inspection reports, and any customer-required quality records. No chasing paperwork after delivery.
When something goes wrong, we use a formal 8D process to find the root cause, not the symptom. Our repeat non-conformance rate is under 0.3%.
Whether you have drawings ready or you're still in design, we're happy to talk through requirements, tolerances, and lead times. No pressure, no sales pitch — just a conversation with people who know machining.