Eastman Machine prepares to expand to full block of Washington Street

A Buffalo cutting-machine company soon will occupy a full block of Washington Street, between East Tupper and Goodell streets.

Eastman Machine Co.'s expansion was inevitable, as the company has seen steady growth in the last 10 years. The company's revenue in 2020 was $42.8 million.

"This year we saw a 24% increase in sales over last year, and last year we saw a 20% increase over the year before that," CEO Robert Stevenson said. "So it's really grown exponentially for us. We really made great penetration into markets that heretofore we weren't really in."

Those industries include aerospace, defense and marine, for which Eastman Machine manufactures fabric and textile cutting machines of various sizes, from handheld tools to large, automated machines. Stevenson said the company has been known globally for its manual apparel machines but was less known for its technical textile-cutting machines. That's changing, he said, thanks to additional marketing and trade shows.

"I think we just suddenly got recognized as a superior supplier in terms of manufacturing those machines," he said. "It's been a terrific avenue of growth for us."

Technical textiles, Stevenson said, include materials such as carbon graphite woven fiber, Kevlar or other materials that can't be cut with a traditional-metal cutting machine. Eastman machines, he said, are designed for any flexible material that can be cut.

"I think more and more people are using these materials," he said. "As opposed to using steel or metal in manufacturing things, they’re easier to manufacture, and they don't use as much energy."

Stevenson has been with the company 49 years. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather each ran the family-owned business in their day. His son, Trevor, recently was named president. Robert Stevenson is pleased that the growth that has spanned several generations is leading to another expansion.

Earlier this year, the company paid $900,000 for an old Buffalo fire station at 707 Washington St. For years, the 12,000-square-foot building had been owned by Harold Leader and used as a print shop. Stevenson said the building needed some renovations and move-in is set for February.

The deal went through after Eastman started work on an addition along Washington Street. Between the new addition and the second building, Eastman will expand by about 25,000 square feet.

"We started the expansion first, and then that became available, and we said ‘why not,’" Stevenson said. "This will be the eighth addition to this building."

The original building was 30,000 square feet and opened in 1902. Once the addition is completed this summer, the facility will have 155,000 square feet, Stevenson said.

He said he's gotten calls from out-of-state developers offering to help him move the company out of Buffalo.

"I’d say, ‘I’m committed to Buffalo,’" he said. "If you’ve got a stable environment, it's a good place to be, and for us Buffalo is a stable environment. One thing that was imbued in me growing up was that you don't just take care of your business, you take care of your community as well. For a little company, we have a large economic impact."

By the time the expansion is completed, Stevenson said he will likely add about six manufacturing jobs to the workforce of about 144.

The growth of space and laborers will assist the company compete in growing industries, including upholstered furniture, marine, aerospace and defense. Wind energy is a "major area of growth" for Eastman, as they cut the big blades used in large wind turbines.

"We’re expanding our marketing opportunities in Europe and the far east with our automated machinery," he said. "We see consistent growth across all the markets for our products."

The company's lead time on machines is two or three months, as it has the biggest backlog its ever seen, Stevenson said.

"The anticipation that the economy is going to keep growing is very high," he said. "People don't buy these machines thinking things are going to slow down, they buy them because they need to make product. We’re seeing worldwide growth with our machinery."

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