In 1983, Mr. Gene Haas founded Haas Automation, Inc., to manufacture economical and reliable machine tools. The company entered the machine tool industry with the first-ever, fully automatic, programmable collet indexer – a device used to position parts for machining with very high accuracy.

The Haas 5C collet indexer was a huge success, and during the next four years, the company expanded its product line to include a wide selection of fully programmable rotary tables, rotary indexers and machine tool accessories.

To this day, Haas produces all critical components in-house, using dedicated state-of-the-art CNC machine tools to ensure accuracy. The company’s 1-million-square-foot facility makes extensive use of automated, “lights-out” flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) and robotic loaders to streamline production capabilities and reduce costs.

This, combined with highly trained electronics and mechanical assembly teams, allows Haas to control quality, cost, reliability and availability. The resulting cost savings and increased quality are passed on to the customer in the form of lower prices and better products.

In 1987, Haas Automation moved in a substantially different direction with the development and production of its first vertical machining center, a machine designed to perform such machining operations as milling, drilling, tapping and boring. This machine, the VF-1, was introduced at a cost competitive with machine tools from offshore manufacturers.

Employing the latest equipment and procedures for close-tolerance manufacturing, the first prototypes were completed and introduced in 1988 at the International Machine Tool Show (IMTS ’88) in Chicago, Illinois. At that time, industry pundits and members of the trade press were skeptical that an American-made machining center could be sold for less than $50,000. Now, however, nearly every manufacturer in the world offers some type of VMC close to the $50,000 price range.

Today, Haas manufactures four major product lines: vertical machining centers (VMCs), horizontal machining centers (HMCs), CNC lathes and rotary tables. Employing more than 1200 people, the company continues on a substantial growth pattern. The company’s 1-million-square-foot facility in Oxnard, California, is the largest, most modern machine tool manufacturing operation in the United States.

By early 2008, Haas Automation had sold more than 50,000 rotary products and 85,000 CNC machines. The company currently ships more CNC machines than perhaps any other manufacturer in the world.

DISTRIBUTION/SERVICE NETWORK

Haas distributes its products through a worldwide network of Haas Factory Outlets and distributors that provides the best sales, service and applications assistance in the industry. Personnel at all distributor service organizations are factory trained and their service levels are closely monitored, with a goal of providing service within 24 hours.