COMPANY HISTORY

Kirk Smith and Rollie Koutz, co-founders of Integrity Fab & Machine, who, with the help of Greater Gratiot Development, Inc. (GGDI), Isabella Bank, and the Small Business Administration, through the efforts of the Michigan Certified Development Corporation (MCDC), stationed their operations in the Breckenridge Technology Park. The move into this facility is the culmination of a dream that turned into reality for the two lifelong Gratiot County residents. The SBA 504 loan program was an essential element of business expansion. The loan program enabled Integrity Fab & Machine to secure local funding through Isabella Bank.

Smith and Koutz met in the 1980’s while working together at Danly Die Set in Ithaca, Michigan. Smith, an Alma College graduate, began his career at Danly in an entry level customer service position, while Koutz, with training in automotive technology, began as a general factory employee. Both soon began to work their way up through the management ranks. After a hard day on the job, they would often end the night discussing the dream of together owning a fabrication or machine shop.

The dream turned into a goal, and then into reality in 2007 when a Detroit area fabricating company was liquidating an entire shop filled with equipment. With the help of Tim Miller at Isabella Bank, that equipment and several new CNC machines were purchased. Integrity Fab & Machine was initially located in a vacant warehouse in Clare, Michigan. When the time came to expand, Koutz and Smith had an opportunity to fulfill the goal of moving the facility closer to its Gratiot County customer base.

As with most startups, the first few years were challenging. These challenges were further compounded by the economic downturn that followed in 2008 and 2009.

By 2011, IFABM had more than tripled its growth and the founders began looking for a location to build a new, larger facility. Choosing the industrial park in Breckenridge, MI, IFABM built a 17,000 sq ft facility, a size they figured they wouldn’t outgrow anytime soon.

In 2013, IFABM made the decision to begin manufacturing die sets for the tool and die industry; a major leap for a company that was doing around $3m annually. In 2014, Smith and Koutz were joined by Trent Holland as owners of IFABM. Trent worked with both Smith and Koutz for over 10 years during the 90’s and is well known throughout the die set industry.

In 2015 Integrity Fab & Machine, Inc. took the initiative to expand its capabilities in order to better serve its current and new customers. Breaking ground on a 34,000 sq ft addition to our current building in November of 2015, we added three new vertical machining centers, an oxy-fuel torch for heavy plate cutting, two large rotary surface grinders, larger steel saw cutting capacity, 7 overhead cranes (with capacity up to 25 ton), expanded fabrication and assembly areas, and developed a need for an additional 20-25 employees to man the new equipment.

In 2007 IFABM had 3 employees, in 2014, 27, and 2015 we had 35. Currently, we have over 80 employees.

IFABM began operations in the new addition mid-June 2016, now with over 51,000 sq ft of manufacturing space, and began hiring additional employees to fill out a two-shift operation. With a wide assortment of fabricating and machining equipment, the company provides services to customers in the following industries: grain handling components, airline terminal counters, museum and zoo displays, food grade stainless steel components, tool and die shops, automated machinery builders, and heavy equipment repair.

IFABM competes directly with both the large die set manufacturers as well as other, smaller, companies, for business not only in Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin – the heart of the stamping industry – but also throughout the United States. IFABM has a growing sales presence in the Northeast, Texas, Southeastern US, and middle tier states such as Missouri and Iowa.

In the grain handling equipment business, IFABM competes directly with manufacturers located in both Kansas and Iowa. Our primary advantage is we are located closer to the Michigan farm industry, cutting transportation costs to Michigan distributors and their customers. A plasma torch, water jet, tube bending and large steel saw cutting, as well as fabrication and welding are offered to our customers to weld and fabricate pretty much anything they want.

In the fall of 2022, ownership changed to BICO Steel, Inc.

We are a young, rapidly growing, and upward focused manufacturing company with deep Mid-Michigan roots, providing excellent careers to local residents.