425 Manufacturing

05/26/2026

5 days until our Breakout Table Jaw & Kick-In for Cancer promotion.

05/25/2026

05/21/2026

Stop Fighting Wiper Seal Installations

Installing the DHR 6H wiper seal doesn't have to be a struggle. Our 425 Manufacturing installation tool helps technicians install seals quickly, correctly, and without damage. Built in Rockford, Illinois and trusted by drilling companies worldwide.

At 425 Manufacturing, Inc. in Rockford, Illinois, we manufacture af...

05/12/2026

Our Breakout Table Jaw and Kick-In for Cancer promo starts June 1st.
Every box shipped in June will get a strip of our promo tape. Looking forward to a great promotion and to writing a Big Check to help support SM&SF’s 2026 Kick-In for Cancer.

05/07/2026

We are hiring now!

425 Manufacturing, Inc.

05/06/2026

I have a great idea for 425 Manufacturings next Rock River Raft Race entry.

05/05/2026

Our Kick-In for Cancer campaign and Breakout Table Jaw Promo officially launch June 1st.
More details coming soon—stay tuned.

05/02/2026

“We don’t own people’s careers—just the impact we make while they’re here.”

One of the toughest parts of running a small to mid-sized machine shop?

Knowing your best people may leave right when things start getting good.

We hire from high school and trade school.We train them from scratch—programming, setups, how to actually think through a job.

We invest the time. The mistakes. The growth.

And just as they hit their stride…the economy picks up.

That’s when the calls start coming in.

Bigger shops. Corporate shops. Aerospace companies.Higher hourly rates. Sign-on bonuses. Better benefits.

And the truth is—they’re ready.

They’ve earned the right to see what else is out there.What “big shop life” looks like.

It’s not ideal… but it’s reality.

Small shops become the place where people are built.

But here’s what I’ve seen:

A lot of them come back.

After seeing the bigger shops—the pace, the structure, the environment—they realize what they had.

The best we can do is keep pay as competitive as possible.But sometimes “new and shiny” wins.

What people don’t forget is how you treated them.

Build a place people are proud of.A place that feels like home.

Because when they leave—and they realize what they had—they’ll know exactly where to come back to.

Don’t burn bridges.

Not as an employer.Not as an employee.

Because in this industry, paths cross again.

If you’re in manufacturing—have you seen the same thing? Do people come back?

04/16/2026

04/10/2026

Our first 3 aftermarket SANDVIK® floating sub assemblies are officially in the field 💪

We’ve got the next 6 units already in process, and our goal over the next 6 months is simple:
➡️ Always have 6 complete assemblies on the shelf and ready to ship.

We’re not just building assemblies — we’re supporting the full lifecycle:
✔️ Seal kits
✔️ Bronze pins
✔️ Flanges in factory size M80 x 3.0
✔️ Upgraded 3-1/2"-5 API thread option (our preferred solution)

We appreciate your patience as we scale up production — inventory will be back soon and stronger than ever.

Built here. Built better. 🇺🇸