This passion aims directly at the market Real Axis is shooting for.
“I hope that Real Axis Machining can contribute to the archery market segment by harnessing our collective passion for the sport to add value to both design and manufacturing phases for our archery customers,” Jon Reali said.
In addition, said Reali, Axis will court small entrepreneurs who need complex, unique or small-run prototypes, as well as larger operations looking for higher volume production services. Not surprisingly, though, the company will bring a special perspective for customers looking for design and manufacturing of archery supplies.
About a year ago, the group considered buying another archery manufacturer, but opted instead to start up their own business – with core manufacturing and machining capabilities the first task.
The company has a brand new Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Lathe, a sophisticated machine which utilizes a connection to a computer running CAD/CAM software to guide multiple tool paths. In addition, the company has 4-axis CNC vertical mill capabilities, which can cut a variety of shapes, slots and holes along multiple axes. Real Axis, which refers to the founder’s names – and the x and y axes of three-dimensional objects – also has traditional manual machining tools at the ready.
“We believe we have a solid technical foundation [to] expand into one or more niche manufacturing markets as they evolve,” said Reali.
The company is located in east Battle Ground on 1205 S.E. Grace Ave. They chose the location for the rented building’s fit with machining operations, reasonable overhead and its proximity to Vancouver, Portland and other light industrial companies.
While the company’s initial focus will be on a local customer base, Real Axis could well benefit in the national growth of the sport, and accompanying equipment sales. According to the Archery Trade Association, membership in archery clubs and equipment sales is growing. In its first national survey, the ATA found that 18.9 million Americans age 18 or older participated in archery and/or bowhunting in 2012.
While Axis would love a piece of that action, “At this point, we are a job shop actively seeking customers to assist with any and all machining services we are equipped to handle,” said Reali.
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