Steen & Sons, Tucked Away in Idaho Falls, Idaho,
Epitomizes Automation in Manufacturing. Period.

Roy Steen, founder and past owner of Steen & Sons Machine Shop, was a long term Smith Machinery customer. Clark Smith, owner of Smith Machinery says, “Roy would call almost every week just to check in.  He loved talking to our office staff; Dorothy, Sue and Mindy.  He always opened the conversation with “What are you doing?” About 10 years ago, he called to talk to me.  Instead of his standard greeting Roy asked, “Clark, how many hours are there in a week?” Before I could answer Roy replied that there were 168 hours in every week.  Then quickly followed with; “How many hours do you think our Mazak Multiplex was cutting parts in auto operation?” Again before I could answer, he said “164!

Roy reported that during the last week, the Multiplex 6200Y (equipped with a barfeed capable of holding a full 5,000 lb. bundle of material) required only about 4 hours of operator attention; to add coolant, to adjust some offsets and to change a few inserts”. Roy was an amazing machinist, yet this accomplishment pleased him to no end. And that is what makes Steen & Sons such an extraordinary machine shop. Automation to the “nth degree.” 

​Sadly, Roy passed away just a few months ago, but fortunately he brought his sons Clayton and Josh into the business many years ago. Clayton and Josh both agree, “We miss him every day.”

Roy must have been clairvoyant. After many years of training to be an expert machinist, many under the tutelage of his uncles in Southern California, Roy, who had moved his family to Idaho Falls, opened his own shop in 1975. He called it “Steen & Sons”, even though his first son Clayton was only a young baby and Josh wasn’t yet born. Clayton says, “He named the business for the sons he knew he would have.” Roy and his wife had 2 sons and 2 daughters.

The boys were both involved in the family business at a young age. Clayton says, “I always knew I wanted to be a machinist, and that is what I did during high school and then full time for the company once I graduated.”

​Josh says, “I wanted to be an accountant, and started college to pursue this career, but I found that I valued working full time and earning an income more.” Today, Clayton follows in the footsteps of their father, as a master machinist (many say the father and son are gifted machinists), and Josh is able to capitalize on his skills with managing the financials of the business. Both Clayton and Josh team up to quote any new work.

Sadly, Roy suffered from a number of illnesses beginning more than two decades ago.  Clayton and Josh, by necessity, had to take over the day-to-day operations of the company since they were in their early 20’s.  “We learned from the best in Roy”, Josh said, “and we were forced to become very active early on.”

The company, while still a small shop in the small town of Idaho Falls, has done some remarkable things and has some outstanding qualities. Here are just a few: 

Production Parts

The company has been manufacturing production parts for a number of years.  Clayton says, “We make complete roller lifters for aftermarket high performance automobiles. There are less than a handful of shops located throughout the United States who manufacture this product.” Josh says that Roy secured this business years ago through his connections in the drag racing world. Roy was a chassis builder in the early 1960’s at Frank Huzsar’s Race Car Specialties and a partner in the exotic Herbert, Hampshire & Steen dual-F85-powered fuel dragster - the first in a long series of projects for the Herbert family, which further included Chet’s four engine, 6,000HP streamliner (nicknamed the “Herbertliner”).

Roy and Clayton were drag racers, and Clayton’s two sons, Alex (16 years old) and Chandler, at 12 years of age, are now 3rd generation racers.  Clayton says that so far, the 3rd generation is the most successful in terms of race wins. Josh’s daughters, one who is 5 and the second who is 8 years old, are still too young yet to become racecar drivers.

Range in Part Sizes and Quantities

While the company supports production runs in the quantities of up to 50,000 parts per year, they also regularly support custom designs with engineering and machining of prototypes.  Clayton finds the prototypes especially exciting because it challenges his product design expertise. ​

Josh says, “Our part sizes range from very small, of the size where you could fit hundreds into your hand, to cylinder heads and other large parts for the nuclear industry that weigh thousands of pounds.”

High Tech Equipment and Operation

Roy purchased superior equipment early on, and his purchase choices were largely determined by the honesty, fair terms and “after-the-sale” support his company would receive from their machine tool dealer (Smith Machinery). Josh says, “Roy started buying equipment from Smith Machinery nearly 40 years ago, and whenever we can, we purchase from them.”

Clayton continued, “During the 1980s, when the economy faced a downturn and Roy suffered from an illness, the company was struggling with bills. Smith Machinery was one of a few of our suppliers who really worked with Roy to help get the debt paid off.  Josh and I will never forget the companies who helped us when we needed it.”

The company really values Mazak machine tools, and this is evident from the number of machines they own today. Their turning machines include a Mazak QT-8N, QT-15N, QT-6G and QT-30 plus two multi-tasking, twin spindle, turn/mill centers a QTN-100II-MSY and the Multiplex-6200Y. They also have several Mazak machining centers, a VTC-16C and two Nexus Vertical Machining centers, a VCN-410A and the popular VCN-510CII.

Clayton says, “Our Mazaks have enabled our ability to run lights out 24x7. We do this for our production runs, and it really enables us to be very competitive in our pricing. Plus, we are living in a low cost of living area, and this too makes our pricing outstanding.”

To learn more about how Steen & Sons
can provide high quality,
superior parts at a fair price,
call them at  208-522-7341. 

Article courtesy of A2Z Metalworker

41 West Guest Avenue
Salt Lake City, UT  84115
Phone: 801-263-6403
Fax: 801-263-6404
Email: smc@smithmachinetools.com

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