Mike McCown, owner of Industrial Bolting Technologies, Inc., talked with Jim Matuga, host of the Positively West Virginia Podcast, about his business, what he is excited about with his business, and his business plans and his advice for new business owners.
Industrial Bolting Technologies, Inc. started in 2003 in Tyler Mountain, West Virginia. McCown created The Torsion X brand and hydraulic tools. These high-quality tools are sold domestically and internationally. Recently, Industrial Bolting Technologies, Inc. was just named “Small Business Exporter Of The Year” by the United States Small Business Administration in West Virginia.
What is your experience with exporting to 30 other countries?
“We first started with a company in South America, which we did quite well there. We then went to Europe, Asia and Pakistan. The problem we are having with COVID-19 is that we believe in belly-to-belly sales where we get out and meet the person to be our distributor. We are so successful with our testing distributors because we only want distributors that have our same values for our product and the same desires to go out to see and take care of their customers,” said McCown.
What is your 30-second pitch for Industrial Bolting Technologies, Inc.?
“We are a small and tight-knit company that only manufactures bolting tools. If you have a problem and need it solved, you can get a hold of us via phone,” said McCown. “Made in Tyler Mountain, West Virginia; you cannot get more American than that.”
What are you most excited about for your company?
“The thing I am most excited about for my company is that my employees handled the COVID-19 issue. I had to defer some people, and I did not want to do it, but you have to think about what is best for the company’s survival. I have started to bring people back, but I am happy about how my employees have handled that situation and how we stayed in touch. The other thing is we are taking our time manufacturing; we are running six days a week, ten hours a day. We are taking advantage of this situation, and we are going to bring three new products to the market. I am always excited about new products coming to the market, and I think that is a great thing for the area,” said McCown.
What is the vision you have for your company, long term?
“Long term, I want to build a reliable company that I can pass on to somebody that can keep it in West Virginia and keep it growing. I also want to get to my goal of fifty percent domestic and fifty percent international. I would also like to only continue developing products in our industry; I do not want to go too far out of our industry so that we can stay the specialists we are,” said McCown.
McCown was a guest on the Positively West Virginia Podcast. Listen to his full podcast here.
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- PIECE OF ADVICE: “Make sure you want to do it because if you do not want to do it, do not waste your time,” advised McCown.
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