After serving in the military in WWII, Thomas “Woody” Thompson started working in the tool grinding department at Allis Chalmers in West Allis Wisconsin. In 1964 he left Allis Chalmers with the desire to start his own grinding and resharpening business. That year he found a place of his own in Watertown, Wisconsin where Thompson Grinders Inc. was created.
After 5 years in Watertown, Thompson Grinders spent the next decade in Wales, WI. Woody realized he needed a bigger space of his own to expand. In early 1979, he moved the business to its present location in Ixonia, WI. Thompson Grinders was purchased in 1981 by Woody’s nephew Gary Pillard where he continued to grow and expand the company. Gary eventually brought on his three sons Paul, Seth and Ross, to help with improving and meeting the changing needs of today’s machining & tooling industry.
Thompson Grinders Inc. is a company that was built on family values and a dedication to quality tooling and customer service. We are a family owned and operated business that has been in the industry for over 50 years. We take pride in our work and strive for perfection in everything we do. Our goal is to provide our customers with the best possible experience by offering quality products, quick turnaround times, and efficient customer service.
Thompson Grinders is currently manufacturing, sharpening, repairing and modifying tooling for companies throughout the continental US. We offer pick-up and delivery service in Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
We have a wide range of CNC tool and cutter grinders to meet our customer’s growing needs. Along with superior sharpening capabilities, our CNC machines have custom production cycles that will generate new tools with precision, consistency, and repeatability!