Made in Pennsylvania: Why Regional Manufacturing Matters
October 15, 2025A Legacy in Every Metal Chip: Preparing to Celebrate 80 Years of Precision Manufacturing
As the calendar year winds down, it’s a natural time to pause and reflect—not just on the past twelve months, but on the enduring journey of American industry.
For Orrco, this reflection is particularly profound. In just a few short weeks, we will mark a milestone few manufacturing companies ever reach: 80 years of continuous operation in precision machining.
The Foundation of Longevity
How does a company survive and thrive through eight decades – spanning world events, economic shifts, and relentless technological change?
The simple answer is commitment. Orrco is a 3rd generation family business, and the dedication inspired by our founder, Tom Orr (a WWII vet who started the shop after serving in the Pacific Theater), continues to guide every decision made on the shop floor today.
When our doors first opened, the small garage shop floor was dominated by multi-spindle screw machines, rapidly turning bar stock into high-volume components. That time-tested craftsmanship, rooted in the discipline and dedication of those early machinists, established a standard of quality that remains our benchmark today. In fact, the original Acme screw machine that started it all is still in use in our shop today.
Every part produced back then required a level of meticulous attention that built our reputation for reliability. This long-term stability—built by three generations—is our promise to you: we are a partner you can trust for the long haul.
The Evolution of Excellence
While the ethos of quality remains constant, the equipment certainly has not. The parts we machine today—complex, multi-axis geometries requiring tolerances down to +/-.0001 inches—represent a huge leap in production capability compared to the founding era.
Our journey from those original screw machines to our modern CNC Mill-Turn centers isn’t just a history of new equipment; it’s a story of strategic evolution that has kept us at the forefront of the precision supply chain. It’s the story of balancing legacy craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology.
Save the Date: January
We are incredibly proud of this milestone, and we owe it all to our dedicated team and the long-term partners who rely on Orrco’s consistency and technical depth.
In January, we will release our feature post, “80 Years of Precision: From the First Screw Machine to Multi-Axis CNC Mill-Turn.” We’ll share the full story of our technological evolution, showcase some of the key parts that defined our decades, and outline our continued commitment to innovation for the next generation of precision manufacturing.
Stay tuned—the full story of Orrco’s 80 years of precision arrives in the New Year.