Dave sent me a one-page response about a month ago about the status of the company and how it is running after I wanted an update on a current order. If he's lucky there are maybe two highly skilled die makers on the payroll. Because of his location in Oregon, you're not located where most of the skilled labor resides, probably problem number one. If you're buying a die set, you want to have it made correctly the first time and every time. Over the years Corbin has kept his prices almost the same and that will probably change very soon.
Dave stated his backorder is about 18-months and that is due to the number of employees and the skilled die makers who can make the finished dies. I'm currently waiting eight months for the last H-die set I will probably ever buy to make a 0.458" caliber. Their looking at the orders and trying to better consolidate making all similar orders at the same time instead of one order at a time. If not done this way in the past it should have been to streamline the process better.
I agree CNC machines are the only way to go for over the last fifteen years. Depending on the size and future potential of the business the initial equipment cost will be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Then you need the personnel to program and run the equipment. Being located in Oregon that may be going back to problem number one. Say you get everything up and running and you're slowly catching up to your backlog. Depending on how many machines were installed and employees hired, what happens when your finished orders are now turned out faster than new orders received?
I'm sure Dave's intent was to keep the business small and manageable. In the last ten years there was just a greater interest in making your own bullets resulting in an influx of orders. Dave probably wasn't complaining getting all the business, just how to get everything made in a timely manner.
If it's true Dave has sold the business, what do you think is going to happen in the near future?
Prices are going to go up and there will be a considerable increase in die prices.
If the business does continue to grow in the future several CNC machines need to get up and running to keep up with demand and quality.
Adding any equipment and adding more employees will certainly increase the cost of what is sold.
I'll be watching his site in the years to come to see if there are any major changes.
I'll see if his $50 replacement punches remain the same price.