Made in Michiana: C&S Machine

NILES, Mich.—This week’s Made in Michiana takes us to C&S Machine in Niles.

This forward-thinking company is engineering small parts for large companies in the aerospace and medical industries.

C&S Machine has been in the southwest Michigan, and the Saratore family, for over five decades.

The company started in 1966, in Joe Saratore’s small garage.

“He was 26-years-old, started just in a garage, and he got his start getting a machining contract from the Studebaker Corporation out of South Bend,” said Dominick Saratore, Joe’s son and president of C&S Machine.

Saratore said that in the 80s, the company made a big transformation to the aerospace industry.

“That really began the journey of finding our niche of making the most complex components in the world,” Saratore said.

Today, Saratore leads over 80 employees at C&S Machine in engineering components for some of the world’s largest companies like Boeing and even the U.S. Department of Defense.

“We make ultra-precision complex components, primarily for the aerospace and medical industries. We’ll make surgical implants. We’ll make some of the key components in an airplane that are critical to their flight,” Saratore said.

Previously, the company operated out of multiple buildings in Buchanan, but is currently settling into a brand new location in Niles.

“Being here in Michiana definitely creates a strategic advantage for us at C&S. Competition are not locally. They’re all over the country, usually in larger, metropolitan areas. It’s a sweet spot for us,” Saratore said.

Brooke Kostielney, C&S Machine’s Director of Marketing, said the company is passionate about developing the workforce in the area, with a company culture that incorporates extensive training and an employee wellness program.

“We want to invest in our employees both personally and professionally, and see them develop as people,” Kostielney said.

Saratore added that while they put forth innovative efforts, he is sure not to forget where he comes from.

“We try on a daily basis to remember the roots that my father did and how he did it. Hard work, investing into technology and machinery and processes. And then most importantly just investing into people,” Saratore said.

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