Compass Precision Shop Adds Nakamura Mill-Turn
WINONA, MN – June 18, 2025 – Douglas Machining Services, a Compass Precision operating company specializing in mill-turn capabilities, announced Wednesday the purchase and install of a new Nakamura WT-150-II MMY (pictured above, with Douglas machinists Calyb Mueller, Ben Neefe, John McCann, and Oren Montgomery left to right) .
This is the third WT-150-II the operating company has added to its shop floor. It will replace two older models – a Nakamura TW-10 MM and TW-20 MM.
Both of those machines were about 35 years old and were experiencing mechanical issues.
“We were looking to get rid of those older units and upgrade,” Douglas Machining co-general manager Ben Kubis said. “Parts will be able to run a lot more consistently with a lot less scrap on the new machine. I think it’s about 10-15% faster than the old machines as well. A little more throughput, a little more productivity.
“The peace of mind is also so nice. We know now we have a machine that’s going to be reliable versus the other ones, day-to-day, you didn’t know if it was going to work or not.”
Ben and co-general manager Christina Douglas began considering the addition of a new machine around two years ago. But despite Compass’s tendencies to invest in CAPEX aggressively, management elected to postpone the purchase.
During 2024, Ben said a machine acquisition didn’t make as much sense because their customers were a little slower.
But production has increased from those customers this year. So, Compass wanted to ensure its operating company in Minnesota had the equipment necessary to continue fulfilling customer needs.
”Ben and Christina run an excellent business,” stated Gary Holcomb, Compass CEO. “Unlike most shops with considerable customer concentration, Douglas has a broad customer base that depends on us for quick deliveries. This new Nak will help us to continue doing that.
“I know Dan [Douglas, founder of Douglas Machining Services] can’t believe it took us this long to replace those two older machines. But we did it, and we will be doing it again as circumstances dictate.”
The stars particularly aligned for the Douglas team with the new WT-150-II. Ben explained that the unit was the only one in the United States when they went shopping for a machine. The next one wouldn’t have been available until, at the earliest, August.
“It was definitely time to get something together,” Ben said. “Gary put together a slideshow proposal to the [Compass] board, and we had a stronger presentation than we’ve had in the past.
“So it was pretty quick and easy to get the machine.”
The new unit arrived on Monday, June 2 and was completely installed by the end of the week. The machine began making parts on June 10.
“Our guys on the floor are really happy with the new machine,” said Christina. “ The two old units certainly served their purpose, but we are so much better off now.”
Ben added that he expects the new machine to almost entirely service one customer in the outdoor recreation industry for the rest of 2025. But the machine gives Douglas more flexibility throughout the shop floor and should positively impact all of the operating company’s customers.
Douglas Machining specializes in producing intricate custom metal components for a wide variety of industrial and specialty markets in the upper Midwest and throughout the entire United States. The firm operates from its facility in Winona, MN, a picturesque town along the Mississippi river about 115 miles southeast of Minneapolis.
The company is home to eleven vertical machining centers, ten multi-tasking mill/turn units, three lathes, one wire EDM machine, and two coordinate measuring machines.