Ask Rich Young why he sources his tooling from Clairco Tool Co., and the answer is simple - Clairco has been a part of his three-year-old shop from day one and he credits the tooling distributor with helping his successful company launch.

"They have helped me out tremendously," said Young, 33, owner of INI Machining Inc. in East Moline, Ill. "They helped me get started here."

Young has preferred Sandvik Coromant tooling for as long as he has been running machines, which up until three years ago, was in someone else's shop.

He never even considered switching when launching his own business.

"I'm loyal to Clairco and Sandvik. Everybody is great to deal with," Young said. "I won't even talk to other salesmen."

It is customer service that sets Clairco and Sandvik apart, he said.

"Whenever I have a job come up, I always consult them first," he said. "If I need something, they've got it on the shelf, or I get it the next day. They are always good on delivery."

Keeping a significant tooling inventory is cost prohibitive for the small shop, he said, proving Clairco an invaluable resource and partner.

"Because I don't have the money to have every single tool on the shelf, when jobs come up, and I'm in a rush for it, they've got it," Young said.

He continued to hammer home his customer service satisfaction.

"I know I'm a small shop," Young said. "And they give me big shop prices and service. They treat me as good as they would treat the [Rock Island] Arsenal.

"I don't want to sound corny, but it's true. I'm loyal to Clairco. I won't go anywhere else."