An American Manufacturer who is passionate about fishing expanded his enterprise and crafts the finest components for offshore fishing rods.
Hard-working, determined, passionate, opportunity-ready—these words all describe Fred Malcarne, Owner of Winthrop Tool and Winthrop Tackle.
By 1987, Fred had completed trade school and the required hours of his apprenticeship. After working for a handful of different companies, designing and manufacturing precision products, tools, and progressive dies for different companies throughout the aerospace defense, medical, and commercial industries, the young tool and die Journeyman, opened his own company, Winthrop Tool, in the cellar of his parents' home. Fred quickly learned that not only did he have a passion for building and creating, but his skill set grew the more projects that he tackled.
Living near the Connecticut River and the North Atlantic Coast, Fred spent all his free time on the water and was an avid fisher. In 1991, Fred passed the US Coast Guard exam and received his Captain’s License, and in 1998, purchased his vessel. During one of many excursions to the Tackle shop, the shop’s owner who knew Fred was a passionate toolmaker, asked him if he could create a roller guide for the offshore fishing rods since standard roller guides didn’t have enough knot clearance built into let knots and or hardware pass through the guides on the fishing line.
The average roller guide was part of Fred's daily arsenal of gear, and he kept thinking that they could be made of higher quality and even be attractive-looking. In addition, he wanted the roller guide to provide solid line clearance on the rod. Thus, alleviating excessive strain on the lines, causing them to remain intact when fishers were reeling in their catches, especially large ones.
Determined to create a better solution, Fred put his design and manufacturing skills to the test. It was important for the roller guides to be durable but also lightweight.
In 2004, Fred linked up with Dave Carraro, a fisher and now, a regular cast member on National Geographic's reality show 'Wicked Tuna.' The series follows fishermen in Gloucester, Massachusetts, as they fish in teams to hunt for the great Bluefin Tuna in the Atlantic Ocean. Back then, Dave was one of the field testers for Fred's new roller guides, providing insight into the handling of the product. Fred says, "I highly value the feedback I gain from other fishermen who use our products. Our slogan is true, designed for fishermen, by fishermen."
With a reality TV personality using his products, and word of mouth quickly spreading about the quality of the roller guides, Fred opened Winthrop Tackle in 2012. He works with his son Joey and their team of 15 to create the increasingly popular designed CNC precision-machined roller guides and other offshore rod components.
Fishing Gear Components Made Easy
The components with varying designs were being manufactured on a single turret lathe but as the company grew, they knew they needed a high production machine that could not only handle the volume but also give them the high precision needed for their parts.
“Our parts are designed to withstand the extreme. So we needed a machine that could manufacture the extreme,” said Fred.
Fred reached out to their local machine tool distributor, New England Tool, and met with Chip Bienia. “I first met with the Winthrop team four years ago. I knew the second I saw the components, the right machine they needed,” said Bienia. He introduced Fred to the double-turret Eurotech Trofeo B465.
"Purchasing the Eurotech machines has been one of the best investments I've made in my company. I was originally machining on a single turret lathe, and it couldn't produce the volume I needed fast enough." Fred continues, "The Trofeo fits the needs of my company perfectly. It knocks the crap out of parts and is faster than any other machine I have. With the Trofeo offering 35HP on the main spindle, 15HP on the sub-spindle, and its ability to handle longer components such as the 18" parts I make, these machines have saved us 50% in production time!"
Fred says that the Eurotech machines have been a game-changer for his business, especially the Trofeo's Servo programmable parts gantry and conveyor system. "With the ability to automatically pull out the long 18 in. machined parts, plus how fast the parts are produced, I've been able to grow my workforce over 10x the size from when I first started," says Fred.
“Winthrop has been a pleasure to work with over the last four years. One thing I will say about Fred Malcarne is his ingenuity when it comes to machining. He knows the Eurotech machines well and can do just about anything on them,” explains Bienia.
Free Lifetime Eurotech Training
Bienia continues, “Fred’s passion and knowledge of the Eurotech machines has actually helped me with other potential customers. He is generous with his time and talks to my customers about the machines, their capabilities, and the positive impact they've had on his business.”
Eurotech offers lifetime classes and training, plus turnkey solutions, which can be very beneficial for companies, especially if programming is not their strong suit. "I enjoy designing my products, but I also enjoy programming and running the machines, too. If you utilize these machines correctly, you can save a ton of part-cycle time. You also get what you pay for. The bottom line is that great machines provide great results. And that is what keeps me coming back for more Eurotech machines. I just added a fifth Trofeo to my shop, and the support I receive from my distributor, New England Tool, and also from Eurotech is excellent," said Fred.
Bienia continues, “Fred’s passion and knowledge of the Eurotech machines has actually helped me with other potential customers. He is generous with his time and talks to my customers about the machines, their capabilities, and the positive impact they've had on his business.”
Eurotech offers lifetime classes and training, plus turnkey solutions, which can be very beneficial for companies, especially if programming is not their strong suit. "I enjoy designing my products, but I also enjoy programming and running the machines, too. If you utilize these machines correctly, you can save a ton on the part-cycling time. You also get what you pay for. The bottom line is that great machines provide great results. And that is what keeps me coming back for more Eurotech machines. I just added a fifth Trofeo to my shop, and the support I receive from my distributor, New England Tool, and Eurotech, is excellent," said Fred.
Bienia continues, “Fred’s passion and knowledge of the Eurotech machines has helped me with other potential customers. He is generous with his time and talks to my customers about the machines, their capabilities, and the positive impact they've had on his business.”
Eurotech offers lifetime classes and training, plus turnkey solutions, which can be very beneficial for companies, especially if programming is not their strong suit. "I enjoy designing my products, but I also enjoy programming and running the machines, too. If you utilize these machines correctly, you can save a ton of part-cycle time. You also get what you pay for. The bottom line is that great machines provide great results. And that is what keeps me coming back for more Eurotech machines. I just added a fifth Trofeo to my shop, and the support I receive from my distributor, New England Tool, and Eurotech, is excellent," said Fred.
“These machines are a game-changer; they save us 50% in production time!”
What Fred has built with Winthrop Tackle, due large in part to the quality distributorships and high-caliber machines Eurotech offers, is an excellent example of what American-made manufacturers provide. The finest quality, custom-made products are available, owned and operated by passionate Americans such as Fred Malcarne and his team.
For more info: www.winthroptackle.com
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