Client Spotlight: Dapra Corporation Expands With Midwest Tech Center

Dapra Corporation knew it was time to expand. For over 65 years, they'd been a trusted name in workholding, indexable milling, and power tool solutions for manufacturing sectors like aerospace, automotive, mold and die, and firearms. But their growth was pushing them to evolve. With Dapra's operations disconnected from major customers across the Midwest, they saw an opportunity to strengthen their reach and bring key resources closer to their core market.

So, they started asking some big questions: Can we give our customers easier access to training and demonstrations? Can we bring our engineering and R&D teams closer to the people who rely on our tools? That's when the idea of the new Technology and Production Center (TPC) in Michigan really took shape — a place that would bring together training, R&D, and direct customer engagement while complementing their existing operations.

"The Midwest is our core market," CEO Shawn Lawlor said. "Being closer to those customers and being able to deliver better value to them was essential for us to gain market share."

"The Midwest is our core market. Being closer to those customers and being able to deliver better value to them was essential for us to gain market share."

— Shawn Lawlor, CEO, Dapra Corporation

The Solution:

A New Technology and Production Center

In September 2024, Dapra officially opened its TPC in Macomb, Michigan. The new center brings together training, production, inventory, and customer service all under one roof, creating a seamless experience for Dapra's customers. And it's no small space — at 11,000 square feet, it has room to grow with additional capabilities planned over the coming years.

The move was about creating a place that feels inclusive and brings the Dapra team and their customers closer together, Lawlor said.

"It lets us not only have a more inclusive space for training," he explained, "but also show customers our full process. When we host a training, that shows customers our full value and what we're capable of."

What the TPC Offers to Midwest Manufacturers

The TPC is more than just a manufacturing site; it's a hands-on learning center, a place where customers can see Dapra's products in action. They get to meet the engineers, see demonstrations, and gain insight into how Dapra can help them solve real-world challenges.

"It was just so disjointed from production and inventory and all the elements that make Dapra what it is," Lawlor said. "So, we pulled the assets together and put it all in one building."

The center also provides space for training operations that previously happened in the company's Illinois training center. The new TPC is more robust than their Illinois facility, and soon, clients will have access to learn even more advanced capabilities, such as laser marking and inspection technologies.

Partnering With Durrie Sales

One of the main drivers behind this shift has been Dapra's close partnership with Durrie Sales. After working together for the past three years, Dapra and Durrie have built a solid understanding of how to reach the right markets and end users.

"Durrie has been a great partner and a great resource," Lawlor said. "Because they know the market so well, they can help us not only reach different end users but also give us feedback on what those end users want and need."

Durrie's insights have helped Dapra see that a more centralized, Midwest-focused presence would make a huge difference for regional sales. With this in mind, the new center in Michigan not only benefits current clients but also puts Dapra on the radar of more manufacturers in the area.

Looking Forward

With the TPC up and running, Dapra is now able to offer a full-scale experience to customers and partners alike. The space doesn't just house tools; it also represents a commitment to Dapra's end users and distributors. It gives them direct access to the team behind the solutions and a better understanding of Dapra's capabilities.

Dapra envisions the TPC as a continuously evolving facility that will expand in terms of capabilities, resources, and customer support. Lawlor shared that they're already planning several key upgrades for the coming years, starting with new laser marking capabilities in early 2025.

"We'll be adding some additional advanced inspection capability later in 2025," he noted, highlighting their focus on precision and quality.

In the long term, Dapra aims to strengthen its engineering and quality control capabilities within the TPC, making it a central resource for customer-driven innovations.

Beyond new equipment, Dapra is focused on making the TPC a hub for R&D collaborations with end users, allowing them to prototype and test new products as a team. Lawlor explained that this setup will help streamline their product development cycle, speeding up innovations that respond directly to customer needs.

"We definitely have things in the pipeline that we're ready to kick off now," he said. "This should help accelerate that new product development process."

With Durrie Sales by their side and the TPC evolving, Dapra is doubling down on its commitment to Midwest manufacturing. Lawlor couldn't be more optimistic.

"We're investing in this region because we see a lot of potential here, and we're committed to supporting our clients with the best resources we can provide."