Tool and die pioneer passes

Tag : Tool & Die

Sippy began his career in the tool and die field as an apprenticeat Talon Inc. in 1941. He completed the program and was employedthere for 12 years. He left Talon to become the daytime plantmanager at Crawford Manufacturing Co. for six years until it wassold in 1959 to Leech Tool and Die Works. In addition to working atCrawford during the day, Sippy founded Sipco in the spring of 1959where he worked evenings to get the company up and running, leasingequipment from Canto Tool Corp. in Meadville for a period of aboutone year. Sipco, which specialized in precision carbide tool anddie work, developed a good backlog of orders, including governmentcontracts, and opened its own facility.
Sipco, which began with two employees, grew rapidly and by April1960 opened its doors on Morgan Village Road. Operating in a leasedbuilding, by October 1960 the company had grown to 13 employees.
Sipco is credited as being one of six businesses founded between1945 and 1960 that were the foundation for the more than 130tooling and machining shops in Crawford County.
Throughout his career, Sippy pursued the use of new and innovativetechnology and processes for the industry. In 1960, Sipco becameone of only seven companies in the United States to begin using anelectrical discharge machine to cut metal with an electricalcharge. Sippy also demonstrated his forward thinking byimplementing tape-controlled technology that used a repetitiveprogram for operation. This machinery was a forerunner totoday’s computer numerically controlled machines, which Sipcoalso embraced in 1983. His company also began using wire electricaldischarge machining technology in 1977.
In 1999 Sippy was honored as a legend of the industry by theNorthwestern Pennsylva-nia chapter of the National Tooling andMachining Association for his advancements.
Gary Frampton, current president of the local chapter of theNational Tooling and Machining Association, described Sippy as a“true gentleman.”
“As the founder of Sipco, Henry was considered an excellentemployer who trained many people in the tool and die field,”Frampton said. “And as one of the earliest shops inMeadville, through Sipco he made a significant contribution to thewell-being of the City of Meadville.”
Frampton said he had the opportunity to meet Sippy many times atthe NTMA meetings and that he was respected by many.
“Any suggestions that Hank made were alwayswell-valued,” he said.
In 1987 Sippy retired and turned the company reigns over to hissons Larry and Lon. The company continues its operations today inMeadville.
In October 1999, Sippy was one of four Meadville area tool and dielegends to be inducted into the Greater Meadville ToolingCenter’s Tool and Die Hall of Fame. During the event, he wasrecognized as an “innovator in local industry” and as aforerunner of new technology. He was not only honored for hismanufacturing innovations, but also for the implementation ofemployee profit sharing and self-insured hospitalization programsfor his workers.
“Sippy was a man that could be relied on,” Framptonsaid. “And he was known for giving sound advice in both thetechnical field as well as personal advice on how to run abusiness.”