CNC West Feb March 2019

32 www.CNC-West.com CNC WEST February/March 2019 Article & Photos by Sean Buur B ill Carter went to school to become a wood- worker, but a friend told him about an appren- ticeship at Aerojet General to become a ma- chinist. At 18 years old that sounded good, so he applied. There were over 500 applicants and they only took five people. He was one of those five. “I served my appren- ticeship for year and made some friends,” tells Bill. “Turns out we were pretty good at machining. We worked on the Mark 46 torpedo program, Apollo missile and other aero- space and defense projects of similar nature. I went into business with my ex partner and his father, incorporating Liberty Industries in 1966.” He and his partners went to the bank and put up $500 to buy their first machine tool, an engine lathe that they strapped a turret to. They split their time between their actual jobs and getting Liberty up and running. The busi- ness grew almost immediately, focusing their efforts on aerospace, but taking any job that came in the door. Bill’s family has replaced his partners, and Liberty stands taller than ever with advanced machining centers to support their customers. For the past nine years there have been two Bills at Liberty Industries, Bill Carter the owner, and Bill Brock the son in law, and general manager. Both answer to Bill, so you need to be more specific. Big Bill, Original Bill, maybe even First Op Bill, will work, but you learn quickly that Old Bill is not going to fly with Bill Carter. With five decades of experience, Big Bill handles all the estimat- ing and is always there to lend a veteran opinion when needed. New Bill tackles the duties of general manager and works his magic in the sales department. Jodie, Big Bill’s daughter, and Little Bill’s wife is the office manager and been with the company since 1997. “My dad hired me to answer the phones when my mall job wasn’t giving me any hours,” laughs Jodie. “I was so nervous when the phone rang. I would get up and run to the bathroom. Dad would page me over the intercom to get back to the office. I didn’t know what to do if they asked a question I was unsure of.” Big Bill laughs at how funny that is now with Jodie running the office. “She is fearless now. This place would stop without her,” he touts. “I’ve done everything to keep her here. Working with your family everyday is such a reward.” AT LIBERTY INDUSTRIES PRECISION MACHINING AND FAMILY GO HAND IN HAND Jodie Brock, Bill Brock, “Big” Bill Carter and Sadie the dog head up Liberty Industries. LIBERTY INDUSTRIES