Buying a machine shop in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida

• Repeat orders for the same parts from many customers, with no single customer a large share of sales.
• Skilled machinists and programmers who have been there for years and are paid fairly, since they're hard to replace.
• Well-maintained machines, including some newer, more capable equipment such as multi-axis mills.
• The quality certifications customers require, such as ISO 9001, or AS9100 for aerospace work, backed by a quality system people actually follow.
• Quotes based on what past jobs really cost, so the owner knows which jobs make money.
• A foreman or lead who can schedule the shop floor without the owner.
• Strong on-time delivery and little scrap or rework, tracked and shared with customers.

• How much of the business comes from the top customers, their history with the shop, and whether any are moving work elsewhere.
• A machine list with age, hours, condition and any leases. Have an expert inspect the key machines.
• Who can program and set up the machines, and their ages, pay and plans.
• Quality records: certifications, audit findings, rejected parts and on-time delivery.
• Job costing: whether quotes reflect real hours and material, and which jobs lose money.
• Tooling and material in the shop that belong to customers, and a clear record of who owns what.
• The building: power supply, cranes, floor space and lease terms. Moving heavy machines is costly, so a secure lease matters.
• Programs and setup sheets for repeat parts: are they saved and organized, or only in the owner's head?

• Who are your top five customers, and how long have they been ordering from you?
• Who could program and quote if you were away for a month?
• Which machines would you replace first?
• Does the shop make any defense parts, and is it registered under ITAR?
• What certifications do your customers require, and when's the next audit?
• How do you find new machinists?
• What work do you turn away, and why?
• Do any of your contracts depend on small business, woman-owned or veteran-owned status?

This region covers Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau, Baker and Putnam counties: Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra Beach, Orange Park, Fleming Island, Green Cove Springs, Fernandina Beach, Yulee, Macclenny and Palatka. Jacksonville merged with most of Duval County in 1968, which makes it the largest city by land area in the lower 48 states.

The economy leans on logistics, the Navy and financial services. Logistics runs through JAXPORT, major rail lines and the meeting of Interstates 95 and 10. The Navy has Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport. Insurance and health care matter too. St. Augustine, founded by the Spanish in 1565, and Amelia Island draw steady tourism. Trucking and logistics firms, the building trades, medical practices and home services all fit this market.

Northeast Florida is less seasonal than South or Southwest Florida, with fewer winter residents and more year-round employers. Direct hurricane landfalls have been less common here than on other parts of the coast, but storms still bring flooding along the St. Johns River and the beaches, so check insurance costs and flood zones.

Military families bring skilled workers and working spouses into the labor pool, though they also move on when orders change. St. Johns, Clay and Nassau have added the most new homes, and companies serving those suburbs have grown with them. Georgia is close, and some companies here serve customers across the state line. Work in Georgia may need Georgia licenses, so ask how much revenue comes from there and who holds those licenses.