Our History

Two men with backgrounds in mechanical engineering and tool-making came together in 1998 and created Advanced Machining & Automation, Inc. Burton Mills and Bob Drollinger pooled their talent and skill to meet a specific need they observed in the industry.

"We'd worked together and I had admired his skill," says Mills of his present-day partner.

"I had a degree and more than ten years experience in mechanical engineering. Bob was well-seasoned with more than a quarter of a century in tool-making."

Mills had been spending many millions of dollars on equipment outside of Iowa for his then-employer and felt bogged down with the extensive amount of travel time and hassle associated with these business trips. " I don't know how many times I shook my head and wondered why I couldn't get my needs met closer to home," Mills explains. "That's when Bob and I began discussing the possibilities of establishing something locally."

Burton and Bob made the decision to start Advanced Machining & Automation with the idea that location would be key.

"The whole idea behind the company was making sure that people could get here easily and quickly," says Bob of the 16,000 square foot facility in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. "We know we got it right. That's been one of the things our clients have boasted on from the very beginning - no transportation hassles. No matter where they're coming from within the U.S. or even Canada, it's an easy shot to the airport in Cedar Rapids. We're talking hours instead of whole days. For busy people, that makes a huge difference."

Getting staffed was the next hurdle for the partners.

"That was really the easy part," says Bob. "When you've been in an industry long enough, you know who the good people are. We went after them and have today what we believe to be a superior team of people."

"And retaining our good people is a major deal at AMA," adds Burton. "We recognize the importance of what our employees do... the value they add to the equipment we make and the services we provide. "We're determined to keep them satisfied and, so far, I think we've done that well."

AMA recently expanded their facility and purchased more equipment to meet the growing demands of its business. (more)