Our History

OMW was founded in 1996 in this modest garage in San Rafael, California.

OMW was founded in the proverbial garage, in 1996 in San Rafael, California. Joe Osborn had recently sold a software company he helped found, and was looking for a way to turn his life-long interest in metalworking and industrial arts into another business. Earlier, he had gone to an industry trade show, and was greatly inspired by the newly emerging PC-based solid modeling CAD and CAM systems, such as Solidworks and SurfCam. It looked like these new pieces of software, in conjunction with the internet and modern cnc machine tools, were going to make possible a highly-efficient new model for a PC-based, software-intensive machine shop.

Joe purchased early copies of Solidworks and SurfCam, as well as a small CNC knee mill, and moved them into his garage. The company was originally named Osborn Metal Works, but because other “Osborn” companies existed, was soon renamed OMW Metalcrafts, using the initials of the original name. Within a year or two, the company moved into shared industrial commercial space near its current location in Novato, California.

From the start, OMW had a strong focus on its customers and emerging PC-based manufacturing technology. It started by doing work for local small businesses, but soon attracted larger industrial clients. The company’s revenues grew each year, some years nearly doubling, and it soon hired its first employees. From the beginning, OMW attracted people with a high level of computer and software skills, in addition to a superb machining background. In 2003, the company was incorporated and the name changed to OMW Corporation. From one knee mill, OMW grew by 2009 to nearly a dozen state-of-the-art machining and turning centers, with as many computers, and nearly 6,000 square feet of efficiently utilized industrial space.

Besides a strong focus on the satisfaction of its customers, OMW’s success has been due in large part to the wonderful, highly skilled people it has been able to attract. In addition to terrific machining talent, all OMW employees share excellent people skills and computer and software aptitude truly important to OMW’s success. Their efforts have created one of the most technologically innovative and fastest growing machine shops in the US. We hope you’ll visit our Employee Profiles section. Besides manufacturing and machining proficiency, you’ll find through OMW’s people, resources for part design, manufacturing techniques, cost-reduction, process improvement and many other skills. You’ll find OMW people to be easy to work with, respectful of your time, and above all, willing to do whatever it takes to make your next project a success.

Employee Profiles

Mary Heitman, our Office Manager, is no stranger to manufacturing. She ran her own popular bakery in Marin County for many years. Mary also ran a private bookkeeping service, and is an excellent accountant. She is employee #1 at OMW, having joined the company on a consulting basis soon after it was founded, and as a full-time employee not long after. Mary’s common-sense approach to solving customer’s problems and her general wisdom and good judgment working with others make her a company favorite. Mary graduated from UCLA with a degree in psychology.

Carlon Lamont has been working with metal for as long as he can remember- welding, drilling holes and fabricating things since childhood. He spent years in the metal shop in high school, and also built 3 computers with his dad. He is two years into a formal apprenticeship program run by the California Tooling and Machining Apprenticeship Association, and has been certified by NiMS (the National Institute for Metal Working Skills, Inc.). In addition to machine tools, Carlon is very proficient with PC’s and software. He loves CNC programming and an efficient, clean environment.

Joe Osborn is OMW’s founder. He started metalworking in Junior High building a scale live steam locomotive. In high school, Joe enrolled in metal shop class and also worked as an apprentice Luthier, learning to build and repair fine violins. In 1982, after college and a year of study in China, Joe helped found an INC. 500 software company, which he sold to a larger company in 1996. About the same time, Joe started what was to become OMW Corporation. Joe substitute teaches Metals Technology at the College of Marin, and still enjoys machining in his spare time. He says, “my biggest asset is the wonderful people I've been associated with, as employees, co-workers and partners. Due largely to their efforts, our companies have been extremely successful. I'm truly grateful for their help.” Joe enjoys raising his three children, doing theater, playing old-time fiddle, as well as working to improve the businesses.

Dave Parker has been machining for 25 years, and has also worked as a licensed aircraft mechanic and technician. Dave started in high school, taking shop every year, including summer sessions. He’s worked at several machining companies, including a job as supervisor in the cnc milling department of a large manufacturer of precision military hardware. Dave has taken formal courses in SurfCam and geometric positioning and tolerancing, and was a certified NDT (non-destructive testing) level II inspector. Dave is great at multitasking, and invites customers to “come on by!” He enjoys woodworking and building and repairing guitars in his spare time.

Chris Radieve got interested in metalworking in his high school engineering program. Chris also studied metalworking at College of Marin, where he completed an AA degree, and he was an apprentice machinist in a San Rafael shop for two years. In addition to being a wonderful machinist, with a strong background in high precision cnc turning, Chris is also expert in Solidworks and SurfCam. He has designed numerous products, including a Class II medical device, and is named on a pending patent. He also has had formal QA and CMM training with Hexagon Metrology. Chris has a strong computer background- he took computer programming in school, and became a certified Apple Product Expert. His hobbies include music and “makin’ chips!”

Colin McAndrews was introduced to metal and woodworking at an early age. His grandfather was a machinist for 37 years and his father owned a cabinet shop. Colin graduated from Humbolt State with a BS in Industrial Technology. He also earned an AS is Computer Technology, and took 2 years of welding. Colin is in his 2nd year of a formal apprenticeship program run by the California Tooling and Machining Apprenticeship Association. Among other things, Colin is responsible for the preventative maintenance system at OMW, which is required to keep the numerous cnc machines running day in and out. Besides machining, Colin enjoys hunting and fishing in his spare time.

Joel Steffen, Associate Production Manager, came to OMW out of the Geek Squad at Best Buy and the College of Marin Metals Technology program. Joel’s father is an electrical engineer, and Joel had a strong interest in building and repairing electro-mechanical devices, including classic arcade games and pinball machines. After taking 4 advanced placement courses, and graduating near the top of his class in high school, Joel joined the computer industry while taking courses in machining in his spare time. Sensing enormous talent, OMW recruited Joel, where he quickly became known as the “prodigy” for the incredible speed with which he picked up all facets of cnc programming, machining, and manufacturing technologies. With tremendous talent in computers and software as well, Joel has become OMW’s defacto “IT” department, building our shop management system and machine monitoring software. Joel loves a wide variety of work, controlling the “awesome machines” at OMW, and solving customer and shop problems as they come along.

Michael Leeds, Production Manager, has been machining since he was a young teenager. Throughout high school, he worked in the shop of Marty Gould at Zen Machine in Colorado, where top university and government laboratories across the country sent some of their toughest machining projects. Michael also worked at Wheels Manufacturing, a major producer of bicycle parts near Boulder. Michael is a superb machinist, and has been an instrumental part of OMW’s success, working to improve the company’s efficiency, on-time delivery, quoting, and many other areas. Michael greatly enjoys working with customers, and inspires others to find efficient and innovative ways to complete projects. He keeps the shop running smoothly and puts his heart into the business. He holds a degree in French Literature from the University of Wisconson at Madison, has traveled widely, and spent a year working and studying in Senegal in western Africa.

Customer List

Below is a list of just some of our customers: