Leech Carbide Turns 50 With Three Generations

As Leech Carbide marks its 50th anniversary, the Meadville-area firm is investing almost $1 million in new equipment for the second consecutive year and setting the stage for the third generation of ownership. Daniel D. Leech, the third generation of the Leech family, has been promoted to vice president of Leech Carbide and has acquired part ownership of the firm. Terms of the sale weren’t disclosed. Leech Carbide is a local tungsten carbide manufacturer started in 1965 by Daniel J. Leech, Daniel D. Leech’s grandfather.

The firm had five employees at the outset, but today has around 70 skilled workers, according to Daniel T. Leech, the current president, and owner of the firm since 1985. Daniel T. Leech is the son of Daniel J. Leech and the father of Daniel D. Leech.
The growth of tungsten carbide technology is the direct result of the need established by the tooling and machining industry and other industries for wear-resistant parts.

Tungsten carbide is a mix of tungsten and carbon and is approximately two times stiffer than steel. Cutting tools made of tungsten carbide are more abrasion resistant and can withstand higher temperatures than standard high speed steel tools.
Tungsten carbide cutting tools are used for machining through materials such as carbon steel or stainless steel. They also are used in applications where other types of material would wear away quicker such as high-quantity production runs.
Because of high demand for its products, Leech just keeps growing, according to Daniel T.



“We’ve got close to 50,000 square feet of (manufacturing) space now,” he explained. “We’ve got more than 1,000 customers worldwide and we’re making parts for everything from medical equipment to farming. We do everything from corn-planting tools to tools for Ikea furniture.” To keep up with growing demand for its products, the firm purchased almost $1 million worth of CNC manufacturing equipment in 2014 and is purchasing a similar amount of equipment this year, he said.

The Leech Carbide plant has always been located at 1061 Lamont Drive in West Mead Township, just east of Meadville, but has been expanded several times. In a 10-year period, Leech has added three times to its production and administrative facility.
“We’re a lot bigger and a lot more organized — I can remember when this plant was just a 30-(foot)-by-30-(foot) room and we only had three or four guys working,” Daniel T. said with a chuckle.

Daniel D. Leech, 36, too, said he’s seen a lot of changes in the close to two decades he’s been involved in the business.
“Today, we’ve got more CNC machinery and one guy is running three or four machines,” the younger Leech said. “We’re making parts smaller, too. Leech Carbide doesn’t see its growth slowing down any time soon.
“A lot of what we sell goes to China, but we’re seeing a lot of (manufacturing) work coming back from China as well,” Daniel T. said.


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