Injection Molding Family Business

I am sitting here thinking about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and what I am thankful for. First what comes to mind, is that I am very blessed with a wonderful family who has always supported me and understood the commitment that is necessary to run an injection molding business. Over the years, I have always been able to meet the demands put upon me and still made it to all the important events as my children were growing up. For that, I am truly grateful. My wife has held down the fort on many occasions so that I could run in and complete a drawing or sample a mold that was on my mind. She is my rock and words cannot describe how much she is appreciated.

I think about our customers new and old and how they have put their faith in us to deliver. Our customer base varies as some have been with us for 31 years, some 5 years, and others brand new. I am very thankful for them all. I have also depended on a variety of vendors, a handful of which have supplied us with services and goods for over 30 years. The combination of faithful customers and reliable vendors is a big part of Toth Mold/Die’s success.

Around the Thanksgiving holiday, memories of my father, Steve Sr. always surface. I think back to when I was ten years old visiting my Dad’s injection molding shop on the day after Thanksgiving. I would get so excited when he would let me engage in some type of work. At that time, I had no idea that I was destined for a career in injection molding.

During my high school years, I began working for my Dad on weekends and some weeknights as an injection molding operator. I started to become more interested in the trade. When I graduated from high school an opportunity arose for my father, my two brothers and I to run an injection molding business. My father already had 30 years experience in the trade and my older brother Steve Jr. had some experience to bring to the table. We decided to accept the challenge. At that point, my father had to train all three of us in the trade of injection molding! It was a very rough go at the start, but as time went on everything started to fall in place. My father was a very good teacher. That is very evident by my skill today. Thanks dad!

During the first couple of years, I did quit the trade numerous times because of the level of difficulty and demanding hours, but I always ended up back at work the next day. I was 18 – 20 years old at the time and did not have the patience that I now know is necessary in this trade. I had to learn it. After six years of running the Unimold Injection Molding business, the four of us decided to open our own business. That is when we decided to create Toth Mold/Die, Inc. The down payment on a mold helped us open the doors to our injection molding business. It was a struggle at first as we had to work many hours for minimum pay, but we all knew that we would benefit down the road.

In 1986, four years after we opened our injection molding business, my father sadly passed away which left a huge void. With the knowledge our father taught us, we were able to pull together and continue in a forward direction which was a big challenge because we all had to take on more responsibilities. Five years after our father passed away, our older brother Steve Jr., at the age of 44, unexpectedly passed away, which left a large void for my twin brother Tom and myself. Steve Jr. managed the injection molding production side of the business so Tom and I had to regroup and fill his position. We decided to do it on our own without bringing someone in from the outside and even though it was an immense struggle, again we were able to persevere. We have been running the business successfully this way since Steve Jr. passed 22 years ago. While he is sorely missed, we figured out what we needed to do and made it happen. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about the way things used to be or how much I appreciate and miss them both.

Our foreman has been with us from the start and I am very thankful for her dedication and superior work ethic. We also have an outstanding team of committed operators that I truly appreciate which range from 5 – 27 years with us.

In closing, I would like to thank my brother and business partner Tom of 41+ years. We are an amazing team! I know I am truly blessed.