Bellcrest Lending Group, a small-business funding service in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, explains funding for machine shops, welders and fabricators: equipment financing for CNC machines, press brakes and welders, used-machine purchases, and working capital for material and payroll while customers pay. It uses Fond du Lac County fabricated metal manufacturing figures from County Business Patterns 2023.
At a glance
- Employer establishments
31 employer locations, Fond du Lac County, WI (CBP 2023)
- Fewer than five employees
6 of the 31 employers (19.4%, CBP 2023)
- Annual payroll
$38.6 million paid to 677 employees (CBP 2023)
- Businesses without paid employees
25 with no payroll (Nonemployer Statistics 2024, NAICS 2022)
Metal Shops Across Fond du Lac County, WI: 2023 and 2024 Census Counts
For fabricated metal product manufacturing (NAICS 332), which includes machine shops and structural fabricators, County Business Patterns counted 31 employer establishments in Fond du Lac County, WI in 2023, with 677 paid employees and $38.6 million in annual payroll; 6 of them, or 19.4%, had fewer than five employees, and 10 used a ZIP 54935 address (ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023; the ZIP is not the city limits). That works out to about 21.8 employees per establishment and about $56,976 of payroll per employee (our arithmetic).
Nonemployer Statistics, a separate Census program built on NAICS 2022 codes, counted 25 businesses without paid employees in fabricated metal product manufacturing (NAICS 2022 332) in the county for 2024, with $0.9 million in combined receipts, or about $35,080 each (our arithmetic). The two programs count different businesses, so this page keeps them apart.
Manufacturing as a whole had the largest payroll of any sector in the county in 2023: $644.7 million across 10,124 employees at 140 employer establishments (County Business Patterns).
CNC machine financing options for Fond du Lac County, WI businesses
CNC machining centers, lathes, routers and plasma tables can be financed with an equipment loan or a lease. A loan puts the machine on the books; a lease may offer lower payments or an upgrade path. Some machine dealers offer their own programs; compare them with outside offers in total dollars.
Illustration only, invented figures: a $185,000 CNC machining center with $20,000 down, financed over 84 months at 8%, costs about $2,572 a month (our arithmetic). Over 60 months the payment is about $3,346 (our arithmetic).
Welding business loan for Fond du Lac County, WI businesses
A welding business loan covers welders, positioners, fixtures, a service truck for field welding, or a shop build-out with ventilation and power. Mobile welders finance the truck and the welder together; shop fabricators finance machines one at a time.
The welding shop funding article works through a shop's first CNC purchase.
Machine shop financing: what Fond du Lac, WI owners should know
Machine shop financing rests on two things: the value of the machines and the shop's customers. Partners read the equipment list, the customer mix, how concentrated sales are with one customer, and bank statements. A shop with one dominant customer should explain that relationship.
Fabricated metal employers in the county averaged about 21.8 employees each in 2023 (677 across 31, our arithmetic), larger than the average of about 19.1 for all county employers (42,508 across 2,227, our arithmetic).
Used CNC machine financing: inspecting a pre-owned mill near Fond du Lac, WI
Used CNC machines can be financed, with more questions. Partners and their appraisers look at the control, spindle hours, maintenance history, tooling included and whether the machine runs under power before purchase. Buying from a dealer who inspects and warranties a machine gives the review a report to work from.
- Ask for spindle hours and service records.
- See the machine cut a test part, or get an inspection report.
- Confirm the control's software and any options are transferable.
- Budget for rigging, transport and installation.
How to finance a metal shop
Financing a metal shop splits into machines (equipment financing), material and payroll while customers pay (working capital or a line), and a building or another shop (term loan). Steel and aluminum bought for a large order are an inventory cost; a line fits that order better than a long loan.
Equipment financing in Fond du Lac, WI and term loans cover the details.
Can you finance a welding machine?
Yes. Welders, from MIG and TIG units to large multiprocess machines and robotic cells, are equipment with resale value. A small welder may not justify a separate agreement; a line of credit can cover them. Larger units and robotic cells suit equipment financing.
Illustration only, invented figures: a $72,000 robotic welding cell financed over 60 months at 9% costs about $1,495 a month (our arithmetic).
Customer Terms and Material Costs in Fond du Lac County, WI Shops
A job shop buys material, runs the job, ships, invoices and then waits for payment. If a customer pays in 45 days, the shop has carried material and labor for six weeks or more. Working capital or a line bridges that, sized to the jobs in process.
Illustration only, invented figures: a shop with $60,000 a month in material and labor and a 45-day collection period carries about $88,500 in receivables at any time ($60,000 times 45, divided by 30.5, our arithmetic).
Records a Partner Reads From a Fond du Lac, WI Metal Shop
- An equipment list with values and liens.
- Customer list and sales concentration.
- Statements from the bank and the latest returns.
- Accounts receivable aging.
- Quotes for new or used machines.
Related pages: contractor funding, repair shops, all industries and Census counts for Fond du Lac County, WI.
By Bellcrest Lending Group ยท Updated