1964-1974
Joe Podnar, Sr. was the fifth child of 6 children born to immigrants in 1927. At 16, he joined the U.S. Military, where he met Nellie, a California native born in 1929. He began Clinton Machine Co. in a garage located a few miles from his house in Clinton Township, Ohio - a certainly modest start that by today’s standards would seem impossible. As Clinton Machine grew, so did Joe’s family; by 1964, Joe and Nell were not only pouring themselves into Clinton Machine, they were raising 4 boys: Joe, Jr., Mark, Mickey, and Terry.
After a few hard years, Clinton Machine expanded into a dedicated shop, with several manual lathes and a crew of machinists - the Podnar boys among them. Drawings were sent via Postal Service, with Purchase Orders coming typed on carbon paper and drawings sketched out on blueprint paper.
While Joe oversaw production and trained his sons and machinists, Nell was our first office administrator, setting the standard for Clinton Machine’s customer service and commitment to quality.
1974-2002
The last quarter of the 20th century was an eventful one for Clinton Machine. CNC machines began to replace our manual machines toward the end of the ‘70’s, allowing for output never before possible. As the machine shop grew - and the demand for steel and aluminum grew - Joe and 2 of his 4 sons saw an opportunity for growth and a way to supply their customers quickly in the form of producing their own stainless steel and aluminum. Thus, ground was broken and buildings erected next door to the existing machine shop, and Clinton Aluminum & Stainless Steel Sales was born in 1991. In 2002, Terry & Mark sold Clinton Aluminum to focus on the machine shop that had been central to their family for so long.
An excerpt from the July, 1980 edition of a local Northeast Ohio newspaper.
Joe Podnar, Jr. (Joey) machining a bead ring on a manual lathe (1970’s)
2002-Today
2012 & 2015
Joe, Sr. & Nell Podnar passed away in 2012 & 2015, but their legacy of hard work and dedication won’t ever be forgotten.
Joe, Sr. & Nell in 2008
Aaron, Joe, & Mark in 1999.
PRESIDENT
Mark Podnar
Mark’s been a part of the family business since his early teens, and is still our President today. Every drawing that comes into our shop passes through his hands for inspection, ensuring that what’s expected of us is clear. Turnaround time is incredibly important to Mark; to him, there’s no better feeling than helping a customer meet a deadline for their own production schedules, and he has established relationships with other machine shops and finishing shops to help meet their demands as well.
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Aaron Podnar
Aaron, Mark’s oldest son, began working at Clinton Machine when he was just 13 - and although he wasn’t allowed to run a machine, he took an immediate interest in the programming aspect, learning to use complex software to layout drawings. Alongside Mark, Aaron reviews and quotes every drawing and customer requirement that comes through our office, working with customers to solve complex engineering. Aaron’s focus has primarily been on the technical specifications of our customers’ drawings - drawing, programming, and laying out rings and parts for milling, as well as CAM programming.
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Ashley Podnar
Ashley and Aaron were married in 2009, and by that fall, Ashley began working at Clinton Machine in the capacity of Quality Management Representative, working with quality auditors to meet requirements for ISO 9001 certification. Beginning in 2017, Ashley came to Clinton Machine full-time as the Administrator, handling every step of the ordering process from quoting to shipping from an administrative perspective, while maintaining her roots in quality assurance. Working closely with Mark and Aaron, Ashley maintains supplier relations and focuses primarily on our shop’s responsiveness, believing that working toward customer satisfaction should always be a priority.