Caliber Automation interview
October 7, 2026 update: historical interview and buyer context
Originally published September 16, 2018. The original feature describes the founder’s experience with machine maintenance, repair, and automation. It remains a record of that conversation, rather than a newly conducted interview or verification of the company’s current services.
This editorial update does not verify the company’s current operating status, ownership, address, staffing, equipment, or certifications. Readers considering a project should confirm current details directly through independently verified company contact information before relying on the historical listings below.
Questions to bring to a supplier conversation
For an automation or machine-service inquiry, identify the equipment, symptoms or production objective, current process, available documentation, and site constraints. Ask how diagnostic work, implementation, operator training, and acceptance testing will be scoped. Establish responsibility for safety review and production restart before committing to a project.
Ask who will review the RFQ, which information is missing, and when a useful next response can be expected. Agree on an approved transfer method before sending confidential or controlled technical files. Keep any technical commitments tied to the reviewed requirements and current quotation.
A lesson for machine shop websites
The interview format helps readers understand the people and decisions behind a business. A current capability page should pair that story with verified services, clear limitations, and an easy inquiry route. Date older profiles so buyers can distinguish historical background from information they should use in supplier qualification.
For a practical next step, read the machine shop website checklist and RFQ qualification guide. The original interview follows, with its period-specific statements preserved.
Original 2018 interview
Welcome to our first of many posts in our new blog series, Machine Shop Of The Week. Our goal is to allow hundreds of machine shops or industry related businesses promote themselves, explain services, showcase projects and hopefully get some additional work through this blog. This is completely free for machine shops, and posts will be live in the order that the completed questionnaires are received. If you are interested in receiving a questionnaire please fill out the contact form found at the bottom of this entry, thank you.
We would like to introduce, Caliber Automation LLC of Des Plaines, IL.
Owner, Jacek Cioch
How did you get started? And how has the journey been so far?
I’ve started working for a company that would rebuild CNC machines for customers and for resale. I was able to learn the intricate details underneath a CNC machine that made it run and function the way it was supposed. After words, for about 5 years I spent in the maintenance department working on all types of machines such as multi-spindle, broaching, VMC, lathes, EDM, inspection machines, etc. It was an eye-opening experience to be able to be around different ways of processing a single part. Afterwards, we started to work with automation and improving the company’s current processes either decreasing cycle time or making the machines run multiple part numbers with minimal or even no change in tooling. From there, Caliber Automation was formed. Focusing from automation to our strong background in maintenance and repair, we can give our customers all types of solutions that they might not even know about.
What are some struggles you have had along the way of growing your business?
Hardest part of running a business is the unknown. You don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring but I believe that is what drives us. We don’t stop at “well, we never have done this” because there is always a beginning to learning new things and fear is something you must overcome to grow. In the beginning, it was scary to drop everything and go full-time working as a business owner because you have your monthly living expenses and they must be met because no one is going to give you a check at the end of the week saying, “good job”. It puts “owning a business” into a completely different perspective but the benefits outweigh the negatives.
What should we know that makes your shop/business unique?
Our business is a family run business where we focus on everybody, not just the larger companies. We’ve noticed a lack of support for companies that are starting out or people not pursuing their passion in the machining world only because the cost of running a business is too high. We want to change that and work with everybody to give them what they need, for an amount that benefits them rather than worried because another component broke down or a process isn’t working the way it should be.
What are your capabilities?
Caliber Automation focus on troubleshooting and maintenance of all types of machinery, automation, process control, etc. Our strong suit is our electronics department where we can repair, or exchange most common electronics found in CNC machines such as Fanuc, Siemens, Fuji. We do retrofitting of newer devices to replace legacy components to the same specifications or better. Caliber Automation also focuses on process improvements such as maximizing the output a certain machine, automation, or inspection process can output. There are many ways to fix a problem, and we will sit down and talk with you to see which way is best in the current situation.
Do you specialize in working in a particular industry or industries?
We do not have a particular industry we work in because we have worked in the automotive field, food industry, chemical processing, woodworking, and many more.
Tell us about a unique job you’ve done.
A unique job we did was programming a Fanuc 2D camera to pick up squares on bags that were later on dumping into a mixer to create slurries for polishing. The camera would use the arrow for the orientation of the bag to pick it up correctly since it was a 75lbs bag, also it would use the scale of the arrow to determine how far the robot needed to go to pick up the bag without ripping the bag open on accident and causing a mess! It was a challenge project where two other companies failed but Caliber Automation got it done and in a very tight time frame.
Business Information
- Website – https://Caliber-automation.com (historical website link unavailable when checked October 7, 2026)
- Address – 108 Touhy Ct. Des Plaines, IL 60018
- Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/caliber_automation/
- Owner – Jacek R. Cioch
Service Page – From Website
Online Store
Thank you for the taking the time to checkout our first featured business. Be sure to showcase yourself and suggest being featured to any owners you know. Checkout our services which make us the marketing leaders in the machining and manufacturing industry. Need proof? Checkout a recent case study on two machine shop’s digital marketing strategy which led to online dominance.
