How do I show a buyer my machine shop’s tooling and fixture inventory?

Start by cleaning up the storage. Put cutters, inserts, holders, vises and custom fixtures in labelled locations, and walk through the shop with the list before the buyer does. Anything you cannot find is better discovered by you than by them.

Group the list in a way a buyer can follow: general tooling that any job uses, tooling tied to specific customers, and fixtures built for one part. For fixtures, note which customer and part number each serves and when the job last ran. A fixture for a job that has stopped is useful to know about, and a buyer will appreciate hearing it from you.

Be straightforward about condition. Mark worn cutters, bent holders and fixtures needing rework. Say which items were paid for by customers and may belong to them. That last point matters, because customer-owned tooling cannot be sold with the shop. Ask your lawyer how to document it, and ask your accountant how the books treat tooling that you own. Offer the buyer time on the floor, with you there to answer questions. A calm, organized walk-through helps the buyer see that the shop has been run with care. Keep a copy of the list for yourself.

Key takeaways

• Match the written list to labelled shelves before any buyer visits.
• Tie each fixture to a customer and a part number.
• Say which tooling belongs to customers and which belongs to the shop.