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In 2022, Platinum Tooling, located in Prospect Heights, Ill., will celebrate 100 years of working in metal cutting and four generations of Hansens in the industry.

Company President Preben Hansen’s grandfather, Louis Eckart Hansen, worked as a machinist in the Danish Navy’s repair facility. In 1958, Preben’s father, Svend Eckart Hansen, emigrated with his family to the U.S. and found employment within days of arriving in Chicago, Ill. Svend began his career as a machinist and ended it in the 1990s as a master tool maker.

Preben has over 30 years of experience in the machine tool accessory market and over 40 years in the manufacturing industry. Preben’s son, Luke Hansen, joined the company in 2018 as a technical sales specialist for several of the product lines sold by Platinum Tooling, including Tecnicrafts collets and guide bushings for Swiss machines. In his current position at Platinum Tooling, Luke is said to be building valuable relationships with the North American sales and distribution network of the company. 

Reflecting on 100 years as a family in the manufacturing industry, Preben says, “The machine tool industry has been and continues to be an extremely vital part of our country’s continued success. My son Luke and I are proud to be 3^rd and 4^th generation professionals involved in this exciting industry.”