Supplying industrial tooling and equipment is only the beginning of our relationship with our customers. Combining our strength as a leading provider of tool management systems, continuous improvement initiatives and other measurable value added services, we become an operating partner in your venture and with you striving to be the most productive and service oriented company in our industry.

Our goal is to be the “distributor of choice” for:

  • Customers who seek the most innovative products in the industry and the “lowest total cost” solution for their tooling and MRO supplies
  • Manufacturers who seek a professional sales team who can effectively market their products
  • Employees who seek a challenging career in an environment that appreciates hard work, integrity and strong family values

We encourage our customers to personally visit our facility to confirm our commitment to total customer satisfaction.

Since 1992, ApTex has grown substantially by acquiring six local competitors. This has enabled us to continually expand our product offerings to include most of the preferred brands in the industry.

Company History

  • 1965
    Began as a Waukesha branch of Machinery & Factory Equipment in Racine by Edward Meier and Francis "Bud" Beaudette
  • 1970
    Ed Meier and Bud Beaudette purchased branch that was then known as M&F Equipment Company of Waukesha
  • 1971
    Relocated to new building at 824 Philip Drive in Waukesha WI
  • 1989
    Moved to new 10,000 square foot facility on Westmound Drive. Opened Showroom as local presence of Enco Mfg., a major catalog based distribution company
  • 1992
    Assumed Miller Tool sales operation. First addition to our building
  • 1995
    Merged with BT Sales. Brought in two (2) new partners, Ronald "Ronn" Barker and C. Robert Thompson, new customers, salespeople and product lines brought growth
  • 1996
    Joined Induserve Supply – a co-op giving us access to more than 1000 additional product lines
  • 1998
    Purchased Kel-Sir Company for Milwaukee addition of premier lines on left. Brought dramatic increase in business
  • 1999
    Expanded our building to 22,000 square feet. Relocated Kel-Sir to our facility and developed one of the premier Lenox Band Saw Service Centers in North America
  • 2001
    First AutoCrib vending installation, purchased Milwaukee Carbide Cutting Tools
  • 2002
    Appointed as a full line Kennametal distributor for South Eastern Wisconsin
  • 2004
    Purchased Abrasive Specialists of Wisconsin
  • 2005
    Joined Affiliated Distributors– the premier Distributor Marketing Group in the USA Installed onsite coolant lab
  • 2007
    Purchased Abrasive Tools/Supplies expanding geographic reach, customer base and Vendor Managed Inventory Program, as well as on-site Air Tool Repair
  • 2009
    Brought in a new partner, Peter Delany, replacing Ronn Barker as Vice President and bringing a renewed commitment to technical support of our customers
  • 2012
    Waukesha Industrial Supply became ApTex to better reflect our commitment to APplications and TEchnical support on the factory floor as a true value-added supplier.