In 1971, Tom Streckert integrated his passion for manufacturing innovation with his experience in wood processing to found Creative Automation in the garage of his home in Abbotsford, WI. Born out of his experience optimizing production workflow for his parents’ door company, Streckert Manufacturing, Tom quickly cemented Creative Automation’s reputation as a no-nonsense ‘Manufacturer of Exceptional Machinery.’

The new company’s custom solutions for the wood and related industries did exactly what they were designed to do: improve wood production by increasing efficiency and cutting production costs. Fifty years and three thousand machines later, some of those early customers still call on Creative Automation as their production needs evolve.

Today, Tom and his son Mark continue to innovate and expand. As co-owners, they have built Creative Automation into an internationally respected leader in the woodworking industry. Along with a broad team of equally committed engineers, machinists, and technicians, the Streckerts enjoy a reputation for efficiency in automated production that is a cut above other providers. True to their no-nonsense approach, Creative Automation has been built on word-of-mouth testimonials of the reliability and unequalled performance of their solutions for the housing, countertop, door, furniture, cabinet, window, and lumber industries.

What began as a challenge to ‘do it better’ in 1971, has become a thriving team of innovators who still, fifty years later, do it better every day.