From Basement Startup to National Spotlight: Winton Machine Wins Big

Winton Machine Company took home second place and a $250,000 prize in the Small Business Administration’s Million Dollar Pitch Competition. The Georgia-based manufacturer is led by CEO and Co-Owner Lisa Winton, a member of the NAM Board of Directors.

• The competition aired Tuesday night on Netflix and YouTube, with the Wintons making an appearance on NewsNation before the broadcast.

The pitch: Rising to the top of a field of more than 1,100 entrants nationwide, Lisa and George Winton told the judges the remarkable story behind their family-owned manufacturing company and their vision for its future. In a testament to the strength of manufacturing in America, all five finalists were manufacturers.

• “Back in 1995, I wrote an article about a very exciting subject, tube bending,” George said. “It wasn’t long before someone had called and asked me if I could build them a small tube bending tool. At that very moment in time, I had two screwdrivers and a pair of pliers in my basement, and I said yes. I knew with Lisa’s help, we would get it done.”
• “Our basement became a machine shop, our garage an assembly floor,” Lisa added. “George knew how to make things, but I had a business degree. [However,] I had no idea how to start a business. So I went to the library, and I checked out SBA VHS tapes. That’s right, VHS tapes. That was pretty much our entrepreneurship program.”

From basement to Mars Rover: Today, Winton Machine’s technology helps power industries ranging from energy and defense to aerospace and quantum computing.

• “Most people would never know the name Winton Machine, but odds are all of you have come in contact with a product that was made on our machines, [in] air conditioning, refrigeration, energy, defense, quantum computing and so much more,” Lisa continued. “We’ve even helped our customers make parts for the Mars Rover, SpaceX’s rockets and even the Iron Dome.”

Building the next generation: The Wintons aren’t just building machines. They’re building manufacturing careers, investing in workforce training, apprenticeships and partnerships with technical colleges.

• “It’s very important to Lisa and myself that we help everyone at Winton grow through continuing education and on-the-job training,” George said.
• “Not only do George and I work with 22 technical colleges across the state of Georgia, [but] we [also] advocate for manufacturers nationally,” Lisa said. “We’ve also trained interns and apprentices, giving young people hands-on experience and a chance to see that manufacturing can be a great career.”

The bottom line: “Nearly 30 years ago, the Small Business Administration helped two people with just two screwdrivers and a pair of pliers build a business and look what we have done with it,” Lisa told the judges. “Say yes to Winton, and let’s grow the next 250 years of manufacturing here in America.”

The word from the SBA: “The Million Dollar Pitch Competition makes it clear that America is a nation of builders, and on behalf of the SBA, I’m pleased to congratulate all our outstanding finalists, who showcased the incredible grit, ingenuity and impact of small businesses in every corner of our great nation,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler in a statement ahead of the broadcast.

The NAM says: “Winton Machine embodies the best of manufacturing,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons, who was in attendance along with other NAM colleagues to cheer on the Wintons as they made their pitch on the national stage. “Whenever an opportunity to advocate for competitive policies comes along—whether testifying before Congress on H.R. 1, championing workforce policies or sharing her company’s story through the NAM’s tax flipbook, which caught the attention of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt—Lisa raises her hand.”

• “This week, the Wintons not only won prize money but also, and more importantly, the admiration of American lawmakers and Americans across the country.”