In 1984, while working for Cameron Iron Works, in Houston, Texas, Greg Webster and Larry Gustine began to feel the call to start their own machine shop. Both had previously completed their apprenticeship programs and were enjoying their positions as Technical Instructors for Cameron’s highly-respected Training and Safety Division. The oil and gas industry was floundering and by late 1984 had hit rock bottom. Starting a machine shop at this time may have seemed foolish to others, but both felt this was a calling they had to answer.

Greg and Larry would spend the next several months exploring and discussing the possibility of starting a new machine shop. In January of 1985, after pulling together their combined life savings of $12,000.00, they set out to start their new business. Needing a name for the business, Greg suggested Faith Manufacturing, since answering the call to start a machine shop at such a time as this would certainly require a great deal of “faith”. Larry agreed, and in January of 1985, the new business would become Faith Manufacturing Company.

Almost immediately after taking the leap of faith to start their new business, doors began to open. Their first machine tool, a 19 inch Summit engine lathe fell into their laps, and from all places, Anheuser-Busch Brewery in East Houston, where Larry had done some part-time maintenance work on the weekends. They were able to acquire the machine, which was practically new, for $3,000.00, a third of what it was worth. Greg and Larry now had their first machine, but no shop to put it in.

Greg and Larry set out to locate a facility to operate their business out of and decided to begin their search in Humble, Texas. The Humble Business Park was a mini-warehouse business park located on Hwy 59 North in Humble, where Home Depot is currently located. The next door would soon open for Faith Manufacturing. One afternoon, Greg and Larry met with the leasing agent of the business park to search for a unit to lease. After being shown a particular unit by the leasing agent, Larry enquired about the unit next door which was also empty at the time. The leasing agent quickly dismissed his request to see it and told him that it had been a shop of some kind and was not yet cleaned up; she was certain we would not be interested in the unit. Larry insisted to see it and when Greg and Larry entered the unit, they quickly realized it had been a machine shop and was literally wired, plumbed and ready to install machines. The savings of the electrical service alone that was already in place from the previous shop was a savings to them of close to $10,000.00. In January 1985, Faith Manufacturing Company moved into the 1,250 square foot unit (which included the office) and began cutting chips. The monthly cost for the unit was $437.00 per month.

In February, 1989, Faith Manufacturing Company incorporated, and became Faith Manufacturing Company, Incorporated, a Texas corporation. The company would remain at the Hwy 59 North location until the summer of 1991. During the period of over six years at this location, Faith Manufacturing would grow to include leasing an additional four units, employing twenty-two employees and would add another fourteen pieces of equipment.