About Us

A2 Equipment is a small family owned business located in Provo, Utah.

History

Paul Stone, the founder of A2 Equipment LLC, is the youngest son of an industrial arts teacher. He was raised using tools and machines. His dad always had a side hustle. He remodeled kitchens in the summers. At one point he was a partner in an automotive electrical business, rebuilding alternators and starters for cars and diesel trucks.

Always interested in science and technology, Paul designed and built the test equipment for the alternators and starters, before going to college.

The Stone family had a decent shop in the garage, and full access to the high school wood and machine shops at the high school where Paul's father taught.

Paul graduated from Brigham Young University in 1983 with a degree in Manufacturing Engineering and embarked on a career in manufacturing. Perhaps his most important job was with a small flashlight manufacturing company, Streamlight Inc. (Maglite copied their products), where he was Assistant Plant Manager, Plant Engineer and Purchasing Manager. The knowledge gained wearing all those hats was amazing.

Paul worked for Northrop Corporation as a CNC programmer and spent nearly 29 years with the Boeing Company in the Seattle area where he designed equipment for wing assembly automation research projects. The experience he gained with Streamlight was invaluable when designing equipment for the Boeing Company. Having a background in purchasing and his personal skills as a machinist and cabinet maker insured that Mr. Stone's designs were easy and inexpensive to manufacture. Design for Manufacturing combined with high quality, low cost components insured a high quality low cost end product.

Mr. Stone's creativity and inventive mind is evidenced by his 23 granted patents, with more patents pending.

In 2010, Susan, Paul's wife was insisting that the kitchen be remodeled. It was hopelessly outdated and was simply not working. Being way too cheep to buy cabinets or hire this work out, and knowing how fun it is to cut plywood on a table saw, working alone, it was determined that a panel saw was required.

Buying a panel saw was not an option. The cost was simply not in the budget. Supporting a wife and six daughters (and for 12 years, with only one bathroom) on a single income did not allow for such things. What is an equipment engineer to do when he needs an expensive piece of equipment that is not in the budget? He designs and builds it himself of course.

Thus, A2 Equipment was born.

A2 Equipment started out as a garage operation and stayed that way for over two years. Eventually they graduated from the garage and hired an employee. The business was growing steadily and all was good. Nearly 900 Swap Saw™ units were manufactured and shipped to happy costumers.

Family Duties Called

Paul's parents were in their nineties and Paul was the only one in a position to provide the necessary care. Paul's dad passed away in March of 2019, just six days before his 97th birthday. Paul was already planning to retire on March 29 of 2019. He stuck to that plan and Paul and Susan (empty nesters at this point) moved in with his mother. He of course had to shut down the manufacturing business to do this. Paul and Susan bought the home from his mother and built an amazing home shop on the property next to the house. It was designed to be a one bedroom apartment above a three car garage. Paul called it the toy box because Paul's toys went downstairs, into the three car garage, and Susan's toys (an accomplished seamstress and clothing designer) went up stairs.

A2 Equipment Restart

In August of 2020 it was determined that the business could restart and so it did. All the custom parts are made in America, most by local companies. Only the fasteners are made outside of the USA.

Mission

The mission of A2 Equipment LLC is to bring high quality, high value equipment to the woodworking industry. We know what it is like to have to live on a tight budget.