ROSEWOOD – Rosewood Machine and Tool (RMT) at 6423 Kiser Lake Road in Rosewood is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with three open houses that will include tours of the facility.

A community, friends and family open house will be held on Sunday, June 12, from 2 to 5 p.m., and the business open houses will be on Tuesday, June 14, and Wednesday, June 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The company was started by Duane Helman, a machinist, in 1970 in a 4,200-square-foot rented building in Rosewood and was then known as Helman’s Tractor Repair. The company became incorporated as Rosewood Machine and Tool in 1972 and was family-owned and operated, with Duane’s wife, Carolyn Helman, serving as treasurer, secretary, and anything else that was needed. Their three kids also helped run the business at an early age by shoveling coal and sweeping floors. The Helman’s two sons, Jeff and Jon, officially entered the business in 1982 and 1983, respectively.

Machining processes have changed greatly over the years, and RMT has attempted to keep up by improving processes and adding new technology. The company owns 35 computer-controlled machines and several conventional manual machines, as well as a fully equipped precision grinding department, complete engineering design services, and a fully equipped quality control department. RMT received ISO 9001 certification in 1999, which is an international standard that helps businesses with efficiency and customer satisfaction.

RMT is now a 50,000-square-foot facility that employs 40 people and ships quality parts all over the world.

“We look forward to another 50 years of serving our customers and our community,” RMT executives said.