Machine shop loans help Loveland, Colorado job shops and fabricators fund CNC machines, fabrication equipment and material for large orders. Larimer County, CO counted 79 fabricated metal product makers, including machine shops, in 2023. This page covers CNC financing, a worked calculator, finance companies, material lines, used machines and shop purchases.
At a glance
- Fabricated metal product employers, Larimer County, CO
79 (Census County Business Patterns 2023)
- Fabricated metal product employees
668 (Census County Business Patterns 2023)
- Manufacturing employees, Larimer County, CO
13,799 (Census County Business Patterns 2023)
CNC Machine Financing Beside Larimer County, CO Metal Shop Counts
County Business Patterns counted 79 fabricated metal product manufacturers, the Census group that includes machine shops, in Larimer County, CO in 2023, with 668 employees and $38.5 million in payroll; 54.4% had fewer than five employees (Census County Business Patterns 2023). 23 of them had a ZIP 80537 address (Census ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023), and the county also counted 28 commercial machinery repair shops. Manufacturing as a whole counted 435 employers with 13,799 employees.
Nonemployer Statistics counted 78 fabricated metal businesses without paid employees for 2024 (Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024): one-person welding and machining operations working from their own equipment.
How to Finance a CNC Machine: Quote, Install and Tooling
Illustration only, invented figures: a shop buys a vertical machining center for $168,000, with $9,000 for rigging and installation and $14,000 for tooling and workholding, $191,000 in all. Some partners finance the full package; others finance only the machine and leave installation and tooling to the shop's cash or a line of credit. Ask before relying on soft costs being included.
- The dealer's quote with model, options, control and delivery date.
- Rigging, installation and power requirements.
- Tooling and workholding as separate lines.
- The work the machine will run, such as a contract or recurring order.
A CNC Machine Finance Calculator, Worked by Hand
| Term (invented 8.75% annual rate) | Monthly payment | Total interest |
|---|---|---|
| 60 months | $3,942 | $45,503 |
| 84 months | $3,049 | $65,102 |
The 84-month term lowers the payment by about $893 a month and adds about $19,600 in interest (our arithmetic). Divide the payment by the shop rate to see how many spindle hours a month cover it; that number tells an owner more than the rate does.
What Fabrication Equipment Covers: Press Brakes, Lasers and Welders
Fabrication equipment covers the machines that cut, bend, join and finish metal: fiber lasers, plasma tables, press brakes, shears, welding cells, saws and finishing equipment. Each holds resale value in a market that funders know, which is why these machines finance well. Inspection equipment, such as coordinate measuring machines, can be bought alongside new production machines when customers require documented quality.
Machinery Finance Companies: Banks, OEM Programs and Equipment Funders
Shops can finance through banks and credit unions, machine builders' own finance programs, independent equipment funders and online lenders. Builder programs may carry promotional terms tied to a specific machine. The Colorado lender-types guide describes the lender groups. Rowanrun Business Loans places requests with funding partners drawn from them, and the partner decides.
Material Buys for a Large Order on a Line of Credit
Illustration only, invented figures: a shop wins an order that needs $36,000 in bar stock and sheet up front, with payment 50 days after shipment. Drawing that on a line at an invented 12% annual rate costs about $591.78 in interest for the 50 days (our arithmetic). A line of credit fits because material buys repeat with every order.
Used CNC Machines and Inspection
Illustration only, invented figures: a used machining center listed at $72,000 that an appraiser values at $64,000 leaves $8,000 for the buyer to cover or negotiate (our arithmetic). Spindle hours, control version, ballscrew condition and a test cut matter more than the year. A partner may set a shorter term for an older machine.
Automation Cells, Bar Feeders and Robot Loading
Adding a bar feeder to a lathe or a robot to load a mill lets a machine run unattended. Illustration only, invented figures: a $58,000 robotic loading cell over 60 months at an invented 9% annual rate costs about $1,204 a month (our arithmetic). The case for the purchase rests on extra spindle hours each week, so a request that shows current machine utilization and the hours the cell would add gives a partner a concrete reason to fund it.
Can You Finance a Metal Shop Purchase?
Yes. Illustration only, invented figures: a buyer pays $520,000 for a job shop's business and machines, puts in $104,000 and finances the rest over 120 months at an invented 9.25% annual rate, about $5,326 a month (our arithmetic). The partner reads customer concentration closely: a shop with one customer providing half its sales is a different risk from one with twenty.
The article on how small manufacturers finance production equipment goes further.
Two articles go deeper: how small manufacturers finance production equipment and whether to take an equipment loan or a capital lease.
By Rowanrun Business Loans · Updated