Micro-Mark celebrates 95 years of selling tools to scale modelers

Founded in 1928 as Scientific Model Airplane Company in Newark, New Jersey, Micro-Mark has been in the Frisoli family for three generations and turns 95 next year. Starting with rubber-band-powered wooden model airplane kits, Micro-Mark eventually grew to produce wooden model ship kits, dollhouse furniture, and model railroad accessories. Now, not only does Micro-Mark service the scale-model and model-train hobby segments, but cosplayers and makers use its products, too.

“The common link is specialist tools for hobbyists,” says Chas Fox, Micro-Mark CEO. “The customer leads where we go next.”

And where the customers lead has been bright. Micro-Mark has experienced rapid growth over the last seven years, going from 60,000 to 240,000 transactions annually. And while Fox doesn’t think the company will continue to see such a rate of expansion, he expects continued potential for growth in the demand for 3D printers, laser cutters, and other new technologies useful for hobbyists.

“We introduced 4,600 new products in the last five years,” Fox says. And while not all of those were perfect or home runs, he says introducing new products keeps the company moving forward and helps sell older items already in Micro-Mark’s catalog.

In keeping with Micro-Mark’s mission to stay on the move and add lines that fit well with existing markets, it recently purchased the Laser-Art line of structure models for model railroaders.

“[Laser-Art] will be in the catalog the first quarter of 2023,” Fox says, with the full offering eventually becoming available as they ramp up manufacturing in Berkley Heights, New Jersey. Formerly owned and operated by Sam and Marilyn Krutt of Branchline Trains in Vernon, Connecticut, Laser-Art is a popular brand with a long history.

For its part, Micro-Mark started making wooden kits for model railroaders in 2017 under the Scientific name, and Fox says Laser-Art fits perfectly. The line will be branded Laser-Art by Scientific.

So, after 95 years, what’s next? Fox has no interest in slowing down the advance.

“When I got here, we weren’t attending any trade shows,” he says. “Now, we go to 40 a year.” For him, it’s about engaging directly with customers and hearing what they have to say and how they use Micro-Mark products. Fox says the company plans to sell more hand and power tools directly to businesses.

That doesn’t mean Micro-Mark is looking to dive into the full-size tool market, it just plans on continuing to look for opportunities that fit.