Manufacturing Today - July-August 2015

mt
JULY/AUGUST 2015
DIALOGUE WITH | STACI DAVIDSON
WWW.MANUFACTURING-TODAY.COM
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
John Krukowski
john.krukowski@phoenixmediacorp.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Staci Davidson
MANAGING EDITOR, BOSTON
Eric Slack
SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR
Chris Petersen
SENIOR EDITORS
Stephanie Crets, Alan Dorich, Russ Gager,
Sincere Appreciation
Jim Harris, Janice Hoppe
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Tim O’Connor, Robert Rakow
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Lynn L. Bergeson, Dr. Denis Maier,
Bill Rietz, John Thibault
C ANADA MANUFACTURING
I recently came back from a small Midwest
S PACE TECH EXPO 2015

ART DIRECTOR
Erin Hein road trip where I drove through parts of
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Megan Green, Jonathan Lyzun, Vida Soriano Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan.
SILVEX INC.
B UY AMERICAN
Not only did I get to see a lot of great scen-
T ECHNOLOGY
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Travis Garth
ery and beautiful landscapes, but I was in
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SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT the unique position among my traveling
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Jason Quan
EDITORIAL RESEARCH MANAGER companions to be able to recognize and
James Fuller know a few details about the manufacturing
PROJECT COORDINATORS
Braxton Barber, Patrick Bell, Austin Berry, operations that we passed.
Anthony Caruso, Ruon Cooper, Julie LaFevre, When I tell people outside of the industry
Todd Lindberg, Duncan McGougan, Claudia E.
Montaño, Gino Piniero, Robin Rosenthal that I edit a magazine about the manufactur-
ing industry, most of the time people ask if it
EDITORIAL RESEARCH DIRECTOR
WEST COAST is boring work. I just smile, laugh a little and
Josh Bomba explain it’s anything but – that every day I
PRESIDENT SALES – WEST COAST
Graeme Sturgess read new information about how the North
American manufacturing industry works, ly no waste and all of its processes are very
VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES
Steve Campagna and how important it is to our local, region- precise,” I said. In Michigan’s Upper Penin-
al and national economies. And during this sula, I saw a truck from a company I covered
DIRECTOR OF WEB AND REPRINT SALES
Dash Blankenship road trip, I felt a lot of pride in all I knew a few months ago, and explained the CEO of
dash.blankenship@phoenixmediacorp.com about many of the companies we passed on that operation was one of the funniest guys
the road. “That plant just came back from a I’d ever been able to talk to.
major turnaround and is the main employer I just wanted to let readers know, I real-
of this entire town,” I explained when driv- ly love covering this industry and showing
ing through northern Illinois. When asked you all of the amazing practices and inno-
if manufacturing was “dirty,” I pointed out vations. I hope that comes through in all of
a company in southern Wisconsin. “See that the cool stuff that we cover. Sincerely, it’s
facility over there? It’s known for its strict beyond exciting to see what manufacturers
lean standards, which means it has virtual- are doing all over the country.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER:
@MANUFACTUREMAG
MANAGING EDITOR
staci.davidson@phoenixmediacorp.com
PHOENIX MEDIA CORPORATION

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JULY/AUGUST 2015 manufacturing-today.com 1

features > 18.
Columns >
Washington
DTSC issues final priority product work
plan, but what does it mean? Page 8
Operations
Why operational excellence is like a decath-
lon competition. Page 12
Management
Is an inflexible ERP system keeping you up at
night? Page 14
Politics
Some tips for getting heard in the political
arena. Page 16
Space Tech Expo

SILVEX INC.
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The 2015 show was an outstanding success
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with a 45 percent increase in attendance.
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Page 18
>
Last Page
DeWys Manufacturing takes pride in its rep-
utation for state-of-the-art sheet metal fab-
rication capabilities. Page 200
Sections >
West
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Insti-
tute wants Latinos to be in on the STEM ac-
tion in greater numbers. Page 20
Midwest
Waupaca Foundry Inc. is earning recognition
at the state and federal level for environmen-
tal efforts. Page 46
South
Kings III Emergency Communications
demonstrates what it considers to be a prop-
er living wage in the manufacturing industry
with the raise it gave to employees. Page 110
On The Cover > Northeast

Asteelflash focuses its efforts and value propositions to Pennsylvania and Great Dane show how im-
support a wide range of industry segments. PAGE 22 portant cooperation can be with the creation
of new jobs. Page 158

TABLE OF CONTENTS | JULY/AUGUST 2015
profiles > 70. Detroit Chassis LLC

Detroit Chassis is devoted to improving its
namesake home base as it manufactures
high-quality vehicle chassis and other parts.
72. AMI Manchester

The employees at AMI Manchester believe in
the vision of the company and they are what
truly sets the company apart.
74. Katecho Inc.

Katecho Inc.’s new organizational philos-
ophy leads to improved efficiencies and in-
creased sales.
78. ZTECH Precision

ZTECH Precision provides a variety of ma-

chining services so Tier I suppliers can have
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80. their entire component manufactured in

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one place.
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West 44. Reuland Electric 80. Trinity Products

22. Asteelflash Reuland Electric has become one of the in- Trinity Products utilizes a continuous im-
Asteelflash guides its EMS customers dustry’s most flexible electric motor manu- provement approach to become a better
through the entire product lifecycle. facturers through constant reinvestment. steel pipe maker.
29. Micro Metals Inc. Midwest 84. Rembrandt Foods

Extensive capabilities and a focus on quality 48. NOW Health Group Inc. Rembrandt Foods grows to become a global
have helped Micro Metals succeed. NOW expands its business of emphasizing leader in egg production.
healthy living and good nutrition.
32. MTI Metal Technology 87. Control Gaging
MTI’s new manufacturing capabilities en- 55. Wallside Windows Control Gaging’s automated measurement
hance its customer service and reputation Wallside Windows ensures that its products systems improve changeover times.
for quality and reliability. meet the expectations of its customers, no
matter what the situation. 90. National Enzyme Company
34. Borla Performance National Enzyme has been a market leader
Industries 58. Barnes International for more than 80 years.
Borla Performance Industries says it sup- Barnes International leads the way in ma-
plies superior automotive exhaust systems. chine tool coolant filtration systems. 94. Bennett Machine
& Fabricating
38. Pace Shave 63. Enercon By providing the best machining service and
Pace Shave brings superior shaving technol- Enercon designs, manufacturers and in- support possible, Bennett has become a top
ogy and a more affordable price point to the stalls customized “complete integrated” vendor for OEMs in the agriculture industry.
razor market. power systems.
96. Hatch Stamping Company
42. Diversified Machine Systems 66. Airboss Flexible Products Facility, technology and talent invest-
Diversified Machine Systems is a true part- The Airboss buyout is helping Flexible Prod- ments are the reasons why Hatch Stamp-
ner for its customers with versatile CNC ma- ucts achieve its goal of global expansion and ing continues to expand as an automotive
chining equipment. revenue growth. service provider.
4 manufacturing-today.com JULY/AUGUST 2015

98. Blackhawk Engineering
Blackhawk Engineering recently marked a major milestone and
expanded its capabilities with a larger facility, demonstrating the
company’s ongoing growth as one of the industry’s leading CNC
machining specialists.
100. Lacks Enterprises

Lacks Enterprises – which has been at the forefront of technolo-
gy for more than 50 years – believes its advanced wheel and trim
technology will be the answer the automotive industry will need
now and in the future.
102. Hawker Well Works

Hawker Well Works prospers by introducing a new product to the
oil industry, helping clients increase safety, speed and efficiency,
while also reducing costs.
104. Cincinnati Incorporated
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‘Resilient’ Cincinnati Incorporated remains a leader in the ma-
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chine tool market, having weathered many severe economic
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downturns in its more than 100 years of operation.
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106. CTS Corp.
Transformation is nothing new for CTS thanks to a long legacy of
strategic steps that have allowed the company to reinvent itself for
more than a century.
108. DeWys Manufacturing

DeWys Manufacturing has grown from a one-man operation into a
leading fabricator in the Midwest, well known for its state-of-the-
art capabilities.
South
112. PSC
PSC uses its engineering strengths to automate hydroblasting
equipment, which improves worker safety and keeps workers far
away from risk, while also maintaining the method’s efficiency for
a diverse customer base.
117. Advanced Control Systems

Advanced Control Systems™ manufactures the management sys-
tems for electrical providers’ needs while serving the needs of an
energy-conscious world.
120. Honda of South Carolina Mfg. Inc.

Honda of South Carolina is establishing a second shift for the pro-
duction of the new Pioneer 1000 side-by-side ATV. At the same
time, the operation is aiming to become the powersports manu-
facturer for Honda Motor Co.

TABLE OF CONTENTS | JULY/AUGUST 2015
< profiles
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138. 177.
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124. Ard Trucking Co. Inc. 144. Cornet Technology Inc. Northeast
Seventy-year-old Ard Trucking looks for- Cornet Technology Inc.’s communications 160. Pines Engineering
ward to the opening of its new headquarters. and other equipment play critical roles in Pines Engineering follows up sales with
armed forces and intelligence operations service to ensure long-lasting relation-
127. The TharpeRobbins Co. around the world. ships with customers.
TharpeRobbins helps customers, including
Honeywell, increase employee engagement. 146. Genco Stamping & 167. Royce Colors
Manufacturing Co. Royce Colors helps packaging producers,
130. Signal Machine Inc. Quality and teamwork are hallmarks of Gen- textile dyers, paper mills and others keep
Signal Machine Inc. welcomes the challenges co Stamping & Manufacturing Co. as a result their products bright.
of custom manufacturing. of its ESOP status.
170. Oberg Industries
134. C.R. Onsrud 149. Nailor Industries Inc. Oberg Industries says it has found success by
CNC machining manufacturer C.R. Onsrud Nailor Industries uses its clients’ HVAC sys- following a simple formula of working with
expanded product capabilities during the re- tem needs as a springboard. the right markets and customers.
cession to prepare for growth.
152. MGM Industries 174. Riggs Industries
138. 2G CENERGY Power Systems Years of commitment to vertical integration Vertically integrated Riggs Industries can de-
Technologies Inc. and ongoing investment have made MGM sign, fabricate, paint and erect a steel struc-
2G CENERGY Power Systems Technolo- Industries a strong regional player for vinyl ture in-house, while its competitors have to
gies manufactures and installs turnkey co- windows and doors. work with many other providers.
generation systems under 10 megawatts.
156. Microflex Inc. 177. Vinylmax LLC
142. Augusta Fiberglass Microflex is a global leader in the manufac- Known for its ability to provide quick lead
Serving many industries has positioned Au- turing of high-quality flexible metal prod- times, Vinylmax is even more competitive
gusta Fiberglass as a leading force around ucts used in the automotive and a range of after optimizing its manufacturing with the
the world. other markets. latest technology.

JULY/AUGUST 2015 | TABLE OF CONTENTS
180. Arrowhead Industries Corp. 190. Masline Electronics Inc.

Arrowhead specializes in core metal car- Masline Electronics plans to continue its
riers for the weatherseals around doors, legacy with e-commerce initiatives.
windows and trunks used primarily in the
automotive market. 192. Rowley Spring &
Stamping Co.
183. Pernix Therapeautics Rowley Spring & Stamping Co. offers its
Pernix Therapeutics has implemented a diverse customer base a single source for
number of improvements to focus on ex- design and product manufacturing.
ternal growth through acquisitions and or-
ganic growth through commercialization 194. LENOX, A Newell
and research and development. Rubbermaid Inc. brand
LENOX celebrates a 100-year legacy of
186. Weiler Corp. helping customers be more productive.
Weiler Corp. is transforming its head-
quarters to foster collaboration and prob- 196. GTI Spindle Technology
lem solving among its various tech-orient- The launch of an iPad-based predictive tech-
SILVEX INC.
ed departments. nology tool leads to a company’s evolution.
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188. Bliley Technologies 198. Global Precision Parts Inc.
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For 85 years, Bliley Technologies has ap- Global Precision Parts relies on lean man-
plied the unique vibrational qualities of ufacturing methodologies and quality pro-
quartz crystals to aerospace and communi- cesses to provide custom-made products
cation needs. to machine manufacturers.
192.

COLUMN BY | LYNN L. BERGESON
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Level of Predictability
dtsc issues final priority product work
plan, but what does it mean?
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On April 16, 2015, the California Department of Toxic Sub- Almost 350 comments were submit-
stances Control (DTSC) released its much anticipated Final ted on the draft work plan, although
Priority Product Work Plan under the Safer Consumer Prod- a majority of those comments ad-
dressed only one category (fishing
ucts Regulations. The work plan, initially proposed by DTSC
and angling). While DTSC has re-
on Sept. 12, 2014, describes product categories it will use to
tained all seven priority product cat-
evaluate and identify product-chemical combinations to be egories, it has made modest modifica-
added to the priority products. The purpose of the work plan tions to each category.
is to provide a “level of predictability to potential manufactur-
ers, importers, retailers, and other stakeholders regarding the Seven Priority Categories
types of products that can be considered for evaluation over DTSC has listed seven product cate-
the next three years.” gories, and for each, DTSC has iden-

LYNN L. BERGESON | COLUMN BY
tified subcategories, examples of the through wastewater treatment icals; (4) people who work regu-
types of potential products, and exam- plants and can expose wildlife. larly with building products face
ples of potential candidate chemicals. even higher risk of exposure; (5)
The categories identified by DTSC Category: Building Products products in these categories have
are as follows: > Subcategories: Flooring, paint- clear pathways for exposing chil-
ing, adhesives and sealants dren to candidate chemicals by
Category: Beauty, Personal Care, > Examples: Paints and primers; ingestion: they release chemicals
and Hygiene Products paint and graffiti removers and into household dust that toddlers
> Subcategories: Skin care prod- cleaners; stains and varnishes; ad- ingest when they put their hands
ucts; personal hygiene products; hesives and glues; caulking; seal- in their mouths after crawling on
hair care products; and cosmetics/ ants; roof coatings; carpeting; car- the floor; (6) flame-retardant and
fragrances peting padding engineered wood stain-resistant candidate chem-
> Examples: Body wash and soaps; and laminate flooring; plywood icals used in home furnishings
deodorants; lip balms and gloss; and Oriented Strand Board (OSB) have been detected in household
lotions; ointments; pomades; hair subflooring; and vinyl flooring dust and in human biomoni-

care products; cosmetics; nail > Potential candidate chemicals: toring studies; and (7) the inci-
care products; and sunscreen Brominated or chlorinated or- dence of childhood asthma has
SILVEX INC.
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> Potential candidate chemicals: ganic compounds; organophos- increased significantly in recent
Aldehydes; formaldehyde; alkyl- phates; isocyanates; metals, such decades and candidate chemicals
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phenol ethoxylates; azo dyes; coal as chromium VI; perfluorochem- that cause or worsen asthma are
tars; lead and lead acetate; phthal- icals; phthalates; volatile organic found in building products.
ates; triclosan; and toluene. compounds, such as formalde-
> Changes in final work plan: Sun- hyde, n-hexane, n-methyl pyrroli- Category: Household, Office Furni-
screen has been added as an exam- done, and toluene ture, and Furnishings
ple product. DTSC also provides a > Changes in final work plan: Car- > Subcategories: Fabric/textile fur-
list of factors that prompted it to pet padding and OSB subfloor- nishings; household/office furni-
choose this category: (1) the prod- ing and laminate flooring have ture; and ornamental furnishings
ucts are designed to be applied to been added as example products, > Examples: Bedding; fabric and
the body, directly exposing users while compressed wood flooring textile furnishings; seating and
to whatever chemicals they con- has been eliminated as an exam- sofas; and curtains
tain; (2) chemical ingredients ple product. Although not listed > Potential candidate chemicals:
are sometimes not disclosed on in the category examples, DTSC Brominated/chlorinated organic
product labels, impeding con- states among the changes from compounds, organophosphates;
sumers’ ability to make informed the draft work plan that wall and perfluorinated compounds
decisions to avoid certain chem- coverings with flame retardants > Changes in final work plan: Cur-
icals and making it difficult for have been added as an example tains has been added as an exam-
workers to know what practices product. DTSC also provides a ple product. DTSC states that it
to follow to protect themselves list of factors that prompted it to is limiting the scope of candidate
from chemical exposure; (3) some choose this category: (1) prod- chemicals that it will evaluate,
of the chemical ingredients are ucts in these categories are used and does not intend to consider
known to be hazardous to people by virtually all members of soci- products in this category that do
and wildlife; (4) some chemicals ety; (2) these products contain not contain flame retardants or
used in these products have been a wide range of candidate chem- perfluorinated compounds.
detected in humans in biomoni- icals with known hazard traits; Category: Cleaning Products
toring studies, although whether (3) use of the products indoors, > Subcategories: None identified
or not the source is personal care where air exchange is slow, caus- > Examples: Air fresheners; floor
products is usually unknown; es longer exposures to higher cleaners; oven cleaners; bath-
and (5) these chemicals may pass levels of certain candidate chem- room cleaners; carpet cleaners;

COLUMN BY | LYNN L. BERGESON
detergents; floor waxes and wax ample products in this category by DTSC states that “multiple itera-
removers; general purpose clean- identifying ink cartridges instead tions of research and stakeholder en-
ers; scouring cleaners; spot re- of printer inks, and also thermal gagement may be necessary to prop-
movers; window cleaning prod- paper instead of specialty paper. erly identify and define products in
ucts; and deodorizers DTSC removed benzaldehyde as a advance of rulemaking.” DTSC will
> Potential candidate chemicals: potential candidate chemical. begin gathering information about
Alkylphenol ethyoxylates; hy- potential priority products via re-
drogen fluoride; phthalates; tri- Category: Fishing and Angling search, call-ins, and workshops.
closan; and volatile organic com- Equipment
pounds, such as n-hexane, methyl > Subcategories: None identified.
ethyl ketone, n-methyl pyrroli- > Examples: Fishing gear
“The work plan is important
done, toluene and xylene > Potential candidate chemicals: because these categories now
> Changes in final work plan: Wax Metals will be the focus of DTSC’s
removers and deodorizers have > Changes in final work plan: efforts for the next three
been added as example products. DTSC modified the scope of this
years.”
category by stating that it is most

Category: Clothing concerned about fishing weights _________

> Subcategories: None identified. and gear that might be consumed
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> Examples: Full body wear; lower by water fowl due to character-
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body wear; sleepwear; sportswear; istics of size, shape, and density. Manufacturers, importers, and re-
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underwear; and upper body wear DTSC states it will not focus on tailers of consumer products in the
> Potential candidate chemicals: weights or gear not likely to be categories listed by DTSC in the Work
Alkylphenol ethoxylates; aro- ingested by waterfowl (e.g., large Plan should begin reviewing their
matic amines and azo dyes; per- weights such as those typically products and determining if a partic-
fluorochemicals; formaldehyde; used for off-shore salmon fishing). ular chemical-product combination
phthalates; and triclosan might not satisfy listing criteria or
> Changes in final work plan: Useful Guidance other information of which DTSC
Chlorinated paraffins, halogenat- The work plan is important because should be aware, with regard to any
ed compounds, and organophos- these categories now will be the focus potential chemical-product combina-
phates have been eliminated as of DTSC’s efforts for the next three tions that DTSC may be investigating.
potential candidate chemicals. years as DTSC narrows these broad Manufacturers, importers, and re-
DTSC states that it will exclude categories to specific product-chemi- tailers of products not included in the
consideration of protective wear cal combinations that warrant signifi- categories listed by DTSC, but other
intended exclusively for occupa- cant consideration as potential prior- products that contain the substances
tional safety. ity products. driving DTSC’s concern, should also
The DTSC also provides useful consider the implications of the pres-
Category: Office Machinery (Con- guidance by stating its expectations ence of such substances, as product
sumable Products) for proposing product-chemical com- targeting efforts could increase as a
> Subcategories: None identified. binations. Specifically, DTSC states result of the work plan. mt
> Examples: Ink cartridges; ther- that in 2015 it will list “as many as
mal paper; and toner cartridges three,” and in 2016 and 2017 it antic- Lynn L. Bergeson is managing partner of Bergeson
& Campbell P.C. (B&C®), a Washington, D.C., law firm
> Potential candidate chemicals: ipates selecting more than five prod- focusing on conventional, nanoscale, and biobased
Azo dyes; bisphenols; phthalates; ucts each year. industrial, agricultural, and specialty chemical product
regulation and approval matters, environmental
as well as volatile organic com- DTSC states that “multiple itera- health and safety law, chemical product litigation, and
pounds, such as hexane, toluene tions of research and stakeholder en- associated business counseling and litigation issues. She
is president of The Acta Group (Acta®), with offices in
and xylene gagement may be necessary to prop- Washington, D.C., Manchester, UK, and Beijing, China,
and president of B&C® Consortia Management, L.L.C.
> Changes in final work plan: erly identify and define products in (BCCM) with offices in Washington, D.C.
DTSC has clarified the scope of ex- advance of rulemaking.”

COLUMN BY | DR. DENIS MAIER
Why Operational Excellence

is like a Decathlon
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Is your company excellent in operations? If you asked manufacturing leaders that question, you
might get very different answers. This describes very well the dilemma and ambiguity of oper-
ational excellence as there is no consensus on a quantitative system to evaluate and compare a
manufacturing company’s level of performance. This discussion is even more crucial in light of
a manufacturing renaissance in the U.S. with operational excellence as a key vehicle to achieve
sustainable competitiveness. How can manufacturing companies get a quick first indication about
their performance level and what is considered to be excellent?
A lack of industry standard
C OMPETITIVE EDGE
Even after 25 years of Lean discus-
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sions and efforts to implement it,

M ARKETING
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D IALOGUE
there is no industry wide standard of
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measuring and comparing excellence

in operations. Therefore it seems that
two views on operational excellence
have evolved: a very narrow one and
a very broad one. The narrow inter-
pretation of operational excellence
refers to a couple of overall measure-
ments like quality and productivity.
The broader perspective on oper-
ational excellence tries to include as
many aspects of operational perfor-
mance as possible, even qualitative
criteria. Some consulting companies
use that approach to combine every-
thing into an overall performance
score. The problem is that neither
of these approaches allows for any
objective comparison of operation-
al performance: the first group is too
focused on a few indicators and does
not show the full picture that is need-
ed; the second group is losing focus
by having far too many indicators and
also includes indicators that are not
comparable.
Decathlon as an Analogy
In order to find a more practical in-
dustry wide approach that offsets the

DR. DENIS MAIER | COLUMN BY
disadvantages of the two approaches, chain as well as the main competi- world-class in manufacturing opera-
the sports industry has an equivalent tive priorities tions for these selected indicators:
that could help to find a solution. Op- > need to be comparable and not > Performance benchmarks that are
erational performance can probably unique to a company’s situation recognized and widely accepted
best be compared with a decathlon > be ideally backed up by perfor- (OEE of 85 percent; quality at six
competition - for three reasons. mance benchmarks sigma level; employee turnover of
First, the number of metrics need- less than 5 percent)
ed to describe operational perfor- The result is a set of measurements > No excellence standard - perfor-
mance is more in the neighborhood that probably cannot explain 100% mance should be close to the op-
of the amount of events in a decath- of a company’s operational perfor- timum (On-time delivery at least
lon. Second, the decathlon disci- mance, but the majority of it: 99 percent; “zero accidents” with
plines are very different just like > Outbound - Customer quality very low TRC and DART)
operational performance requires and on-time delivery > Adherence to stretched launch
different capabilities. > Internal - Scrap and rework, targets (Minimal deviation from
And third, if you want to be an in- OEE, safety record, employee defined quality, time and cost tar-
ternational decathlon champion, you turnover gets at launch)
C OMPETITIVE EDGE
have to be world-class in most disci- > Inbound - Supplier quality and
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plines of a decathlon and cannot re- on-time delivery Conclusion
O P E R AT I O N S
L EADERSHIP
M ARKETING
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D IALOGUE
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ally perform poorly in any of the 10 > Launch - Adherence to quality, The topic of measuring operational
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disciplines. time, one-time cost and running excellence is a rather difficult and
“Sometimes you have to resist cost targets sometimes also controversial discus-
working on your strengths in favor of sion, but vital for U.S. manufacturing
your weaknesses,” said Daley Thomp- This Pareto or 80/20 Rule approach and its global challenges.
son, considered one of the greatest provides a good first indication of a Although relevant metrics in oper-
decathletes of all time. manufacturing company’s operation- ations are known and most of them
This should be the same in opera- al performance level as a minimum can be easily quantified, there is no
tions: if a company claims to be ex- requirement for excellence. industry wide standard in manufac-
cellent in operations, there should be “For many events, roughly 80 per- turing that clearly defines and quan-
no poor performance in any of the key cent of the effects come from 20 per- tifies operational excellence as a
areas. An excellent company has to cent of the causes,” said Italian econ- whole.
perform at the highest level in all rel- omist Vilfredo Pareto. The proposed approach derived
evant areas of operations and not just It is a balanced view to reflect the from sports is an attempt to facilitate
in a few. main competitive priorities (quali- the discussion and to make a step to-
A proposed framework for manu- ty, time, efficiency and sustainabili- ward a more aligned view on oper-
facturing operations. ty) along the entire supply chain. If a ational performance. It is certainly
From a performance standpoint, company claims to be excellent in op- understood that this framework can-
excellence in operations has to erations, it should perform at levels not claim to be complete or perfect,
demonstrate two things: that are considered excellent for most but is hopefully a contribution for a
1. Superior launch performance of the indicators and no indicator more complex subject.
2. Sustained levels of world-class should be way below that standard. Leaders have to make decisions
performance in daily operations Defining this as a minimum require- all the time based on the 80/20 Rule
ment is consistent with the chosen – why not apply this to Operational
In order to identify the 10 +/- key indi- approach of focusing on key metrics Excellence? mt
cators that define operational excel- that can be quantified and compared
lence, the metrics have to between manufacturing companies. Dr. Denis Maier is a Professor of Practice in Operations at the
Business School of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.
> have a significant impact on these Performance levels are considered to He has more than 20 years of international industry and manage-
two criteria be excellent. ment consulting experience in manufacturing operations and was a
Group Vice President at BMW.
> need to cover the entire supply There are three categories to define

COLUMN BY | BILL RIETZ
B UY AMERICAN
SILVEX INC.
M ANAGEMENT
T ECHNOLOGY
M ARKETING
C ONTENTS
E CONOMY
D IALOGUE
EASTEC
N EWS
More With Less And while the thought of identifying

another ERP solution might make
you restless, it shouldn’t stop you
is an inflexible erp system keeping from finding the best solution for
you up at night? your business. After all, this decision

has the potential to have the biggest
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// impact on your business for the fore-
seeable future—choosing the right
Did you know that more than 33 percent of businesses are solution may mean the difference
dissatisfied with their ERP solution due to the high cost of between exceeding expectations and
maintenance and lack of flexibility and usability (according to gaining customers or failing to meet
TEC, 2015 – SMB and Enterprise ERP snapshot)? Are you one demand and losing customers. How-
of them? If so, you probably have made a considerable invest- ever, there are ways to make this de-
ment in your current system, both in time and in money. cision easier. Here are a few things

BILL RIETZ | COLUMN BY
business owners need to take into

consideration when shopping for a
new business management system:
Evaluate your
company’s needs
Before you make a decision, do your
homework in the planning stages of
upgrading or purchasing a brand new
system. The first step is to perform a
complete review of all of the require-
ments in accounting, manufacturing,
engineering, data collection and any
other essential departments. Evaluate
what is working now and what isn’t.
Take stock of which processes are inef-

ficient and make note of why. These are
the kinds of details that can help guide
SILVEX INC.
B UY AMERICAN
M ANAGEMENT
T ECHNOLOGY
your IT-decision-making, and tracking
M ARKETING
C ONTENTS
D IALOGUE
E CONOMY
EASTEC
redundancies will pay off 10-fold in
N EWS
helping you identify inefficiencies.
Gain insight from

active users When choosing a system identify how the user interface should be clean and
Once you begin your search, ask your you are planning on growing your tailored to the employee using it, no
sales representative if you can speak business. If you are looking for lean matter where they are in the world.
with a customer currently using their growth and want to expand without In today’s business environment,
system—preferably one that is in adding employees, then it is import- growth means doing more with less.
your specific industry, with similar ant to choose an ERP system that does Having the ability to easily scale
growth pain points. Ask them point- not require an IT person to manage it when you need to meet unpredicted
ed questions about their experience on a day-to-day basis. Be sure to iden- demand should be a deciding factor
such as, did you customize your sys- tify your exact needs before engaging when choosing a business manage-
tem, and if so how long did that cus- a vendor. ment system. While we know choos-
tomization take? Does the solution ing a new business management sys-
provide mobile support? Are there Evaluate the importance of tem can be an overwhelming process
any issues with customer service? If anywhere accessibility as you look for greater flexibility in
you could do it over again, would you Think about your workday and about all of your IT choices, if you do your
go with the same system and the same how many times you work from a de- due diligence and remain focused on
vendor? These types of questions vice other than your laptop or desk- what your business really needs, these
with a reference can pinpoint where top. Whatever business management proof points will make managing that
and when a new ERP system will have solution you choose should give you choice less difficult. mt
the biggest positive impact on your the ability to access your data anytime
company’s growth. and anywhere as well as on the device Bill Rietz is a vice president of management for Sage North Amer-
of your own choosing. Additionally, ica, leading product management and product strategy across the
Sage enterprise product portfolio in North America, including Sage
Keep in mind what you want the system you choose should make it ERP X3. Prior to his current position, Rietz was executive director
Asking questions of other businesses easy for your employees to access the of product management at YP, heading up product strategy and
development activities for YP’s local search advertising product
is very helpful, but don’t lose sight of data they need quickly and seamless- portfolio. He earned an MBA at USC in Los Angeles.
your own business goals and needs. ly. In order to maximize efficiency,

COLUMN BY | JOHN THIBAULT
R EGIONAL MANUFACTURING
C OMPETITIVE EDGE
B UY AMERICAN
SILVEX INC.
M ANAGEMENT
T ECHNOLOGY
A CCOUNTING
O P E R AT I O N S
L EADERSHIP
W ORKFORCE
M ARKETING
C ONTENTS
L AST PAGE
E CONOMY
D IALOGUE
P OLITICS
EASTEC
N EWS
Patriot Games: Getting

Heard in the Political Arena
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Spending millions on lobbyists is

Successful manufacturers have a plan for just about any con-
one tactic to deal with this complex-
tingency. They’re thinking ahead about adopting new tech-
ity – though not always a successful
nology, cutting energy costs and handling health care issues. one, as demonstrated by the recent
Increasingly though, one of their biggest challenges is dealing Comcast-Time Warner debacle. The
with the complex landscape of increasing regulations, politics alternative is for company leaders to
and government. The decisions made by people in state capi- engage in some tough evaluation and
tals and in Washington, D.C., affect every aspect of how they creative thinking about how to get
do business. through the political noise. They need

JOHN THIBAULT | COLUMN BY
new strategies to promote their prior- an auction … Politics is far messier, it taps into a universal value (e.g.
ities and get the politicians and policy and far more interesting than such security, safety). Can it be re-
decision-makers on their side. simplistic models might suggest. And framed so a negative idea (drones
almost certainly, the increased com- are scary) becomes a positive one
Politics Permeates petition for political outcomes has (drones are useful and helpful)?
According to the National Manufac- made it even more unpredictable.” > Understand that it’s easier to
turers Association, top issues for man- As an illustration, look at the effi- block an idea or proposal than it is
ufacturers include energy, health care, ciency of the 113th Congress. Accord- to get one passed.
infrastructure, regulatory reform, tax- ing to Govtrack.us, over the last two
es, trade and immigration. Naturally, years, it has seen about 10,000 active Another fact of life in politics is that
issues that directly affect a company’s bills, only about three percent of which lawmakers looking toward the next
operations – its costs, profits, expan- were passed. It’s probably no coinci- election want evidence that there is
sion plans and employment outlook – dence that Gallup reports that Ameri- real benefit to their constituents if
are of utmost concern to any company. cans’ approval rating for Congress has they support a certain issue or real
Yet it can be difficult to communicate ranged between 12 percent and 15 per- harm to constituents if they oppose
R EGIONAL MANUFACTURING
the urgency of these issues to deci- cent in the early part of this year. it. Think of the urgency that helped
sion-makers, let alone persuade them promote the health care reform law
C OMPETITIVE EDGE
to share the same priorities. Moving Forward despite zero support from one side
SILVEX INC.
B UY AMERICAN
The political process has become Tough scrutiny is called for as com- of the aisle. “Forty million Americans
M ANAGEMENT
T ECHNOLOGY
A CCOUNTING
O P E R AT I O N S
W ORKFORCE
L EADERSHIP
M ARKETING
C ONTENTS
L AST PAGE
so complicated that it is inscrutable panies evaluate the realistic chances have no health insurance!”
D IALOGUE
E CONOMY
P OLITICS
EASTEC
even to government staffers. That for getting action on their political

N EWS
helps keep lobbyists in business, ac- priorities. Manufacturers need to re- The Public Relations Angle
cording to author Lee Drutman, who alize that in a sense they’re competing Manufacturers often fail to generate
notes that sometimes they seem to be for a limited resource in the form of support for their issues with messag-
the only ones who understand what’s a legislator’s time and attention. In es that resonate with the public. Also,
been proposed and adopted. But it addition, manufacturers are often up they often fail to reach into their rank-
certainly doesn’t help ordinary citi- against other issues that are more in- and-file workforce for support that
zens who are trying to run their com- herently compelling. could effectively bolster their issues
panies and promote their interests. To get involved with the political with lawmakers.
Drutman outlines the scope of the process in a meaningful way, start by The debate over Trade Promotion
problem in his book, “The Business of following some basic guidelines: Authority (TPA) is a prime example
America Is Lobbying: How Corpora- > Don’t have a long to-do list. Focus of an issue that both sides have tried
tion Became Politicized and Politics on just a couple of high-priority to frame using an issue of importance
Became More Corporate” (Oxford issues on which you want public to lawmakers and their constituents:
University Press, 2015). He notes that officials to take action. jobs. This was either job-creating
with the proliferation of clashing in- > Look for likely sponsors and peo- legislation or job-killing legislation,
terests, it’s harder to change the sta- ple who will support the compa- depending on which side of the argu-
tus quo. And when legislation does ny’s or industry’s issues. Scruti- ment one favored.
pass, it tends to be extremely com- nize any bills that are similar as Companies must work with their
plex, reflecting all the bargains and well as those that might compete employees, supporters and advocates
trade-offs that had to be made in the with it. to create frameworks and fresh nar-
process. As an example, think of the > Consider the funding that will be ratives to propel their priorities and
Affordable Care Act and its regula- needed to promote specific legis- interests forward. mt
tions, one version of which contained lation, as well as possible oppor-
at least 10,000 pages, according to the tunities for favorable mentions in John Thibault is the founder of iLobby, a cloud-based lobbying
platform. He previously served at MCA in government affairs and
Washington Post. the media. as marketing vice president at eBay and Financial Engines. He can
be reached at john@ilobby.co or 650 490-0987. Twitter @ajohnthi-
Writes Drutman, “The policy pro- > Remember that imagery is im- bault or on the internet at www.ilobby.co.
cess is neither a vending machine nor portant. Frame the issue so that

COLUMN BY | STACI DAVIDSON
quirement trends. There were more

than 50 speakers, including military
officers, senior government person-
nel and officials from organizations
such as ULA, Orbital ATK, NASA JPL,
SMC, Boeing, Ball Aerospace, SpaceX,
Blue Origin, DARPA and Northrop
Grumman. The issues they discussed
included competition in the launch
services market, how military and
government organizations can de-
velop effective partnerships with
commercial entities, the latest devel-
opments in reusable launch vehicles
and technologies, and updates from
NASA and its partners on the status

Space Strategies
of the Commercial Crew program.
After the show, NASA announced
B UY AMERICAN
SILVEX INC.
that the Commercial Crew program
space tech expo 2015 was an ordered its first crew rotation mis-
EASTEC
sion from Boeing. SpaceX, which suc-

outstanding success. cessfully performed a pad abort test
of its flight vehicle in May, is expected
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
to receive its first order later this year.
The space business is changing. While U.S. military and govern- Determination of which company will
ment face shrinking budgets, collaborating with the burgeoning fly its mission to the station first will
commercial space sector can help provide the expertise and tech- be made at a later time.
nology required to continue delivering missions safely and cost Missions flown to the station on
effectively. Meanwhile, small satellites plus affordable launchers Boeing’s Crew Space Transportation
(CST)-100 and SpaceX’s Crew Drag-
promise nothing less than the democratization of space.
on spacecraft will restore America’s
These were the types of issues ad- Among the industry leaders in human spaceflight capabilities and
dressed during Space Tech Expo 2015 attendance were Airbus, Amazon, increase the amount of scientific re-
in May, which was held in Long Beach, Boeing, DLR, Honeywell, Lockheed search that can be conducted aboard
Calif. The event saw more than 200 Martin, NASA JPL, United Launch the orbiting laboratory. “Final devel-
exhibitors, which was a 33 percent in- Alliance, Ames and Glenn Research opment and certification are top pri-
crease from the previous event, and Centers, Goddard Space Flight Cen- ority for NASA and our commercial
more than 20 percent of the exhib- ter, Sierra Nevada, U.S. Air Force and providers, but having an eye on the fu-
itors came from outside the United Virgin Galactic. Exhibitors included ture is equally important to the com-
States. Space Tech Expo had a 45 per- Alliance Spacesystems, Micro Craft mercial crew and station programs,”
cent increase in attendance from the Inc., Experior Laboratories, Vision says Kathy Lueders, manager of NA-
2014 show, and more than 3,100 pro- Engineering Solutions, Precision Test SA’s Commercial Crew program.
fessionals from the space and aero- Solutions, Space Vector Corp. and With this year’s Space Tech Expo a
space industry attended the three-day Space Information Laboratories. success, the event is already looking
event, which included an expansive Outside the exhibit hall, the Space to 2016. Next year, the show will move
exhibit hall, presentations, product Tech Conference provided 285 del- to Pasadena, Calif. and be co-located
launches, speakers, panel discussions egates with greater insights into with the Aerospace Electrical Sys-
and workshops. industry business, strategy and re- tems Expo from May 24 to 26. mt

West
22. Asteelflash
34. 38. 42. 29. Micro Metals Inc.
32. MTI Metal Technology
34. Borla Performance Industries
38. Pace Shave
42. Diversified Machine Systems
44. Reuland Electric

West
TECH
DIVERSITY
the technology sector is booming and stem jobs are hot, and the
congressional hispanic caucus institute wants latinos to be in
on the action in greater number.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) led a dele-

gation of its board of directors and advisory council, including Hispanic
members of Congress, to a Tech Community Summit in Silicon Valley
hosted by Google on June 5. In addition to the summit, the CHCI delega-
tion held a high-level meeting with tech companies.
Last year, after mounting pressure from diversity advocates, diversity and address how technology companies can work to-
leading technology companies made public their gender and wards better outcomes by:
race employment statistics, revealing a startling diversity gap, > Replicating the most successful STEM and tech programs;
with Latinos being one of the most underrepresented minori- > Investing in higher education as well as Hispanic-serving
ties. The numbers revealed, on average, that top technology institutions;
companies had less than 4 percent of Latinos in their workforce. > Strengthening recruitment and retention strategies, in-
“We need each other and need to work together to address cluding investing in paid scholarships and internships;
these very low numbers,” says Rep. Linda T. Sánchez, CHCI > Supporting Latino start-ups and looking to Latino firms
chair. “I applaud the companies who have shared their employ- through procurement processes; and
ment figures – what gets measured gets results. > Increasing Latino representation on their boards.
“We know that the tech sector is fueling job growth,” Sán-
chez adds. “The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there will “We advocated for a comprehensive approach and critical
be approximately 1 million newly created STEM jobs in the investments so talented young Latinos can gain access to this
next 10 years. That corresponds with an increase of 16 million critical job sector,” says Esther Aguilera, CHCI president and
Latinos in the same period.” CEO. “Silicon Valley does not need to look very far to recruit
The Tech Community Summit included Latino representa- more Latinos and CHCI hopes to partner with them to ensure
tives of Silicon Valley technology companies, start-ups, non- they are providing jobs not only for coders and engineers, but
profits and associations joining CHCI’s board and advisory in marketing, law, human resources and the many other areas
council for roundtable discussions to address how best to de- of work they employ.”
velop a pipeline of Latino talent in the tech sector. CHCI has invited the technology companies to continue the
The conversation continued with high-level discussions at conversation at its Public Policy Conference in Washington,
several of Silicon Valley’s top companies to advance Latino D.C., this October 6-7. mt

Asteelflash
www.asteelflash.com / Revenue: $1 billion / Corporate HQ: Paris / Americas HQ: Fremont, Calif. /
West
Employees: 6,500 / Specialty: Electronic manufacturing service provider
albert yanez sr. (left)

and craig young are the
leadership team guiding
asteelflash in the americas.
Persistent Customer Focus

asteelflash guides its electronic manufacturing service customers through
the entire product lifecycle. by tim o’connor
In today’s climate, major elec- value propositions to support in- in North America in close proxim-
tronic manufacturing services com- dustry segments such as aerospace, ity to their headquarters and R&D
panies are often categorized like a industrial, automotive, telecommu- resources. This desire fits perfectly
wedding cake with several tier’s de- nications, energy management, mil- with Asteelflash’s America’s locations
fining the size and scale of the com- itary and defense as well as medical. in California’s Silicon Valley and Ra-
pany. Asteelflash prefers to associate It has taken years for these markets leigh, N.C. “In addition,” Yanez Sr.
its identity not on size or revenue, to widely adopt outsourcing of their says, “the company is able to sustain
but on its core strengths and capabil- manufacturing. “Today,” says Albert highly skilled manufacturing jobs in
ities on a global footprint. The com- Yanez Sr., president of Americas and the United States.”
pany’s core values and capabilities corporate executive vice president, It is through that local manufac-
are geared towards supporting high “outsourcing has become a significant turing focus that Asteelflash builds
complexity industry segments across trend and offers tremendous oppor- an advantage over its competitors.
a broad range of product volume, tunities for Asteelflash.” These cus- The company has 19 production facil-
and not those such as the mass-mar- tomers have a tremendous footprint ities across Europe, Asia, Africa and
ket, extreme high volume consumer locally in the United States and, given North America, including locations
products such as cell phones, tablets, the size and complexity of their prod- in Fremont, Calif., Raleigh, N.C., and
and personal computers. ucts and devices, there is still a strong Tijuana, Mexico. Asteelflash’s global
Asteelflash focuses its efforts and desire to outsource and manufacture footprint is a key strength and dif-

Asteelflash West
ferentiator not generally found with

a company its size, but more often
associated with large Tier I EMS con-
sumer product oriented companies.
Having the ability to nurture clients’
product concepts from inception to
complete deployment of manufactur-
ing in a multi-regional business model
is the ultimate journey and partner-
ship, according to Vice President of
Business Development Craig Young.
Asteelflash customers take full ad-
vantage of the most common working
model, which is to develop, qualify and
introduce clients’ products locally in asteelflash’s regional
facilities offer localized
U.S. facilities with a seamless transfer electronic manufacturing
services for customers.
to one of Asteelflash’s low-cost geog-
raphy locations when the product is of Asteelflash Group, acquired Flash tion partner of both our PayShield
stable and mature. With a common Electronics, a leading American EMS and nShield product lines allows
and standard approach to equipment company founded in 1994. Thales to deliver world class levels of
and processes, Young says this is a re- performance and customer satisfac-
peatable, scalable model and can occur Broad Capabilities tion,” says Mark Goodson, director
within an aggressive time line depend- The company offers services that of supply chain for Thales e-Security
ing on the customer’s needs and once touch on every phase of bringing a Worldwide, a global provider of data
again emphasizes the importance of product to market, from develop- protection solutions.
“local but global” service offering. ment to prototyping, manufacturing To provide quality service to such
“We have had a long and solid rela- and postproduction support. Glob- a diverse group of clients, each As-
tionship here in the heart of Silicon ally, Asteelflash’s sales comes from teelflash facility has obtained a num-
Valley with Asteelflash, who have industrial clients, such as makers of ber of manufacturing certifications,
worked with us on a new product in- automation components, point-of- including ISO 9000, ISO 14001, AS
troduction and supported us with vol- sale systems, GPS tracking and se- 9100 for aerospace, TL 9000 for tele-
ume manufacturing,” says Bill Jamaca, curity devices. Other significant seg- com, ISO TS 16949 for automotive
vice president of operations of Imag- ments include energy management, and ISO 13485 for medical. The three
ine Communications, a global leader in data processing, lighting, power sup- North American facilities offer ad-
video infrastructure, advertising sys- plies, smart meters, solar electronics, ditional advantages for Asteelflash
tems and workflow management solu- broadband equipment and set-top customers. The Fremont location has
tions that serve media networks. “Hav- boxes. Asteelflash facilities also pro- approximately 200,000 square feet of
ing a local partner that understands duce data recorders for the railroad manufacturing floor space with mul-
the demands of high-tech companies industry, infotainment systems for tiple surface-mount technology lines.
and can demonstrate flexibility in our automobiles, surveillance monitor- It sits in the heart of Silicon Valley
fast-moving video content delivery ing and flight simulation systems for and is located 34 miles from San Fran-
environment is critical to our needs the defense and aerospace industries cisco International Airport, 10 miles
and is what makes Asteelflash Fremont and glucometers for the medical in- from San Jose International Airport
stand out from the competition.” dustry. If it’s a part of the commercial and 21 miles from Oakland Interna-
Asteelflash Group was created in and digital livelihood, there is a good tional Airport. The Silicon Valley site
February 2008 after Asteel, an EMS chance Asteelflash had a hand in it. has a broad customer mix including
company based in the suburbs of Par- “Working with Asteelfash as our transportation and data processing.
is founded by Gilles Benhamou, CEO global manufacturing and distribu- In fact, this site has been the strong

West Asteelflash
a variety of companies and industries.

“By design, each site is fully equipped,
capable and certified to support all
customers across every industry seg-
ment,” Young says. “It’s been a long
standing strategic initiative to diver-
sify and prevent over-reliance on any
one market at any given time. This, of
course, allows true flexibility as well
as scalability to meet the peeks and
troughs of the ever demanding EMS
world,” Young explains.
Still, the regional concentration of
asteelflash’s three north
certain industries means that some
american facilities offer a Asteelflash facilities will natural-
range of capabilities.
ly form specializations and become
foothold for several years in servic- bers. Asteelflash’s Raleigh location centers of excellence to meet local
ing the industry leaders in the rapidly is also ITAR certified (International customers’ production and technol-
growing electric vehicle market. Ca- Traffic in Arms Regulations), which al- ogy needs. Being able to provide the
pabilities include design for manu- lows it to manufacture products used best support through experience and
facturability (DFM), printed circuit in military and defense applications. value-engineering services requires
board assembly with SMT, Selective The Asteelflash site in Tijuana, expert knowledge and talented in-
Solder, AOI, X-ray, PTH, Flying Probe, Mexico is conveniently located less dividuals cohesively working as one
ICT, FCT, IPC class 2&3, final system than 25 miles from San Diego Inter- team. “It’s about developing the prop-
integration, burn in testing, reliabil- national airport and only 2 miles from er pool of expertise in a single region
ity & environmental testing, press the U.S. and Mexico border. This site that is easily leveraged and transfer-
fit solutions and automated confor- caters to customers across a variety of rable from site-to-site when required.
mal coating. Additionally, they also industry segments. Situated in a trade This optimizes our efficiencies at the
provide CTO, BTO, repair and refur- free industrial zone, customers with same time exceeding our customers
bishment and complete fulfillment, headquarters in southern California requirements,” Yanez Sr. says.
including reverse logistics. take advantage of the proximity, low
Asteelflash Raleigh is situated in cost and ease of doing business with Serving Clients
North Carolina’s High Tech Research Asteelflash Mexico. Like the other “Asteelflash customers range from the
Triangle district and is only 1.5 miles facilities, it offers surface-mount top industry leaders to up and coming
from Raleigh Durham International technology SMT, PTH, selective wave technology driven product catego-
airport. At just under 90,000 square soldering,, AOI, X-ray, ICT, FCT, box ry game changers,” Young says. The
feet, the facility offers a wide range build, conformal coating and cable as- majority of Asteelflash’s clients have
of capabilities similar to Fremont, in- sembly. This location is one of only a been with the company beyond eight
cluding PCBA and system integration, few ITAR certified and approved man- to 10 years – a trend Young wants to
press fit solutions, four-wave solder- ufacturing facilities in Mexico. see continue. “We are looking for long
ing/selective wave, stencil design and All these sites are capable and qual- term partnerships with clear mutu-
HALT/HASS environmental cham- ified to meet the production needs for al benefits for each party,” he says.
“It’s not just about the capabilities
“working with asteelflash as our global manufac- and service, it’s equally important to
develop relationships within all lev-
turing and distribution partner ... allows thales to els of our customers’ organizations.”
deliver world class levels of performance and cus- These relationships often evolve
tomer satisfaction.” - Mark Goodson, Thales e-Security into lasting friendships, Young

West Asteelflash
adds. The customers that fit well

with the Asteelflash family are those
seeking design and manufacturing
services for products across various
volumes, high mix and complexity.
Asteelflash Fremont in particular has
a proven track record for choosing
and working with selective startups
over the years where Asteelflash has
contributed to its clients’ successes a wide range of capabilities
enables asteelflash to
and growth. Many of these companies complete any size job.
today have now been acquired by the
giant original equipment manufac-
turers in their industry. “Flexibility,
speed, nimble, initiative are all words
often used by Asteelflash’s clients –
especially during the development
and New Product Introduction phase
of the manufacturing cycle,” explains
Suresh Chohan, vice president of pro-
gram management and supply chain.
Asteelflash has a flat organization
from group-level down to the three re-
gions of Europe, the Middle East and
Africa, the Americas and Asia Pacific.
albert yanez sr. says the
This is unique in a company of As- trend toward outsourcing
has created opportunities.
teelflash’s size but critical to succeed
and to make quick informed decisions
that ultimately benefit customers. ysis & robustness test and measure- for its customers through a corporate
ment engineering, mobile and em- excellence system built on five key
Beyond Just Manufacturing bedded software and more. pillars: quality, human resources, lean
Asteelflash offers a number of ser- For those clients who already have a manufacturing, technology/design
vices aimed at making its customers sound mature design, Asteelflash can and supply chain. Yanez Sr. says those
successful. Through its joint ven- not only integrate the circuit board standards are the backbone and foun-
ture and entity with Adetel, a lead- or electronics with mechanical com- dation in all 19 of Asteelflash’s facili-
ing global design services company ponents, but can help it to reach dis- ties worldwide.
with more than 600 design engineers tributors or store shelves. In addition Although Asteelflash’s strength is
worldwide, Asteelflash can fully sup- to its manufacturing capabilities, the its local manufacturing services, the
port the early involvement of design company’s Fremont & Raleigh facility company understands that clients
and development from concept to re- also functions as a fulfillment service also have needs on a global scale.
ality. Another critical differentiator is center bundling several components Through its North American facil-
Asteelflash’s capacity to tap into the and configuring them as close to the ities such as the Silicon Valley site,
capabilities of electronic/electrical end market as possible. From Fre- Asteelflash offers New Product Intro-
engineering, analog, digital, power mont or Raleigh, Asteelflash can ship duction (NPI) capabilities, a program
electronics power supply, software the finished products or bundles di- that allows clients to develop, qualify,
and field-programmable gate array, rectly to distribution centers or the validate and stabilize before seam-
electromechanical engineering CAD client’s end-customers. lessly transitioning to higher volume
and industrialization, thermal anal- The company assures satisfaction production at one of the company’s

West Asteelflash
business model of FastTrack/NPI ca-

pability allows faster time to market
of our products, increasing our com-
petitive advantage.”
New Markets
With technology constantly chang-
ing and new devices emerging near-
ly every week, Asteelflash is always
seeking out new markets to serve.
Given Asteelflash’s relationships with
automakers and the energy industry,
the company is actively collaborating
asteelflash aids customers
from product conception
with its clients in the growth sector of
to manufacturing and with
post-production support.
electrical vehicles. The power sources
derived from that technology will also
and seven plated-through-hole lines converge with complementing cus-
capable of producing 18.8 million tomers in the energy storage space.
placements each day. This emerging technology and market
The NPI environment offers a “safe is critical for many renewable energy
launch” approach to a lower cost resources; whether it is the conver-
solution such as Asteelflash China, sion or storage of energy, the growth
Young says. Because the Suzhou facil- potential is enormous and Asteelflash
ity and all Asteelflash facilities use a is at the forefront of this manufactur-
common platform of equipment and ing process.
processes, clients whose products One such client is Eguana Tech-
have reached a critical mass in the nologies, a Canadian company that
market can move production from designs intelligent power electronics
the local Asteelflash facility to one of for distributed smart grid and ener-
the low cost locations such as China gy storage applications. To meet its
in a structured and timely manner. rising production needs and the de-
Further more, clients who adopt this mand of the charge response market,
working model shorten their learn- Eguana this summer is transitioning
ing curve and ultimately increase ef- manufacturing for the U.S. market to
ficiency and productivity. Once the Asteelflash’s Fremont facility.
transition to the Suzhou facility is “The partnership with Asteelflash
complete, the increased production will reduce our manufactured cost of
capabilities allow clients to reach a the product in the two leading ener-
global customer base while cutting gy storage markets while at the same
manufacturing costs. time allow our customers to partici-
craig young stands in front “Asteelflash is essentially an ex- pate in domestic manufacturing in-
of asteelflash’s silicon tension of our business,” says Bruce centives for the Bi-Drex platform,”
valley facility in fremont.
Mobley, director of procurement for Eguana COO Justin Holland says.
low-cost locations such as Tunisa, Anritsu, a Japanese company spe- “Asteelflash was the perfect-sized
North Africa, Pilzen, Czech Republic, cializing in test and measurement partner that provides a customer-fo-
Tijuana, Mexico or Suzhou, China. equipment. “They deliver exception- cused local feel but global presence
For example the Suzhou location has al manufacturing services not only lo- that aligns with our strategic growth
14 surface-mount technology lines cally, but also in China. Utilizing their initiatives.” mt

Micro Metals Inc.
www.micrometalsinc.com / Headquarters: Colorado Springs, Colo. / Employees: 125+ /
West
Specialty: Custom metal products
Precision Quality
extensive capabilities and a focus on quality have
helped micro metals succeed. by eric slack
Micro Metals Inc. was created
in 1972 to meet the needs of the
then-emerging electric enclosure
market. The company’s current
ownership took over operations in
the early 1980s, and the company has
since grown from an eight-man shop
in 5,000 square feet into a company
with more than 125 employees oper-
ating in more than 160,000 square
feet. Today, it is a highly automat-
ed manufacturer of custom metal
products operating out of a modern
facility in Colorado Springs, Colo.
“Our reputation is built on pro-
viding quality parts with fast deliv-
ery and complete one-stop service,”
Vice President of Operations Greg
Driscoll says. “We have complete fab-
rication, machining, finishing and as-
sembly capabilities all under one roof
so we can eliminate headaches for our
customers and improve lead times.”
micro metals built its reputation
As a full service, single-source man- on providing quality parts with
fast delivery and complete one-
ufacturer of precision metal parts, stop service.
Micro Metals has invested in state-
of-the-art machinery. This has result- punching, blanking and punching, customer requirements, investing
ed in high speed, consistent products waterjet, assembly and support, en- time and resources to meet custom-
and reduced costs to customers. gineering and surface finishing. er needs in industries that include
“Our team at Micro Metals is ded- telecommunications, the U.S. mili-
Depth of Service icated to doing the job correctly, tary, energy, climate control, oil and
From cutting precision compo- and we have the knowledge and ex- gas, construction, secure storage,
nents on automated lasers to form- perience needed to meet that goal,” aerospace and government.
ing, welding and painting of custom Driscoll says. “We maintain a work “For us, there is no such thing as a
parts, Micro Metals offers a diverse environment with the best ma- typical customer,” Driscoll says. “Our
array of services. Its capabilities chines, the best people and the best projects vary from retail to aerospace
include robotic and manual press service to customers.” and from hundreds of dollars to mil-
brakes, automated laser cutting, This diverse array of capabilities lions of dollars. We try and keep our
robotic and manual welding, au- has allowed Micro Metals to provide customer base as broad as possible so
tomated powder and liquid coat- parts to a wide variety of compa- we have a hand in many industries.”
ing, automated coil punching and nies in a number of industries. The Micro Metals likes to target long-
rollforming, CNC machining and company has learned to understand run customers so it can devel-

West Micro Metals Inc.
For example, Micro Metals recent-

ly installed a robotic press brake cell
that allows the company to hold tight
tolerances. Although the cell is very
productive, the cost of the invest-
ment did not provide greater output
as compared to manual press brake
machinery. However, the company
still made the investment.
“The benefit of having the best
machinery is that it produces supe-
rior quality and repeatability, and
it prepares us for a new way of do-
ing business in the future,” Driscoll
says. “An operator no longer has to
manually bend heavy blanks and risk
fatigue or injury. He can produce
more parts, better parts and because
of that it attracts better operators
and hopefully enhances our reputa-
tion for quality. That is just one ex-
ample of the type of investment we
are eager to make at Micro Metals.”
Looking ahead, Micro Metals is
micro metals invests in the keeping close track of the trends
most advanced machinery to
ensure superior quality and impacting its industries to help it
improved productivity.
achieve growth goals for 2015 and be-
op a relationship and service the Chemical Agent Resistant Coating yond. Driscoll thinks the economy is
account. The company’s best path (CARC) paint certified and holds a coming back, but not all industries are
toward growth has always been ex- number of welding certifications. coming back as quickly as expected.
cellent customer service, high-qual-
ity parts and on-time delivery. When ‘our team at micro metals is dedicated to doing
Micro Metals services its accounts the job correctly, and we have the knowledge
in a professional manner, its reputa-
tion helps the company to reach its
and experience needed to meet that goal.’
growth goals.
Ensuring quality is another focal Preparing to Grow “There is a tension in the global
area for Micro Metals, which is why The company continues to look manufacturing world between im-
it utilizes several quality systems to for key investment areas that it be- porting and producing locally, and
meet the needs of its broad custom- lieves are essential to its strategic I believe local production is going
er base. Combining its quality sys- plans. Micro Metals’ goal has always to start winning,” Driscoll says. “In
tems with a number of certifications been to invest in automation and ad- 2015, we are going to continue to do
helps ensure that customers have all vanced manufacturing techniques what we always do: work hard to win
of their needs met at one location. to compete with the best manufac- business and service the customers
The company is ISO 9001:2008 reg- turers. Sometimes, however, these we already have. We will continue
istered and has one IATCA/IRCA technologies are expensive and do to invest in our equipment and em-
lead auditor and eight trained in- not provide the company with a ployees so we can continue to do
ternal auditors. In addition, it is quick return on investment. what we love for a long time.” mt

MTI Metal Technology
www.mtialbany.com / Revenue: $5 million - $10 million / Headquarters: Albany, Ore. /
West
Employees: 18 / Specialty: Reactive and refractory metals
Industry
Pioneers
mti’s new manufacturing
capabilities enhance
its customer service.
by janice hoppe
Metal Technology (MTI) has de-
veloped a reputation for reliability
and quality over the past 44 years be-
cause of its innovative approach to
precision forming processes using re-
active and refractory alloys. “We have
always focused on high-temperature,
corrosion-resistant alloys that are
produced here in Albany, Ore.,” Di-
rector of Sales Steve Smith says. “Ni-
obium, titanium and zirconium are
some of the alloys used heavily in pro-
pulsion systems for rocket and aero-
space applications.”
Albany has a rich heritage of met-
allurgy dating back to the early 1940s
when President Franklin D. Roosevelt
tapped the Albany branch of the U.S.
Bureau of Mines to develop a process
to produce these metals, Smith says.
MTI began as B-J Enterprises in
mti says the fact that it is
1971 and quickly grew in size and ca- diversified has helped it
weather the ups and downs
pabilities. Today, MTI specializes in in the economy.
the precision fabrication and custom
manufacturing of high-temperature, MTI works with diverse markets cause when one industry is down an-
corrosion-resistant alloys. “We have and industries, including aerospace, other is up.”
developed our processes to include defense, chemical processing, coat-
CNC machining, water-jet cutting, ings, high-energy physics and nucle- New Techniques
and deep-draw forming and forg- ar medicine. Customers range from Custom manufacturing is a major part
ing,” Smith notes. “The deep-draw national laboratories to space-travel of MTI’s business and the company
process is our claim to fame.” Over prime contractors that rely on the prides itself on being AS9100 and ISO
the years, the company has accu- company to deliver. MTI meets that 9001:2008 certified. “We have a pro-
mulated an impressive inventory of challenge daily and in 2014 achieved cess-based approach that focuses on
tooling for its press operations. Each a 93 percent on-time delivery rate. continual improvement and meeting
tool is machined in-house and then “One thing to note about our busi- customer requirements,” Smith ex-
heat-treated to harden before being ness is that we are diversified,” Smith plains. “Our calibration systems are
used in production. says. “We can weather downturns be- designed to standardized equipment

MTI Metal Technology West
and tooling to MIL-STD-45662 requirements – meeting but with lower environmental impact and workplace
the high standards set by the National Institute of Stan- hazards. “We have gone green in our metal-cleaning pro-
dards and Technology.” cess and in doing so we have saved ourselves time and
Staying true to its roots, the company continues to in- it’s healthier for our employees,” Deep Draw Supervisor
novate by developing new manufacturing techniques that Gary Warnock says.
enhance its customer service. “In 2014 we began our ad- In a different green initiative, the company has made
ditive manufacturing initiative and developed techniques another improvement to its deep-draw process that also
for producing quality parts from powder metal,” Director provides safety benefits to its 18-person manufacturing
of Engineering Jason Stitzel says. “We’re now leveraging staff. “Over the years, we have used a proprietary lubri-
that knowledge to produce parts that we refer to as ‘hy- cant in our draw process that was acetone-based and we
brid,’ in that we can produce parts that incorporate both are switching to a water-based lube,” Warnock explains.
additive and traditional manufacturing methods.” Moving forward, MTI plans to continue focusing on
MTI can capture the benefits of additive manufactur- exotic metals and alloys as it has since day one because it
ing for highly complex geometry of a component and has become a specialist in those materials over the years.
then transition to traditional CNC methods for less “These metals are not something a lot of other compa-
complex portions. “The hybrid approach is available to nies work with because of their high cost and properties
our customers and we’ll prescribe it – if it represents the that make them a challenge to manufacture,” Smith says.
most economical way to manufacture their component,” “MTI has 40-plus years working with them and we’ll con-
Marketing Manager Matt Crateau says. tinue developing techniques to produce high-precision
In 2014, MTI 3-D printed density trials in a key alloy products in the most economical way.” mt
required for space travel. C-103 is a niobium-based alloy
that contains about 10 percent hafnium and one percent
titanium and is used in space applications because of
its formability, cost, weight and reliability, the compa-
ny says. MTI became the first to use a powder-bed laser
additive manufacturing system to produce solids from
C-103. “In 2014 we ran trials with C-103,” Crateau notes.
“We are now partnering with a space propulsion compa-
ny for the second phase of development.”
In phase one, MTI’s goal was to determine the right pa-
rameters between the laser power and speed that the 3-D
printer uses. “We learned where we need to be to achieve
density of C-103,” Smith explains.
In another recent development project, MTI began
hot-forging molybdenum. The process uses CNC-con-
trolled force and depth on the company’s largest hydrau-
lic press to create a near-net shape that can then be preci-
sion machined to meet final dimensions. “We’re excited
about moving ahead with hot-forging. Our team includes
experts in forming alloys in a way that maximize the per-
formance in finished parts,” Smith said.
Going Green
MTI is also focused on developing and implementing en-
vironmentally sound practices. Most recently, it made a
process change to drastically reduce its strong acid use
in chemical finishing by converting to an automated pol-
ishing process. The process delivers a superior product,

Borla Performance Industries
www.borla.com / 2014 revenue: $70 million / Headquarters: Johnson City, Tenn. /
West
Employees: 200+ / Specialty: Automotive exhaust systems /
Trusted
Name
borla performance
industries is dedicated to
supplying superior
systems. by chris petersen
Whether the customer is a vehicle
owner looking for aftermarket parts
or a major automaker looking to in-
corporate quality components into
its products, the name “Borla” means
the same thing. For nearly 40 years,
Borla Performance Industries has
supplied manufacturers and after-
market distributors with high-qual-
ity exhaust systems made to last and
provide the best performance on the
market. Vice President of Sales and
Marketing David Borla says the com-
pany continues to hold its ground as
a market leader despite the intense
competition it faces from all sides be-
cause it has never stopped working to
improve its products.
for almost four decades,
Based in Johnson City, Tenn., Borla borla has supplied high-
quality exhaust systems
Performance Industries supplies ex- made to last.
haust system products to distributors
on the aftermarket side of the auto as the first to offer a long-term war- him to repair Volkswagens, a skill Alex
parts industry as well as designs and ranty on those products and the first Borla developed further as a mechanic
manufactures exhaust systems and to use stainless steel. All of Borla Per- for a Volkswagen and Porsche dealer-
parts for major OEMs such as GM, formance Industries’ innovations are ship. After learning all he could about
Ford and Volkswagen. The business more impressive when one considers the dealership business, Borla’s father
is divided equally between those two the highly unusual path its founders started his own exotic car dealerships,
customer bases, Borla says, so Borla took to get into the business. but discovered that selling parts for
Performance Industries faces strong Borla’s parents, Alex and Alyse Bor- imported cars was more lucrative.
competition from the hundreds of la, founded the company in Brooklyn `Within a few years, Borla’s father
companies that sprang up in its wake. in 1978. Alex Borla came to the United became known for supplying Rolls
The company has been an innova- States from his native Romania at the Royce parts throughout the North-
tor in the exhaust system market from age of 10, speaking no English but hav- east, but when one of his key overseas
the very beginning, being the first in ing some experience in a blacksmith’s suppliers disappeared overnight,
the world to offer a complete after- shop repairing bicycles. A German im- he took matters into his own hands.
market exhaust system that could be migrant in his neighborhood took the Using his own equipment, Alex Bor-
bolted onto an existing vehicle as well elder Borla under his wing and taught la manufactured more than a dozen

Borla Performance Industries West
“we devote the majority formance Industries did not treat any of ucts is due to a number of factors. First
its original exhaust systems as a custom and foremost is the fact that the com-
of our resources into product, but maintained detailed draw- pany never stops working to improve
improving the product. ings and part numbers so that it could its products. “We’re a product-based
what really separates have customers order from a catalog. company; we devote the majority of our
us is the attention to Borla says the company’s ability to eas- resources into improving the product,”
detail that we put into ily recreate any of its systems for any Borla says. “What really separates us is
customer made it popular with manu- the attention to detail that we put into
products.” facturers as well as vehicle owners. Bor- our products.”
la says the company’s brand carries a lot Those details include patented tech-
exhaust systems rather than fall behind of perceived value thanks to its associ- nology that can’t be found in any other
on his orders, and from there the com- ation with prestige OEMs like Aston exhaust system, Borla explains. Borla
pany’s destiny was determined. “He Martin, and he likens that connection to Performance Industries also provides
did such a great job with those exhaust people buying certain brands of sneak- something more than its competitors
systems that he decided to reinvent his ers because of their association with
business,” Borla says. certain athletes. Pratt Industries Pratt-Triad delivers creative and
But there’s much more to the suc- cost-effective packaging solutions, from planning and
design, to manufacturing and delivery. We are committed to
Superior Products cess of Borla Performance Industries balancing the needs of both present and future generations
by designing and delivering sustainable packaging and dis-
One of the biggest keys to the compa- than name recognition, and Borla says play solutions. 423-764-5195 www.prattindustries.com
ny’s early success was that Borla Per- the superiority of the company’s prod-

West Borla Performance Industries
in terms of reliability, using heavy One Step Ahead

and robust welds to join its components As vehicles become more technological-
where some of its competitors try to ly advanced, Borla Performance Indus-
minimize welding for aesthetic purpos- tries has worked hard to keep up with the
es. “The real beauty is how they work requirements placed on it by manufac-
and how they fit,” Borla says of the com- turers and environmental regulations.
pany’s components. For example, Borla says, the company is
The company’s determination to now involved with electronics systems
build the most durable exhaust systems elsewhere in the vehicle, something it
allows Borla Performance Industries to did not have to worry about before the
offer a 1-million-mile warranty on its advent of emissions control systems.
products. “We stand behind our prod- He says many manufacturers use cyl-
ucts to a greater degree than anyone else inder deactivation as a fuel conservation
in the marketplace,” Borla says. feature in cars, automatically shutting
NORMA Americas The NORMA Group, the largest, most diversified joining technology company in the world, has en-
gineering, manufacturing, and distribution centers located around the world. With highly successful brands including ABA,
down cylinders within the engine during
Breeze, Craig Assembly, Clamp-all, FiveStar, NORMA, R. G. Ray, and Torca, NORMA Group has evolved into the worldwide highway driving, for example. Borla says
leader for joining technology and clamp solutions.
NORMA Group’s Distribution Services team leverages NORMA’s global portfolio to provide you with the broadest selec- the company’s exhaust systems need to
tion of premium quality clamps, connectors, and coupling products. Connect with us to see how we can perform for you! We work in coordination with these systems
invite you to visit our website at www.normaAmericasDS.com.
to reduce noise. On the aftermarket

Borla Performance Industries West
borla continues to hold its

ground as a market leader
despite intense competition
from all sides.
side, some car owners want the option to run their exhaust
systems in “loud” or “quiet” mode at the flick of a switch.
Borla says it isn’t always easy for the company to keep up
with the changes in the marketplace, but it’s essential that
Borla Performance Industries does so to protect its posi-
tion in the marketplace from the competitors that continue
to move into the industry.
“There are always more competitors in the space every
year, and it’s very important that we not rest on our lau-
rels,” Borla says.
Into the Future

Ironically for a company that made its start selling compo-
nents for imports, Borla Performance Industries has be-
come entrenched in the American car market over the last
15 years. Borla says that now that many American manufac-
turers are expanding their efforts to sell performance cars
like the Ford Mustang overseas, Borla Performance Indus-
tries is preparing to make a bigger push globally.
“International expansion is a very big part of our efforts,”
Borla says. “We see ourselves pushing pretty hard in some
of the emerging markets.”
From a product standpoint, the company is branching
out into other areas of performance products, specifically
on the induction side. Borla says the company is working on
expanding its product lines to include cold-air intakes and
other types of intake products.
Borla says that as long as the company holds true to its
winning formula and continues working toward consistent
improvement, Borla Performance Industries will be a name
people trust for a long time.
“We just have a real sense of what it takes to make the
products right,” he says. mt

Pace Shave
www.paceshave.com / 2014 revenue: $40 million / Headquarters: San Diego /
West
Employees: 250 worldwide / Specialty: Razors
pace shave manufactures

razors and razor blades for
a variety of markets.
Cutting-Edge direct-to-consumer razors under the

Dorco USA brand.
Although the razor market has
pace shave brings superior shaving technology and been dominated by a few big names
a more affordable price point. by chris petersen for a long time, Hill says the condi-
tions of the market are changing.
As more consumers look for better
Pace Shave occupies a unique po- The company is the U.S. subsidiary of deals on superior products, they are
sition in the razor market. Its prod- Dorco, a South Korea-based manufac- choosing new direct-to-consumer
ucts and the expertise of its parent turer of razors that recently marked products that offer a better shave at
company make it a worldwide leader its 60th anniversary. In 2000, Dorco better savings than the brands found
in technology, but because it focuses began to branch out from the Asian at major retailers. In this new en-
on private-label work and supplying market to serve other geographies, vironment, Hill says, Pace Shave is
OEMs with blades, it doesn’t have and in 2008 it opened its American leveraging the technology and inno-
the name recognition other brands in operations. At first, Pace Shave con- vation of Dorco to gain a better foot-
the industry have. President Ken Hill centrated on serving the private-label hold in the United States.
says that despite the deep pockets of segment, but soon it captured por-
its competitors and their non-stop tions of other markets, as well. Today, A Different Way
advertising assaults, Pace Shave has Hill says, the company holds 35 per- Hill says the technology and inno-
been able to create a highly successful cent of the private-label market, but vation that Pace Shave brings to the
niche for itself because the quality of it also supplies bulk razors and blades U.S. market through its parent com-
its products shines through. for other manufacturers and provides pany are its primary advantage, and

Pace Shave West
the company boasts a number of value than its competitors. “We’re Direct to Consumers
patented technologies that make its able to really leverage a great-qual- One of the biggest challenges for
razors more durable and more effec- ity, high-technology blade, but use Pace Shave in the United States
tive. One of these is the company’s low-cost assembly centers to keep initially was going toe-to-toe with
Venetian Flow® blade design. This the costs down,” he says. major razor manufacturers with
means the blades are angled into
place rather than welded like most
other razors. Without the need to
weld blades, the blades’ surfaces
are smoother, which provides fewer
opportunities for debris to accumu-
late and shorten blade life. “It’s a
whole different way of blade-mak-
ing,” Hill says.
Another innovation Pace Shave
brings to the market is the readying
bar on its cartridges, which is a rub-
ber bar containing numerous tiny
fins that grab hairs and bring them
up into position for a single-stroke
shave. The company’s triple-formula
lubricating strip also allows smooth-
er shaving for sensitive skin.
In a market where many manufac-
turers force consumers to buy the
same blade cartridges or else buy
a new razor, Pace Shave innovates
with its cross-docking system, Hill
says. Any of the company’s multi-
blade cartridges can be used on any
of the company’s razor models, mak-
ing it easier for consumers to refill
their cartridges while keeping their
favorite model of razor.
Pace Shave has more than tech-
nology on its side, as well. Hill says
that with all of the company’s blades
made and coated in South Korea
but assembled and packaged in
lower-cost manufacturing centers
throughout Asia, the company also
offers its customers a much better
Eight Horses As head of Eight Horses, I have never

worked with a more dedicated and synergistic team of
professionals. Led by CEO Ken Hill, Pace Shave’s com-
mitment to excellence and to always lean towards doing
the right thing for their clients and partners rises to the
surface on every occasion. This feature coverage of Ken
and his team is well deserved. ~ John H. Park

West Pace Shave
the company says its products

offer a better shave without the
cost of many leading razor brands.
long-established brands and deep ment blades or other products. Under

marketing resources. However, the the Dorco USA label, the company has
paradigms in the razor market are be- been successful in marketing its prod-
ginning to shift away from these en- ucts directly to consumers without the
trenched brands, and Hill believes this heavy spending on marketing and ad-
will be the opportunity Pace Shave vertising that its major-brand compet-
needs to really break through to con- itors utilize.
sumers. “We’ve been fortunate in the “We can make the case that you can
trend of consumers moving to online get the same quality at a much lower
purchasing,” he says. price, and we’ve made that argument
Many smaller razor manufacturers through e-commerce,” Hill says.
like Pace Shave have found success re-
cently in direct-to-consumer business Promising Future
models that allow consumers to pur- The shift toward this direct-to-con-
chase razors and/or blades online. In sumer model indicates that consumers
some cases, these take the form of sub- are on Pace Shave’s side when it comes
scription services where consumers to price points, Hill says, and the com-
receive regular deliveries of replace- pany’s superior technology and price
points should continue to fuel its
HUB International Manufacturing Expertise -- HUB growth throughout all segments of the
International works with manufacturers of all sectors marketplace. Even as technology im-
and uses its global resources to create world class re-
sults. Our years of experience working with manufactur- proves and blades last longer than ever
ers give us a thorough understanding of the production
process and the risks inherent in it. We offer hands-on
before, Hill says the value Pace Shave
experience and deliver upfront loss prevention, compre- offers should make it a bigger name in
hensive insurance programs, in-house claims advocacy
and world-wide representation to provide a full range of the near future.
services to address foreign plant locations and interna- “We believe it’s very promising,”
tional shipping concerns.
Hill says. mt

Diversified Machine Systems
www.dmscncrouters.com / Headquarters: Colorado Springs, Colo. / Specialty: CNC machining
West
centers / Ed Hilligrass, EVP: “We have a lot of customers who really view us as partners.”
the fact that the company not only

builds the equipment that can accom-
plish the tasks at hand, but DMS also
provides a highly collaborative pro-
cess for designing, manufacturing and
implementing their CNC equipment.
Customer Collaboration
Hilligrass says the key to DMS’ suc-
cess with its broad base of customers
lies in the fact that the company does
everything it can to provide an equip-
ment solution that fits a customer’s
needs and situation perfectly. For
instance, Hilligrass says, the recent
fluctuations in the monetary market
have meant DMS’ global clients have
been forced to do more with less to
remain competitive and profitable.
“So our customers put the very same
challenge out to us,” he says.
Because DMS works closely with
its customers in a highly collabora-
diversified machine systems’ tive process, the company is more
cnc equipment is utilized in
virtually every stage of the than capable of developing solutions
manufacturing process.
that save its customers money while
Greater Service not sacrificing efficiency or forcing

customers to purchase completely
new equipment.
One recent example of this was
diversified machine systems is a true partner DMS’ work with Fagor Automation,
for its customers’ equipment. by chris petersen who supplies control systems, to help
develop new solutions that reduce
Diversified Machine Systems The company’s equipment is utilized overall cycle time. Hilligrass says the
(DMS) does more than provide in virtually every stage of the man- company wanted to implement this
its customers with three-axis and ufacturing process, from primary new technology for its existing cus-
five-axis CNC machining centers. Ac- manufacturing through the finishing tomers, in order to provide solutions
cording to CSO and Executive Vice stages, Hilligrass says. “We can par- for existing systems and not just tell
President Ed Hilligrass, the company ticipate in a lot of different ways in the its’ client to purchase all-new equip-
provides its clients with a range of manufacturing cycle,” he says. ment. With the help of Fagor, DMS
products and services that make it an No matter whom its customers are identified the key components that
indispensible part of their operations. or how they put the company’s equip- would make all of its existing equip-
“We have a lot of customers who re- ment to use, Hilligrass says they all ment backwards-compatible with the
ally view us as partners in their suc- have one thing in common. They all new technology. This way, Hilligrass
cess,” Hilligrass says. have business challenges they want says, all of its customers could receive
Those customers range from one- solved within their manufacturing the full benefit of the new control sys-
man shops to Global 100 manufactur- process, and they all turn to DMS to tem technology and DMS strength-
ers like Nike, UTC, GM and Boeing. solve it. Hilligrass says that’s due to ened the bond it has with all of its

Diversified Machine Systems West
dms says its success is due to

its ability to be a proactive
partner to its customers.
customers. “It really helps us align mands on DMS become greater, and tomers’ changing needs in the United
ourselves to be more of a proactive the company has to be able to keep up States. “The reason we’re already out
partner in their continued success,” with those demands. “The definition in front of these challenges is because
Hilligrass says. of service itself truly comes from the we’ve been serving a global market
Another example of the company’s customer,” Hilligrass says. place for many years,” Hilligrass says.
ability to develop equipment that fits One of the effects of these consoli-
its customers’ situations perfectly is dations is that many of DMS’ custom- Greater Versatility
found in one of its most popular de- ers, who were offshoring and now are Investing in research and develop-
signs. Hilligrass says this machining re-shoring many of their manufac- ment is a major focus for DMS for the
center features a retractable roof, turing processes, are identifying a future, Hilligrass says, and the com-
which allows manufacturers unob- gaps and inconsistencies in their ad- pany sees plenty of opportunities to
structed access to crane or forklift vanced manufacturing processes and implement new technologies and new
parts into the machine. Typically, he skillsets. processes into its equipment to better
adds, a roof on other CNC products These customers have turned to serve its customers. One example, he
in the market are fixed or stationary, DMS for advice because the com- says, DMS is working on incorporat-
which limits a manufacturer’s ability pany has already been supplying its ing additive material processing to
to load and unload parts and tools into solutions globally. Hilligrass says the current technologies which make the
the machine. company’s global expertise has also company’s equipment more versatile
benefitted domestic manufacturers and opens new markets for DMS.
Being Proactive who see the industry placing a great- No matter what the future holds
Hilligrass says DMS’ focus on being er emphasis on health and safety. He for DMS, Hilligrass says, the compa-
a proactive partner for its customers says material processing and safety ny’s commitment to serving its cus-
has been put to the test in recent years standards in areas such as dust/debris tomers will remain strong and change
as consolidation sweeps the indus- collection have been applied to DMS’ with our client’s needs. That focus is
try. As customers grow through con- equipment across the board, putting what will guarantee the company’s
solidation and acquisition, their de- it in a better position to meet its cus- success in the future. mt

Reuland Electric
reuland.com / Headquarters: City of Industry, Calif. / Specialty: Motor manufacturing / Wayne
West
Foreman, senior project manager: “As a company, we have a 360-degree offering to our customers.”
Quality
Matters
reuland electric has
become one of the
industry’s most flexible
manufacturers.
Reuland Electric’s roots stretch
back to the 1930s when Frank Reuland
rebuilt and repaired motors in his ga-
rage in Alhambra, Calif. Reuland soon
became the largest repair shop in the
area and the company grew from there.
“Our ownership has always believed
in reinvesting into the company and
upgrading everything,” Senior Project
Manager Wayne Foreman says. “We
remain a family owned company, and
we have many employees that have
had a long tenure with the company.”
Through the Years

Reuland now bills itself as the most
flexible electric motor manufacturer
in the world. But to understand Reu-
land today, it is important to take a look
at where the company has come from.
In the 1940s, Reuland made dive-
flap motors for Lockheed Aircraft’s
P-38 fighter and built twin 50-caliber reuland electric says it
turret-drive motors for aircraft en- believes in reinvesting in its
equipment and its people.
gine-powered motor torpedo boats
for Electric Boat Company of Con- pany continued to evolve. In the 1950s, division, which it sold in 1985. The
necticut. That decade also saw Reu- it established a warehouse in Howell, 1980s also saw Reuland take steps to
land produce its first one-horsepow- Mich., to accommodate distribution facilitate growth in the electric motor
er industrial-type motor. Over time, in the East. The facility eventually market, creating its distributor prod-
the company added a complete line became an additional manufacturing ucts division to sell standard motors
of motors featuring fluid couplings plant. In the 1960s, the company out- and components. Beyond that, the
as well as magnetic disc brakes. The grew its Alhambra plant and moved its company opened its Cincinnati facility
company expanded its presence in headquarters to its current location in in 1986 to focus on research and devel-
Alhambra and added an aluminum the City of Industry, Calif. opment of motor design and advanced
foundry to produce the housings and During the 1970s, Reuland estab- application of Reuland products.
bell castings for the motors. lished its electronics control division. In the 1990s, Reuland’s flexible cou-
Over the ensuing decades, the com- In addition, it created a publications pling line was added to the distributor

Reuland Electric West
products division. Reuland also took steps to become a “That market has gotten saturated with offshore
leader in the exotic motor market with products such as products, as the material-handling space is huge,” Fore-
liquid-cooled motors, permanent magnet motors, high- man says.
speed precision motors, inverter duty motors, partial Taking advantage of its experience in the crane and
motors and variable frequency drive systems. Additional- hoisting arena, Reuland gravitated toward the elevator
ly, Reuland installed a coordinate measuring machine in industry, which is now around 60 percent of the compa-
a climate-controlled environment to enhance production ny’s business. Modernization efforts in the elevator in-
of precision components and ensure consistent quality. dustry are helping to drive that activity.
“There are a lot of old elevators in old buildings, which
Modern Era are now being converted to up-to-date electronics and
Reuland consists of motor, brake and engineering ser- going from DC to AC control,” Foreman says.
vices divisions. The motor division employs more than Other significant areas for Reuland are high-speed
200 people, has 100,000 square feet of manufacturing test stand motors and the nuclear industry. These are all
space, a 30,000-square-foot aluminum foundry and a examples of the way Reuland seeks to carve out a pres-
pattern shop. ence in niche markets and then expand.
The company utilizes classic MRP-driven invento- “Going forward, seeking continued growth and ensur-
ry and production techniques as well as CNC machining consistent quality will remain major focal areas for
ing centers to process various motor part components, us,” Foreman says. “As new technology is developed, we
meeting exacting customer specifications and produc- will find ways to integrate it into our products and manu-
tion design processing tolerances. Reuland can handle facturing processes.” mt
a vast variety of various types and sizes of custom and
standard motors and motor products, and its flexibility
in design and tooling production capabilities makes Reu-
land a premier motor manufacturer.
The Michigan brake division provides motor and brake
lamination, tooling or stamping. It also manufactures
higher horsepower motors and a line of AC and DC elec-
tromechanical brakes. The Ohio engineering services
division provides design services and handles Reuland’s
high-speed and precision motors.
Altogether, Reuland can produce a vast array of prod-
ucts, including a diverse selection of AC electric motors
and accessories such as brakes, chiller and cooling sys-
tems, flexible and fluid couplings, motor reducers, pump/
motor adapters, variable frequency drives and vector
drives. Its products can be used in a number of applica-
tions, from aerospace, cryogenic, crane and hoist, dough
mixer, elevator and marine duty to military, nuclear, spin-
dle, test stand, textile and washer/extractor applications.
“As a company, we have a 360-degree offering to our
customers,” Foreman says. “They may not need all of our
services, but we can offer a wide variety to suit the cus-
tomer’s applications.”
One of the long-standing main markets for Reuland
has been the crane and hoist sector. At one time, it ac-
counted for roughly two-thirds of the business and Reu-
land was one of the largest motor manufacturers in the
crane and hoist market.

Midwest
48. NOW Health Group Inc. 80. Trinity Products 104. Cincinnati Incorporated
78. 55. Wallside Windows 84. Rembrandt Foods 106. CTS Corp.
58. Barnes International 87. Control Gaging 108. DeWys Manufacturing
63. Enercon 90. National Enzyme Company
66. Airboss Flexible Products 94. Bennett Machine & Fabricating
70. Detroit Chassis LLC 96. Hatch Stamping Company
72. AMI Manchester 98. Blackhawk Engineering
74. Katecho Inc. 100. Lacks Enterprises
78. ZTECH Precision 102. Hawker Well Works

Midwest
PROACTIVELY
GREEN
waupaca foundry inc. is a leader in green manufacturing and is earning
recognition at the state and federal level for its efforts.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
This spring, President Obama put forth his environmental pro-

posals, just as Waupaca Foundry Inc. (WFI), a Hitachi Metals company,
was being recognized for its proactive compliance with environmental
regulations. WFI has been admitted to Wisconsin’s prestigious Green Tier
program, which recognizes businesses that voluntarily meet environmen-
tal regulatory standards and show proven environmental sustainability.
The foundry also earned the American Council of Engineer- Specific sustainability initiatives include:
ing Companies (ACEC) Engineering Excellence Award in the > Approximately 70 percent of foundry sand byproducts that
state of Wisconsin, as well as a National ACEC Engineering Ex- can no longer be used in metalcasting is cleaned and reused
cellence Recognition Award for its project which promotes the in local projects including road and general construction,
re-use of foundry byproducts to enhance the sustainability of agriculture and geotechnical fill.
WFI’s landfill. > Closed-loop cooling water systems have reduced plant wa-
Foundries have long been recognized among the original re- ter cooling demands by 80 percent or more when all are on-
cyclers because unwanted scrap iron is re-used in the process line. In some cases, non-contact cooling water discharges
for producing iron castings. In recent years, Waupaca Foundry are reduced to near zero and daily water use is reduced.
has been implementing a plan to achieve sustainable growth by > The company began retrofitting plants with sophisticated
the year 2020. air pollution controls beginning in 1999. Both air emission
According to WFI President and CEO Gary Gigante, sustain- controls and leak detection technology have surpassed
ability is central to ductile iron and gray iron casting operations. regulatory requirements and created new industry bench-
“Being environmentally responsible is not only the right thing to marks in pollution control.
do, it’s the best thing to do for our employees and our custom-
ers,” Gigante says. The engineering awards were earned based on a program
For each year it was enrolled, Waupaca Foundry has received designed to reuse spent foundry sands and slag byproducts of
a commendation from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better the metalcasting process. Waupaca Foundry recycles 800,000
Buildings, Better Plants Program, most recently in 2013. In this tons of sand used annually, but eventually it can no longer be
program, companies voluntarily make energy efficiency a busi- re-used. Rather than sending these byproducts to a landfill,
ness goal, establish energy management plans and commit to Waupaca Foundry repurposed the materials to create a clean,
reduce the energy intensity of manufacturing operations by 25 non-toxic product that can be used in a variety of applications
percent over 10 years. and industries. mt

NOW Health Group Inc.
www.nowfoods.com / Headquarters: Bloomingdale, Ill. / Employees: 1,400 /
Midwest
Specialty: Manufacturer of health foods, supplements, sports nutrition and personal care products
now foods has become a

top-selling brand in health
food stores.
Natural Growth opened a health food store, Health

House, in 1962, and NOW Foods was
created six years later as the store’s in-
now health group expands its business of focusing house brand. The store was renamed
on healthy living and good nutrition. by bob rakow Fruitful Yield in 1971, and there are
currently 12 Fruitful Yield stores lo-
cated in Chicago’s suburbs with plans
NOW® Foods got its start more products, from nutrient-rich foods to expand over the next few years.
than 45 years ago as a sideline to the and supplements to personal care and NOW’s growth into a major manu-
founding family’s soy products busi- sports nutrition items. NOW prod- facturer and distributor began when
ness. But Elwood Richard and his ucts are sold throughout the United the company reached out to other lo-
brothers, Louis and Bill, never expect- States and 65 other countries. cal health food stores that were inter-
ed to be major players in the natural “We are a one-stop shop for a lot of ested in selling various natural foods
products market. retailers,” says Dan Richard, national and vitamins.
NOW easily fits that description sales director. “Our target customers Today, natural and health food
today as a top-selling brand in health are health-conscious individuals.” products have found their way into
food stores and an award-winning That particular market is growing the mainstream. Dietary supple-
manufacturer. The company is ded- as more people place a greater em- ments are regulated by the Food and
icated to providing customers with phasis on good nutrition, fitness and Drug Administration in terms of raw
a comprehensive approach to well- overall wellness. materials being used and the manu-
ness by offering more than 1,400 NOW Foods was not initially a retail facturing processes, and by the Fed-
high-quality natural and affordable supplier. Instead, the Richard family eral Trade Commission for the health

NOW Health Group Inc. Midwest
“everyone from the housekeeper on the third that figure within three years. The new
facility was built to serve growing de-
shift to our machine operators focuses on mand on the West Coast, and COO Ron
providing our customers the best-quality product Pillsbury explains that it is better situ-
in the marketplace today.” – Aaron Secrist ated for the company’s export business.
The 160,000-square-foot building in
claims that can be made on the labels keeper on the third shift to our machine Nevada is a green facility that supports
and bottles. But NOW goes above and operators focuses on providing our cus- environmental and sustainability initia-
beyond what is required. This includes tomers the best-quality product in the tives and is LEED certified. The build-
the utilization of current, cutting-edge marketplace today.” ing’s features include energy-efficient
science in the formulation of its prod- NOW Health Group operates man- lighting systems, water-efficient utili-
ucts, strict scrutiny when choosing ufacturing facilities in Bloomingdale, ties and recycling stations.
raw materials, advanced in-house test- Ill., and Guelph, Ontario. The corporate
Indena USA With over 90 years experience, Indena is a
ing, validated methods development office also is located in Bloomingdale, world leader in the development and production of active
and the employment of skilled, highly a western suburb of Chicago. A third ingredients derived from plants. Focused on research and
committed to quality, Indena is a key botanical supplier
trained individuals. manufacturing and distribution center to NOW Foods. One of Indena’s ingredients Meriva® is
“Quality of our products is paramount recently opened in Sparks, Nev. The featured in NOW’s Curcumin Phytosome supplement. Val-
idated by 23 published studies, Meriva® pioneered the ad-
to what we do,” says Aaron Secrist, di- company performs about 20 percent vancement of bioavailable curcumin as well as the science
rector of research and development of its production at the Sparks facility, for curcumin and its role in healthy inflammation related to
joint health. For information, visit www.indena.com.
and quality. “Everyone from the house- including soft gels, but hopes to double

Midwest NOW Health Group Inc.
now offers more than

1,400 products, including
various supplements.
“family ownership provides long-term stability and stores throughout the country. “We
the belief in doing what’s right. that’s essential to want to stay true to our roots,” Rich-
ard maintains.
our core values.” – Ron Pillsbury NOW offers a wide variety of nat-
ural foods and snacks, including
NOW Health Group also owns its corporate office. NOW introduces roasted, raw and organic nuts; vari-
Puresource, a national distributor about 60 new products each year. “We ous types of seeds; grains and beans;
and manufacturer of natural well- have a rich pipeline of new products,” healthy snacks for children; flours
ness products in Canada. Puresource Richard says. and baking mixes; a wide range of
supplies more than 150 brands, rep- NOW does not sell to mass-mar- sweeteners; and sweet and delicious
resenting more than 4,000 prod- ket retailers such as Walmart or Wal- dried fruit. The product line also fea-
ucts, primarily to independent Ca- greens. Instead, the company’s prod- tures a selection of herbal teas and
nadian health food stores as well as uct lines can be found in health food gluten-free selections.
some grocery and drug store chains.
The company primarily focuses on Horphag Research (USA), Inc. Pycnogenol® (pic-noj-en-all) is a proprietary and patented antioxidant plant
extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree included in more than 700 dietary supplements, multi-vita-
shelf-stable natural and organic mins, cosmetic and functional food and beverage products worldwide. The botanical extract is found to contain a
foods, personal care products, nat- unique combination of procyanidins, bioflavonoids and organic acids, which offer extensive natural health benefits.
Published findings in more than 130 clinical studies of over 10,000 patients have demonstrated Pycnogenol®’s bene-
ural cleaning supplies and supple- ficial health benefits in cardiovascular and circulatory health, joint health, skin care, blood glucose, cognitive function
ments, including sports nutrition. and sports nutrition, among others.
Horphag Research (USA), Inc. is the exclusive North American supplier of Pycnogenol® and works with hundreds
Today, NOW Health Group em- of companies to help them develop innovative and effective Pycnogenol® product formulas. The company mission
ploys approximately 1,400 people at remains deeply rooted in a commitment to scientific research surrounding high-quality nutritional ingredients and
this is reflected in the quality of products offered to customers. For more information visit www.pycnogenol.com.
its three manufacturing facilities and

the national association of business

resources has selected now as one of
the best companies to work for in the
chicago area.
NOW is widely recognized for its the board of directors with his daugh-
commitment to quality and making ter, Sharon Wong, and son, Dan, who
good nutrition affordable, and it still serves as NOW’s national sales direc-
adheres to its original mission: to pro- tor. Mike Richard is also a member
vide value in products and services of senior management as the supply
that empower people to lead much chain director.
healthier lives. Family ownership is essential to
NOW is still owned by the Richard NOW’s long-term success, Pillsbury
family. Elwood Richard remains on explains. “Family ownership provides

NOW Health Group Inc. Midwest
Companies to Work For in the Chicago

area, and the last two years the company
was recognized nationally. The annu-
al competition honors companies that
demonstrate an exceptional commit-
ment to their employees, as reported by
those employees, and exemplify the best
human resource practices.
Additionally, Al Powers, the compa-
ny’s former president and CEO, was
now’s product lines include

various natural foods, Ethical Naturals Inc. (ENI) ENI is a supplier of
snacks and supplements. GreenGrown® Glucosamine, the leading brand of USP
grade vegetable source glucosamine to the supplement
market. In today’s crowded joint care market, Green-
long-term stability and the belief in do- has been recognized in the industry as Grown® provides a value-added alternative which caters
to the growing market for vegan and vegetarian products.
ing what’s right. That’s essential to our a result. At a time when quality concerns are of ever-greater impor-
core values,” he says. For example, the National Associa- tance in the supplement industry, ENI offers a full range of
botanical extracts and proprietary ingredients, through a
Those values are people, position, fo- tion of Business Resources has selected QA program that is GMP Certified through NSF.
cus, heart and commitment. The com- NOW for the past seven consecutive For more information, call 866-459-4454, or email us at
info@ethicalnaturals.com.
pany takes those values seriously and years as one of the Best and Brightest

good health through natural products,

education and sound science. The com-
pany’s commitment to a natural lifestyle
is the underpinning of its commitment
to produce quality natural products that
empower people to lead healthier lives,
a commitment the company is well-po-
sitioned to make good on for many years
to come, Pillsbury says. mt
Bioenergy Life Science, Inc. (BLS) is the maker

of Bioenergy Ribose®, a five-carbon carbohydrate that
the company’s nevada facility is leed regulates the body’s natural process of energy synthesis.
certified and supports environmental Ribose helps accelerate energy recovery, reduce muscle
and sustainability initiatives. stiffness and provide greater endurance. Bioenergy Ribose
is an all-natural functional ingredient with well over 100
clinical studies documenting its benefits. Bioenergy Ribose
inducted into the industry’s Hall of commitment to Vitamin Angels by do- is the only branded and patented form of Ribose on the
market and its safety is evidenced by its GRAS status (in-
Legends earlier this year. Founder El- nating an additional 20 million doses cluding a “no questions letter” from the FDA). It is already
wood Richard was honored in 2014 with of Vitamin A to the organization, which popular in a wide array of beverages and supplements and
is quickly gaining the attention of food manufacturers due
a Lifetime Achievement Award from the provides vitamin A to young children to its health benefits and energy functions. BLS is a proud
Natural Product Association. who suffer from a deficiency. partner of NOW Sports, a division of NOW Foods, working
together to promote the benefits of D-Ribose.
The company plans to continue its NOW believes in the preservation of

Wallside Windows
www.wallsidewindows.com / Headquarters: Taylor, Mich. / Employees: 120 /
Midwest
Specialty: Replacement windows
Up to Standards
wallside windows ensures that its products meet the
expectations of its customers. by alan dorich
wallside windows has been

producing vinyl replacement
windows since the 1970s.
At Wallside Windows, keeping majority of its business is repeat or re- tion. When Blanck read an article in
direct contact with end-users is es- ferred by a satisfied customer. The New York Times about vinyl re-
sential. “[By doing] that, we’re able to Taylor, Mich.-based Wallside Win- placement windows, he felt they fit
keep making sure the customer is sat- dows specializes in custom-manufac- homeowners’ needs because vinyl
isfied, no matter what,” Chief of Staff turing replacement windows. Blanck’s is more energy efficient and durable
Adam Blanck says. grandfather, Martin Blanck, started a than wood.
This approach has paid off for the home improvement business in 1944, “He always wanted to make some-
family managed company. “[Judging] but later moved into vinyl replace- thing [there was a need for], and here
from our tracking, our business is ment windows in the 1970s. we are today,” comments Stanford
based on referrals and people that have At the time, the U.S. government Blanck, Martin Blanck’s son and vice
been satisfied,” he says, noting that the offered tax incentives for conserva- president of the company. “We

Midwest Wallside Windows
wallside windows says its

status as a family company ly watched National Fenestration
is one of its greatest
strengths. Rating Council and ENERGY STAR
regulations, he notes.
“Making sure we’re keeping up to
date is definitely a big challenge,”
he admits. The company recently
switched to Cardinal Glass Industries
Inc. as its glass supplier to ensure its
products meet ENERGY STAR 6.0
specifications.
Wallside Windows also has been
impacted by EPA’s lead-safe work
practices rules, Operations Manag-
er Dave Ball says. “All companies –
whether they’re painting or renovat-
ing a home – have to comply,” he says.
“We are up to date on all those.”
“Those types of regulations have had
a huge impact on the home improve-
ment industry,” Blanck adds. “[They]
provided many more hoops we’ve had
to jump through to do our [work].”
Standing Firm
Nearly all of Wallside Windows’
work is for homeowners, for whom
it strives to provide “a piece of mind
with a quality product,” Blanck says.
“We’re definitely committed to stand-
ing behind our product, even decades
after we make it.”
The company has stood behind its
product with a 35-year transferra-
ble warranty that it has offered since
1990. “There’s a lot of products out in
the field that we warranty no matter
who owns that home,” Ball says. “That
warranty is based on the address, not
on the homeowner.”
The warranties can impact de-
cisions Wallside Windows makes,
make and install everything to a most cases, they’ll know Wallside,” including whether or not to switch
home customer’s satisfaction.” he declares. suppliers, Blanck notes. “We still
Wallside Windows is a leader and have to consider previous customers
renowned brand in the Michigan Jumping Through Hoops and how we can maintain and man-
and northwest Ohio markets, Adam Wallside Windows copes with an age any issues that may arrive, based
Blanck says. “If you ask people in increasingly regulated industry, on previously manufactured goods,”
the Michigan area about windows, in Blanck says. The company has close- he explains.

Wallside Windows Midwest
Smooth Operators
Wallside Windows keeps a close eye on manufacturing quali-
ty, Ball says. Not only does the company utilize Keystone Cer-
tifications Inc. to perform semi-annual inspections, “There’s
random inspections throughout the day,” he reports.
The company also recently optimized cutting on its lines
to save waste and maximize yields. “We did 140,000 win-
dows in total last year,” Blanck reports. “[Anything] we’re
manufacturing today will be sent out to homes tomorrow.”
Additionally, if part of the product is damaged on its
way to the home, Wallside Windows can easily replicate it.
“We’re able to manufacture it and bring it out if they drop
the window or a piece of glass breaks,” he says.
“if you ask people in the michigan

area about windows, in most cases,
they’ll know wallside. it truly is a
family. it’s a family place and a fam-
ily business as well.” - Adam Blanck
Product Partners
Wallside Windows maintains strong relationships with its
suppliers, including several it has used for decades. One is
vinyl manufacturer VEKA Inc., a Wallside Windows vendor
since 1999.
A key to a continued partnership with Wallside Windows
is a consistent, quality product. “We have standards we
have to maintain for our customers,” Blanck says. “There-
fore, our suppliers have to maintain the same standards.”
But the company is equally responsible for treating its
suppliers with integrity, which upholds the values set by
Martin Blanck. For example, “We pay on time and make sure
that the relationship is beneficial for both parties,” Adam
Blanck says.
A Family Place
Wallside Windows plans to continue making energy-effi-
cient windows, Blanck says. “We feel consumers more in-
terested in sustainable products for homes,” he says.
This challenge will be made easier thanks to the compa-
ny’s experienced workers who care about the product they
manufacture. “It truly is a family,” he says. “It’s a family
place and a family business as well.”
Wallside Windows also might grow to reach more cus-
tomers, Ball predicts. “We might start looking at hubs to get
to [so we can] expand our areas,” he says. mt

Barnes International
www.barnesintl.com / Headquarters: Rockford, Ill. / Specialty: Coolant filtration /
Midwest
William Kirchner, president: “Our systems are the heart of the whole machining and grinding bays.”
barnes international excels

at building both large
and small machine tool
filtration systems.
Cleanliness Counts ters, vacuum media filters, pressure

filters, rotary drum filter conveyors,
bag filters, high-pressure skids and
barnes international leads the way in machine tool magnetic coolant separators used
coolant filtration systems. by jim harris in conjunction with grinding, hon-
ing, machining, turning and other
The importance of clean coolant product quality, as well as substan- operations in a variety of industries
within machine tooling operations tially reduce coolant life. For the past including automotive and aerospace
cannot be overstated. Tens of thou- several decades, Barnes International manufacturing. “These companies
sands of gallons of coolant are typical- has helped companies ensure that the produce machined parts such as en-
ly used during manufacturing opera- coolant they consume remains prop- gine blocks and often run around the
tions daily, making it one of the most erly filtered while allowing recycling clock, so they’re constantly pushing
common and vital parts of the produc- of metal waste. their equipment to the maximum,”
tion process in multiple industries. The Rockford, Ill.-headquartered CEO President William Kirchner
Keeping coolant clean is a high company is the largest manufac- says. “Our systems are the heart of the
priority for manufacturers because turer of machine tool filter systems whole machine bay; without proper
unfiltered coolant can build up bac- in North America. The company’s filtering and cooling, you can lose the
teria and otherwise negatively affect products include deep bed gravity fil- whole bay.”

Barnes International Midwest
Experience Counts
Many of Barnes International’s systems filter the coolant
used in multiple tooling machine bays. The company is an
expert at building systems that can filter coolant for up to
100 machines on a single system. These machines can range
between 10 gallons to more than 10,000 gallons of coolant
required per minute.
“our organization is focused

on quality and building the best
possible product, right down to
the individual level.” - William Kirchner
“We’re one of only a few companies that’s equally good

at building large systems used on multiple tools as we are
making smaller systems for one machine tool,” Kirchner
adds. “We’ve learned over the years that the way you be-
come No. 1 in the industry is through valuing the customer
and providing the best product and support in the industry,
and we believe that is our strong suit.”
The company’s team of technicians possesses more than
1,000 years of filtration experience combined. “Our people
are the heart of our business and the key to our success,”
Kirchner says.
The staff’s experience is often called upon by large man-
ufacturers including General Motors, for whom Barnes
International helped develop large, regional above-ground
filtration systems. These systems, which can be moved
around facilities if needed, replaced large centralized sys-
tems that included troughs in the ground to carry coolant to
and from machines.
“We worked closely with GM to develop the technical
specifications for these systems, which have reinvented the
way the automotive industry approached coolant systems,”
he adds. The movable systems also give GM greater flexibil-
ity in its operations, and have reduced the company’s cool-
ant consumption and scrap while also reducing installation
and start-up time.
Great Lakes Pump and Supply, the trusted name in fl¬uid handling equipment
is proud to offer the time tested quality engineered products from the Ruthman Family
of Manufacturers. These top name companies include Gusher Pumps, the innovators
in horizontal and vertical centrifugal pumps since 1926, Process Systems, Inc., manu-
facturers of “Thrust Head” grease lubricated Vertical Turbine Pumps and Nagle Pumps,
producers of heavy duty slurry and sludge pumps. A prime example of a successful
working relationship is Great Lakes Pump and Barnes International, with the integra-
tion of each of these combined Ruthman Company products strategically to enhance
and increase efficiency in the Barnes Filtration product manufacturing process.

Midwest Barnes International
barnes international ceo

william kirchner credits his
staff with the company’s
ongoing success.
Manufacturing Capabilities
Barnes International operates manufacturing plants in
Rockford and Bowling Green, Ohio; and maintains service
and engineering centers serving the North American mar-
ket in New Albany, Ind.; and Brighton, Mich. The company’s
manufacturing capabilities include fabrication and assem-
bly of full systems as well as assembly of the plumbing and
electrical components used in those systems.
The Rockford facility includes 140,000 square feet of
fabrication and assembly space, and includes 12 high-bay
assembly bays. The 80,000-square-foot Bowling Green site
includes 36 high-bay cranes.
“One of the keys to our success is our ability to rapidly cus-
tomize filtration designs to fit any machine tool produced
worldwide and deliver in a little as 4 to 6 weeks in small or
large quantities at a competitive price,” Kirchner explains.
“We manufacture all critical components, and work with a
Boll Filter Corporation is the U.S. subsidiary of the world renowned German
manufacturer, BOLL & KIRCH Filterbau GmbH. Serving as a proud supplier to Barnes
International, Boll provides automatic back-flushing filters as a complimentary, polishing
level of particulate separation.

Barnes International Midwest
process includes pressure testing for Decades of Growth

leaks, running conveyors multiple In addition to its North American
times, component testing, pre-ship- operations, Barnes International
ping reviews and testing during in- lives up to its name by maintaining
stallation. support and service centers in
strong vendor base that understands

our needs and turns around parts for
us rapidly.”
Barnes International closely mea-
sures the number of rejected parts as
well as scrap and other quality met-
rics. “Our quality system is based on
individual teams and processes,” he
adds. “We have our whole organiza-
tion focused on quality and building
the best possible product.”
Manufacturing employees are
regularly trained and coached to im-
prove their output quality, and all
of the company’s products undergo
various levels of testing. This testing
SlipNOT® Metal Safety Flooring supplies slip resis-

tant plates and grating to Barnes International, Inc., which
provides a high traction surface for Barnes’ manufacturing
and automotive clients. Barnes’ innovative approach to
improve supply chain management has lowered costs for
customers while improving production times.

Midwest Barnes International
Spain, Mexico, China, India and Brazil. The organization

in Italy, Barnes Europe, opened in late 2014. Barnes Europe
is a full filtration equipment builder with engineering, man-
ufacturing and full service capabilities.
The opening of Barnes Europe closely followed the 2014
acquisition of the Henry filtration product line from a Ger-
man company. The expansions are the latest major changes
in the company’s long history, which extends back to 1907,
when it was founded as Barnes Drill Company, a drill and
tapping company serving the automotive industry.
In the late 1950s, Barnes became the first machine tool
builder to apply numerical controls to metalworking drills
and boring machines.
The company eventually abandoned the drills, and in the
1980s became involved in a super-abrasive honing process
in which bores could be machined to a very precise toler-
ance and surface finish requiring even tighter filtration re-
quirements. This process created finite metal particles that
ended up in the coolant, necessitating the need for cleaner
coolant during the machining process.
The company introduced magnetic separators to remove
this metallic sludge, which brought it into the filtration
world. Later Barnes added gravity, pressure and vacuum fil-
ters to meet all honing and grinding requirements. In 1990,
Barnes entered into an agreement with Japanese manufac-
turer Mosnic to license a filtration technology. This agree-
ment made the company a worldwide entity, leading to the
change to its current name.
Barnes made the decision to focus entirely on filtration
eight years ago, when it sold its honing division. “Honing
was becoming a smaller market, but on the machine tool fil-
tration side there is a very large market for growth,” Kirch-
ner adds.
The company continues to seek opportunities to grow.
“Our long-term strategy is to continue to build our sales
base within the industry while looking for additional com-
panies that would add technology or products to our base,”
Kirchner says.
“We’re looking for other companies to purchase and con-
tinue to develop the best filtration for the vast majority of
applications in the industry,” he adds. mt
Brinkmann Pumps, Inc. has been a leading supplier of coolant pumps in the ma-
chine tool market for over 60 years. The company is headquartered in Germany and has
global presence. The 25,000 sq ft. facility in Michigan offers sales, service, assembly and
repair capabilities. Its complete range of pumps teamed with its modular design system
allows Brinkmann to customize pumps very efficiently and economically. Brinkmann
Pumps has proudly been supplying coolant pumps to Barnes International for many
years for various applications, ranging from low pressure, chip handling dirt side applica-
tions all the way to high pressure, clean side applications.

Enercon
www.enercon-eng.com / Headquarters: East Peoria, Ill. / Employees: 285 / Specialty: Customized
Midwest
switchgear, generator controls and set enclosures, E-Houses and co-generation systems
One
Source
enercon designs,
manufacturers and
installs customized
‘complete integrated’
power systems.
by russ gager
Continuous manufacturing re-
quires a constant source of electrical
power. Failures in electrical delivery
can cause substantial delays and lost
income. So companies that supply
products for reliable electrical gen-
eration to manufacturers rely on
the full range of power generation
products – controls and switchgear,
gen-set packages and enclosures,
and cogeneration units – that Ener-
con provides.
“Every manufacturing plant that
requires secure power would be inter-
ested in what we offer,” stresses Tim
Caldwell, Enercon’s marketing man-
ager. “We can provide everything but
the engine and generator set that ac-
tually produces the electrical power.”
enercon says it frequently
Enercon partners with engine sup- serves as a support expert
behind the scenes for its
pliers to provide all of the compo- customers.
nents necessary for an onsite power
solution. “We package gensets into Enercon has a complementary mar- er’s distribution networks that sell to
custom enclosures and configura- keting relationship with the engine the end-users in specific areas of the
tions, and those typically are branded supplier’s dealers/distributors that country,” Tangel explains.
by the engine manufacturer,” CEO saves it from having to mount a mas- “In that role of support, our ambi-
Larry Tangel says. “The engine man- sive effort to reach all the end-users tion is to be expert behind the scenc-
ufacturers don’t have the expertise who might be interested in its prod- es,” Tangel continues. “We’ll use our
and skill to do the customization of ucts. Besides manufacturers, this technical knowledge and our appli-
the power sytem both electrically and could be hospitals, hotels, wastewater cations experience to provide the
mechanically. The electrical switch- treatment plants, prisons or any facil- customized power solutions that you
gear and control systems that allow ity needing secure, 24/7 power. “In- need for your particular situation.
the generator to parallel with each stead of going directly to the end-us- We’d love everybody to know the En-
other, communicate and share loads ers, we support and provide specific ercon name; that’s just not necessari-
are typically branded Enercon.” expertise for the engine manufactur- ly our ambition.”

Midwest Enercon
Design and Service Having applications engineering and after-market

Electrical generation systems that use Enercon’s prod- sales support are a competitive advantage for Enercon.
ucts can operate in parallel with utility systems and “Our systems aren’t like Bic lighters – you don’t just buy
function as back-up systems. “We consider ourselves a them and flick a switch and they work,” Tangel cautions.
premium brand,” Tangel says. “As a premium brand, we “There’s pretty much a solid week of commissioning on-
seek to provide superior support throughout the project. site of every product we get involved in, and customers
The two fulcrums of competition that I have observed in don’t always hire our service for that. When they don’t,
our industry are support and price. Support begins up- they’re usually sorry, but they’re trying to get away with a
front, with who can provide the best answer quickly and lower price figuring their own people can do it, and then
efficiently. This requires technical expertiese and experi- they have challenges. If you don’t have experience spe-
ence in specific applications. cifically in this domain of engineering, you will be lost no
“Then there is price – unfortunately, people seek the matter how smart your people are.”
lowest upfront price,” Tangel continues. “We focus on Another competitive advantage of Enercon is having
the overall costs of a project and seeking to be the overall manufacturing and engineering facilities around the coun-
low-cost provider with expert solutions on the front side, try and world. Enercon has more than 320,000 square feet
professional project management throughout the life of of manufacturing space in the United States: in Illinois,
the project and superior support on the commissioning Georgia and Arizona, with a switchgear manufacturing fa-
side. For complex, critical systems, choosing the ‘cheap’ cility in Singapore. “We can provide a product built close
options upfront could end up being a very high cost in the to our customer’s facility to keep costs low,” Tangel notes.
end – up to and including the loss of life.” “We also have full load-testing capability at each of our
facilities, with the ability to test reactive and resistive
loads,” Tangel continues. “Each of our facilities has the
capacity to produce an integrated ‘string’ test of an on-
site power facility including the fuel, cooling, generator
and paralleling switchgear. This system integration capa-
bility is a competitive advantage.”
Enercon can simulate system operation. “We write a
live site program that simulates as much as possible how
that paralleling switchgear is going to integrate into the
customer’s facility,” Tangel says.
The company also has been focused on lean manufac-
turing techniques with a commitment to the 5S process,
daily meetings, process improvement dialogs and con-
centrating on people, quality, velocity and cost. “We have
a visual metrics cascade to align organizational targets
with front-line team members, a continuous improve-
ment process to actively listen for opportunities and
a more robust safety program to ensure we protect our
team members,” Tangel says.
Research and Development

One of the R&D efforts at Enercon is to create products
that can be manufactured more quickly than its custom
products, which can take eight to 28 weeks. Standardiz-
ing some of the company’s products could reduce that
time to two to three weeks. “We have an idea on a few
places where we know many of our clients need the same
type of package,” Tangel says.

Enercon Midwest
Enercon has installed new tooling, maintaining safety and quality targets. and intentions,” he emphasizes. “In
overhead cranes, a paint system and In doing so, we were able to produce 120 addition, as a premium brand we own
testing equipment. New tooling took 40 MW of packaged diesel generator sets in our mistakes and provide ongoing ser-
percent of the man-hours out of manu- 17 weeks from date of order.” vice for the life of the product. One of
facturing one product. “About five years Another project involves the defense our corporate ethics is ‘Everyone Mat-
ago, we put in place an ERP system that of the United States. “Enercon is a part- ters,’ and to actualize that ethic, we are
is helping us streamline a variety of ner that designed and assembles the open to everyone’s thinking, inclusive
practices and processes in the purchas- prime power unit for the Terminal High in our philosophical orientation and
ing, design, manufacturing and sales op- Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system seek to make our time together at work
erations,” Tangel says. for the Missile Defense Agency,” Tan- fun.” mt
Tangel mentions several recent En- gel says. “THAAD is part of our nation’s
ercon projects of which he is especially missile defense system. The prime pow- Kirby Risk Electrical Supply appreciates the long-
term partnership with Enercon Engineering, Inc. Kirby
proud. “After the Fukushima disaster er unit is one of the most sophisticated Risk Electrical Supply has been providing high-quality,
state-of-the-art electrical, automation, lighting, and power
in Japan, we were contracted to supply tactical power systems capable of pro- distribution solutions to Enercon Engineering, Inc. for sev-
a large quantity of generator packages viding onsite power necessary to make eral decades. Founded in Lafayette, Indiana in 1926, Kirby
Risk Electrical Supply is recognized as an industry leader in
in a very aggressive timeframe,” Tangel the system operate.” the electrical distribution business. Kirby Risk Mechanical
says. “By leveraging all three of our man- Tangel attributes the company’s suc- Solutions and Service supplies power transmission prod-
ucts and services, as well as motor repair services to our
ufacturing locations and our strategic cess to several factors. “We care for customers. For more information on Kirby Risk Electrical
supply partners, we were able to meet our clients as humans first, working to Supply and Kirby Risk Mechanical Solutions and Service,
please visit www.KirbyRisk.com.
the targeted delivery timeline while still understand their concerns, situations

Airboss Flexible Products
www.flexible-products.com / Revenues: $130 million / HQ: Auburn Hills, Mich. / Midwest
Employees: 400 / Specialty: Automotive parts
Speedy Service
the airboss buyout is helping flexible products achieve
its goal of global expansion. by tim o’connor
airboss flexible products

has undergone aggressive
expansion in recent years.
When Airboss bought mold-bond- Reid family until Glenn Reid, an em- could be ready to start making parts
ed rubber parts maker Flexible Prod- ployee of the company, purchased it by August.
ucts in October 2013, it signaled the from his bosses in 1980. In 1987, Flex- In all, Airboss Flexible Products, as
next phase for the formerly family ible Products moved from Southfield, it is now known, has 310,000 square
-owned company. But although Pres- Mich., to Auburn Hills, Mich., both feet between its three facilities, all
ident Douglas Reid has gone from suburbs of Detroit, and has since ex- located on the same street in Auburn
reporting to his dad to reporting to panded its facility twice. Hills. The aggressive expansion and
a board, the culture that has been a The company further grew when it sale to Airboss have allowed the com-
part of Flexible Products’ success for purchased two manufacturing build- pany to grow from $54 million in rev-
nearly 40 years remains intact. “I’m ings located just down the street from enue in 2010 to approximately $130
running it like I’ve always run it,” its main location, the first in 2007 million this year, Douglas Reid says.
Reid says. “We’re not changing the and the second three years later. One Those expansion efforts are now lev-
course at all.” of those facilities currently serves as eling off and Reid expects the compa-
Flexible Products was founded in a warehouse but is in the process of ny to grow by a more manageable 10
1976 but did not become part of the being converted to production and percent in the next year.

Airboss Flexible Products Midwest
Airboss Flexible Products special-

izes in providing rubber parts for the
automotive industry. The company
got its start making exhaust isolators
but over the years has added dampers
for power train and drive assemblies,
steering gear isolators, custom-de-
signed suspension components and
chassis components.
By expanding its product offerings,
Flexible Products has kept up with a
changing market. The company took
further measures a decade ago after
noticing the manufacturing of lower
cost components shifting toward Asia.
To adapt to the global manufactur-
ing environment, Flexible Products
formed a joint venture with Hibon
Corporation, based in Malaysia, which
allows Flexible Products to import
Hibon components at the low cost its
customers want. As a result, Flexible
Products now focuses more on the
manufacture of highly engineered
parts. “We’ve evolved,” Reid says.
steering gear isolators
The Need for Speed are among the components
flexible products makes.
Flexible Products parts are used by a
variety of Tier I, II and III manufac- But speed is about more than prox- pany has its own mold makers, expert
turers, but most products are sent to imity, and Flexible Products has in- tooling, comprehensive testing and
the cream of the automotive indus- vested in its operations and equip- product performance validation, and
try. The company supplies the crucial ment to create a smooth production in-house assembly of components. In
rubber components used in Honda, line. The company has a StrataSys 3-D addition to equipment investments,
Ford, General Motors and Chrysler printing rapid prototyping machine Flexible Products has hired more
vehicles. Being located near Detroit is and two Dieffenbacher presses that engineers and salesmen to keep the
an important advantage for the busi- allow Flexible Products to offer in- people side of the business operating
ness, as car manufacturers require house prototyping and produce full- efficiently for customers.
a reliable and fast supply of parts. size models of parts overnight. The three facilities have 70 injec-
“We’re basically 30 miles from all of In fact, Flexible Products has put tion presses with uniform processing
the design centers of the big three an emphasis on in-house processes measures to ensure speedy produc-
[GM, Ford, Chrysler] and Ohio is not to speed up the production process. tion and order delivery. And Flexible
too far for Honda,” Reid says. In addition to prototyping, the com- Product employees work hard to see
the products through, as the company
“you’ve got to treat [suppliers] like you want utilizes a three-shift manufacturing
model and staffs its plants 24 hours
to be treated. if your suppliers know they’re a day. The end-result is a product de-
going to get paid they’ll jump through hoops livered to the customer when the cus-
for you.” - Douglas Reid tomer needs it. “It’s all speed, time,”

Midwest Airboss Flexible Products
Reid says. “We have done it in 24 hours if we have to.”

But what good is speed if the product malfunctions or
is not up to specifications? Flexible Products takes pride
in the quality of its parts, and has received numerous
quality honors from its customers, including two Gold
Pentastars from Chrysler, the Q1 award for preferred
suppliers from Ford, and has received the Preferred Tar-
gets for Excellence for General Motors for three consec-
utive years. Additionally, Flexible Products has TS 16949
and ISO 14001 certification. Reid says adhering to strict
operating systems and standard procedures means that
every product comes off Flexible Product’s manufactur-
ing line the same as the one before it.
Flexible Products cannot ensure speed and quality on
its own; the company must rely on its suppliers to hold
the same values and commitments to delivering good
products, such as stampings and cut off tubes. Reid ex-
plains the company looks for suppliers who offer quick
service. Most of Flexible Products’ approximately 50
vendors are located in the Midwest because of shorter
flexible products uses 3-d

printing to offer in-house
prototyping services.
freight times. Improving those relationships often leads

to better reliability. “You got to treat them like you want
to be treated,” Reid says of suppliers. A key part of that
relationship is making sure Flexible Products pays its
vendors on time. “If your suppliers know they’re going to
get paid they’ll jump through hoops for you,” Reid adds.
Flexible Products has had success with its approach
and many supplier relationships span several decades.
Airboss itself was one of Flexible Product’s suppliers for
about 10 years before deciding to purchase the rubber
components maker. Reid says the comfort level between
the two companies was a major factor in why Airboss
bought Flexible Products and has helped make the tran-
sition smooth.
The purchase has been advantageous to Flexible Prod-
uct’s operation, as well. Airboss is one of the leading
custom rubber mixers in North America and is able to
produce more than 250 million pounds of rubber annu-
ally. Being a part of the larger company allows Flexible
Products more consistency and security in obtaining
necessary supplies, Reid says, and Flexible Products now
receives all of its formulated compounds from its par-

Airboss Flexible Products Midwest
Gazing Global
Beyond the cozy relationship, Airboss
is playing a key role in Flexible Prod-
ucts’ blueprint for expansion. Although
the four major automakers have proved
stable customers throughout Flexible
Product’s nearly 35 years, Reid says the
company is ready to expand beyond
Honda, Ford, GM and Chrysler and offer
mold-bonded rubber parts to other au-
tomakers. That was a difficult proposi-
tion when it was a family owned compa-
injection presses ensure speedy ny, but the purchase by Airboss has given
production and delivery of
flexible products’ parts. Flexible Products the support structure
and opened it to the capital funding
ent company. Airboss’s technological quickly mold parts at less cost. Further, needed to facilitate that expansion.
advances also trickle down to Flexible customers now have direct access to Air- Reid says it was that need to grow that
Products, such as materials that cure as boss’ technical expertise and extensive helped his family decide it was time to sell
faster rates under higher temperatures, library of rubber compounds. “It’s been their long-held company. “Our plan is to
allowing Flexible Products to more a really seamless transition,” Reid adds. expand our global footprint,” he says. mt

Detroit Chassis LLC
www.detroitchassis.com / Headquarters: Detroit / Employees: 300 / Specialty: Vehicle chassis / Midwest
Anderson Dobbins, vice president: “There’s a lot of momentum for turning the city around.”
Community Makers
detroit chassis llc is devoted to improving its namesake home base as it
manufactures high-quality vehicle chassis and other parts. by jim harris
detroit chassis is based in

detroit’s renaissance zone,
and is helping drive economic
growth in the city.
Detroit Chassis LLC provides livering joy to our customers, but im- ber of Commerce, Junior Achieve-
more than just vehicle chassis and proving the economic situation of the ment, the United Way, Boy Scouts of
automotive components to one of the community we serve,” Vice President America and Habitat for Humanity.
nation’s best-known brands – it also of Business Development Anderson A number of assistance programs
offers hope and opportunity to a city Dobbins says. are also offered to the company’s
in need. Detroit Chassis takes an active employees, including the services of
The company, located in Detroit’s role in business development efforts, social workers. Dobbins says this is a
Renaissance Zone – which offers tax- cleanup campaigns and programs source of pride for the company.
free status to businesses located there that build character and work skills in “There’s a lot of momentum for
to encourage economic development area youth. The company supports a turning the city around, and being a
– is as concerned about hiring local number of community organizations part of that is something we’re proud
people and supporting community including the National Association of,” according to Dobbins. “It will take
organizations as it is manufacturing of Black Suppliers Scholarship Fund, an entire generation of time to turn
quality products. Children’s Aid Society of Southeast the city around, but we’re here for the
“We are committed not just to de- Michigan, the Michigan Black Cham- long run.”

Detroit Chassis LLC Midwest
Expanding its Reach

Detroit Chassis produces rolling chas-
sis and complex subassemblies and
modules for the automotive indus-
try. The company’s sole client is Ford
Motor Co., which uses its parts as the
basis for recreational vehicles as well
as commercial step vans, medium-du-
ty trucks and cars including the SVT
High-Performance Mustang. RV chas-
sis make up roughly 70 percent of its
total business, Dobbins notes.
The company recently opened a
second facility in Avon, Ohio, that
will concentrate on manufacturing
chassis, rear axles and wheel assem-
blies for medium-duty work trucks
such as the Ford F-650 and F-750. RV
and commercial step van chassis and
additional components including detroit chassis takes an
active role in business
front end and corner modules for the development programs
around detroit.
SVT Mustang are manufactured in
Detroit. The Avon facility is project- Quality and Velocity methodologies. The company collects
ed to reach full production capability Detroit Chassis strives to balance au- data on a number of metrics on a re-
by August. tomation with manual processes in al-time basis. “We are a data-driven
The new facility reflects the compa- its manufacturing operations. “When organization dedicated to learning
ny’s ambition to diversify its offerings you heavily automate, that restricts and continuous improvement,” Dob-
and customer base both inside and your ability to handle product com- bins says.
outside of the automotive industry. plexity,” Dobbins says. “We have the The company takes a just-in-time
“What we’re looking to do is continue ability to find a sweet spot between approach to its inventory, much of
to grow our business through strate- automation and human interface in a which is owned and managed directly
gic business alliances and strategic cost-effective structure.” by Ford. Parts are typically turned over
customers,” Dobbins says. “We want The company can adjust its pro- between three to four times weekly.
customers with whom we can have cesses quickly depending on volume, “Trucks are constantly coming in and
long-term business relationships like and can work on several different out,” he adds. “Our facility is small
we’ve established with Ford. We want configurations of chassis within the relative to the size of our product, so if
to take our competency in value-add- same manufacturing line. Lines are we didn’t have that kind of velocity, we
ed assembly and apply that to other also adjusted several times a year to wouldn’t be able to fit all the products
markets and other customers.” accommodate new products. “The we make in our facility.”
The company hopes to add anoth- RV industry is one of the most inno- All of Detroit Chassis’ products are
er major customer this year. Detroit vative in North America,” Dobbins inspected and tested. The company is
Chassis would provide this prospec- adds. “Every year, manufacturers so confident in its quality processes
tive client with sub-assembly and oth- have to come up with new products that it manages the warranty perfor-
er services. “This customer is looking or they will lose out to their compe- mance of the entire vehicle beyond
for someone to help drive efficiency, tition, and the chassis is the founda- just the chassis. The company is ISO
as well as someone who can bring pro- tion of that.” 9000 certified and is pursuing TS
cess engineering and efficiencies to Detroit Chassis’ manufacturing op- 16949 and ISO 14001 certification,
their value stream,” he adds. erations are heavily influenced by lean Dobbins notes. mt

AMI Manchester
www.amimanchester.com / Headquarters: Manchester, Mich. / Specialty: Automotive stamping Midwest
Team Spirit
the employees at ami manchester believe in the vision of the
company and they are what truly sets the company apart.
ami manchester has been

serving the automotive
manufacturing industry for
more than 50 years.
AMI Manchester has a strong chester Stamping, an automotive cent from 2007 and 2008, respective-
foundation built on a team of people sheet metal stamping business that ly, which was in the opposite direction
who are prepared and willing to do makes brackets primarily for automo- of car sales in the United States during
whatever it takes to keep the compa- tive suppliers. American Engineered that time.
ny going. “We have got people who Components (AEC) purchased Man-
truly believe in the dream we set out chester Stamping in 2000, and then Exceeding Expectations
[to achieve] for this company and that it was bought by American Metals Today, AMI Manchester is capable
dream has become our vision now,” Industries in 2004. Three years later, of handling small to medium metal
President and CEO Vincent Hender- Henderson purchased AMI Manches- stamping with presses ranging from
son says. “This company has endured ter and “has never looked back,” the 32 to 400 tons. It also provides in-
through some of the toughest times company says. house engineering support, produc-
you could imagine. I tell my employ- After Henderson took control of tion welded parts and light assem-
ees all the time that if it wasn’t for the company, the Michigan Minority blies. Its full-service die maintenance
them we wouldn’t be here and I truly Supplier Development Council cer- department includes a wire Electrical
do mean it.” tified AMI Manchester as a Minority Discharge Machine from Charmilles
The Manchester, Mich.-based com- Business Enterprise. Company sales Technologies and an Elox Sinker Elec-
pany was founded in 1963 as Man- in 2010 grew by 31 percent and 30 per- trical Discharge Machine. “At AMI

AMI Manchester Midwest
Manchester, we’re dedicated to providing best prices, company around in 24 hours,” Henderson told The
best quality, on-time loading and exceeding our custom- Manchester Mirror. “And that’s what I mean when I
ers’ expectations,” the company says. say the people here just would not give up. I have been
AMI Manchester supports new product, platform and proud to promote from within – John Kampf, our senior
cost-saving line walk activities with on-site application vice president of operations, started working here in
engineers. Its CAD capabilities include VISI design soft- the tool crib. We have many employees who have been
ware, which is fully compatible with CATIA, IGES and with us all their careers.”
Step. The company has key strategic relationships with Henderson and his team have positioned AMI Man-
partners to provide a full range of prototype services. chester to take home Honda’s “Excellence in Value”
AMI Manchester operates a 100,000-square-foot facil- award for two years in a row, be added as a tier one sup-
ity that includes 15 mechanical stamping presses, two plier for Chrysler and experience 50 percent growth in
assembly presses, two Nilson Four Slide machines and 2011 and 2012. AMI Manchester is an OEM supplier to
seven production welders. Chrysler for stampings and assemblies for fasteners and
Because of its hard work and dedication, AMI Man- flag nuts. Its parts are sometimes used in Chrysler’s in-
chester was named the winner of Honda’s “Excellence in ternal engine parts.
Value” award as one of the top-three suppliers in North Moving forward, Henderson says he plans to grow and
America for quality, delivery and value. “Nothing speaks keep the company local. “We want to continue to grow
quality and reliability like Honda,” the company says. right here where we are,” Henderson said last year during
“Since 1998, AMI has been proud to be a tier one supplier an open house for village officials. “We’ll take it wherever
to Honda of America, providing various stamping and as- our customers want us to grow.” mt
sembled components used in Civic, CRV, Accord, Acura
RDX and MDX.”
Above and Beyond

AMI Manchester prides itself on its reputation for great
customer service. For example, the team showed its will-
ingness to go above and beyond and at the same time,
saved the company from potential ruin. “[We have] the
greatest people in the world and they have really put to-
gether an outstanding manufacturing company,” Hen-
derson says. “Our people here are what really makes this
company different.”
The reason for Henderson’s boast about the work-
force started on his very first day at AMI Manchester in
2007, when Honda called during a blizzard. The auto-
maker needed products warehoused in Lake City, Mich.,
to be delivered to its plant in Marysville, Ohio, the next
morning. “We could get some parts done, but we had to
pick up parts from Lake City, which is a three-hour drive,
and then take that to Ohio for a build job,” Henderson
remembers. “That day, our employee [and Senior Vice
President of Sales and Engineering] Dennis Herman
drove overnight to get a product to our customer on
time. Had we not got it done, the first day I got here we
would have been in trouble.”
At that time, Honda owed AMI Manchester $1.8
million in back invoices, which Herman collected
in exchange for the parts. “That literally turned this

Katecho Inc.
www.katecho.com / Headquarters: Des Moines, Iowa / Employees: 455 / Midwest
Specialty: Manufacturer of medical and cosmetic devices
A Disciplined Approach
katecho inc.’s new organizational philosophy leads to
improved efficiencies and increased sales. by bob rakow
katecho is a full-service contract

manufacturer that serves industries
such as pharmaceutical, medical
and cosmetics.
Discipline is the driver behind management, warehousing and trans- Woodworth initiated the 5S meth-
Katecho Inc.’s success. “The best portation logistics. odology of management that de-
definition of ‘discipline’ is following Woodworth joined Katecho five scribes how to organize a workplace
a set of rules top to bottom,” accord- years ago to help the company change for efficiency and effectiveness by
ing to Drew Woodworth, vice presi- its organizational philosophy. “I was identifying and storing the items
dent of operations. brought aboard as the mechanism used, maintaining the area and items
Katecho Inc. is a full-service con- to create momentum,” Woodworth and sustaining the new order.
tract manufacturer of pharmaceuti- says. “This helped to achieve buy-in “In each part of the plant, every-
cal, medical and cosmetic products at top management levels that in turn thing has a place, and everything is to
that specializes in hydrogel process- created a tsunami of culture change be in its place,” Woodworth explains.
ing and advanced printing techniques. that has migrated through the or- Additionally, expectations are “clear
The company offers a wide variety ganization.” The changes have bred and concise” throughout the organi-
of services, including product testing, success, as Katecho’s transition into a zation, he says.
engineering and design, regulatory lean enterprise has led to a 47 percent Woodworth says support from the
support, manufacturing, inventory sales increase over the past five years. company’s owners – the Scharnberg

Katecho Inc. Midwest
cus on hiring quality employees, Wood-

worth says. The company employs indi-
viduals who exhibit integrity, attention
to detail, positive attitude, strong work
ethic and a continuous desire to im-
prove, Woodworth says. Hiring individ-
uals who display those characteristics
pays off. “Whatever we set as goals, we
get done,” Woodworth says.
One of the company’s ongoing ob-
EppsteinFOILS For over 160 years EppsteinFOILS has

strong relationships with been renowned for high-quality precision foils for a wide
both customers and suppliers
are keys to katecho’s success. range of applications. Today, as exemplified in the relation-
ship with Katecho, EppsteinFOILS’s commitment goes be-
yond supplying materials only. The company has a devotion
family – was critical to Katecho’s recent strong relationships with both custom- to its customers’ product application, quality expectations,
and supply chain requirements. With those building blocks,
accomplishments. “Without them, the ers and suppliers. “We treat suppliers EppsteinFOILS works with customers to develop innovative
process would have stalled,” he says. “I like customers,” Woodworth says, add- ideas and solutions for improved performance and new
products to meet their expectations, both for today’s needs
am not the hero, they are.” ing that the company always pays invoic- and tomorrow’s requirements. EppsteinFOILS actively
There are several keys to Katecho’s es within 30 days. supports customers in defibrillator pad, body electrode,
X-ray, solar, solder, and capacitor markets.
achievements, including cultivating Katecho also places a significant fo-

Midwest Katecho Inc.
jectives is to eliminate waste, including time, materials and

space. The goal can be difficult to achieve, but so far Katecho
has developed higher-quality products less expensively.
On the manufacturing floor, Katecho has space dedicated
specifically for assembly and integration. The company also
provides a full range of assembly options, from hand assem-
bly to fully automated assembly using advanced robotics. A
controlled-environment room allows for production with
minimal exposure to bioburdens, Woodworth says.
The increased use of robotics also allows Katecho to de-
crease its supply chain and improve vertical integration,
Woodworth says. “We can build on demand,” he says. “It
allows us to turn on a dime.”
Katecho management is intimately involved in the
company’s day-to-day quality control. Each day the com-
pany’s nine directors walk through sections of the facto-
ry with a keen eye on quality and productivity. “They’re
looking for things that are working and things that are not
working,” Woodworth says. “Ninety percent of the time
they find something.”
katecho emphasizes quality

and productivity on the
manufacturing floor.

Katecho Inc. Midwest
“management is not allowed to walk past an

printing, bed-screen printing and con-
ductive ink printing, Woodworth says.
obvious problem. we’re not managing the problem, The company is capable of achiev-
we’re eradicating it. we’ve created a learning ing extreme precision through its ser-
organization; we share knowledge.” - Drew Woodworth vo-controlled roll-to-roll printing tech-
nique. Its ability to create and utilize
When problems are identified, they are ufacturing facility to bring customers’ custom conductive ink formulas allows
addressed immediately, Woodworth ideas to life, he says. for printing on virtually any substrate,
says. “Management is not allowed to Katecho processes hydrogel in roll- including paper, foil, foam and nonwo-
walk past an obvious problem,” he form or pour-in-place. They can also ven materials, Woodworth explains. mt
says. “We’re not managing the prob- process hydrogel with 3-D spray, which
lem, we’re eradicating it. We’ve creat- can be used as a mist to create 3-D ob-
New Deantronics “I Need a Total Product Solution
ed a learning organization; we share jects. Hydrogel is used in numerous Provider! We can’t do everything! We don’t have time or
knowledge.“ applications, including electrodes, resources to work with multiple suppliers to get our new
or re-engineered product to market. It’s too long and too
The company’s expertise in hydrogel grounding pads, ultrasound gels, wrin- costly working with different companies for design, devel-
opment, prototyping, initial production product, scale-up
design and manufacturing is what sets kle-reduction products, scar-reduction and volume manufacturing.”
it apart from the competition, Wood- products, trauma bandages and burn Sound familiar? From startup to global device compa-
nies, you need a single source partner providing a “total
worth says. Katecho offers customers care products. solution”. Let New Deantronics help. It’s what we do and
standard, modified and custom hydrogel Katecho’s also has advanced print- have been doing for 20+ years. From concept to packaged
sterile devices, we are the “whole product” solution.
options and uses a state-of-the-art man- ing capabilities, including flexographic
KATECHO.indd 77 7/2/15 11:58 AM

ZTECH Precision
www.ztechprecision.com / Headquarters: Elk River, Minn. / Employees: 14 / Specialty: Precision Midwest
machining and EDM / Don Zoubek, president: “Someone else’s reputation is in our hands.”
All in One
ztech precision provides
a variety of machining
services so tier 1 suppli-
ers can have a one-stop
shop. by russ gager
ZTECH Precision is the third
manufacturing company that its pres-
ident, Don Zoubek, has owned, this
time with his son, Ben Zoubek, as vice
president and operations manager. So
he knew the kind of company he want-
ed to create. “Our growth has come
from specifically serving Tier 1 suppli-
ers,” Zoubek says. “Our goal is to keep
our overhead lower than our custom-
ers’ in order to provide them compo-
nents at a price level that allows them
to still make their margins.”
Tier 1 suppliers use ZTECH Preci-
sion when the demand for their com-
ponents exceeds their production
capacity, and also when they need to
have a multitude of processes per-
formed at one location. “We are very
experienced in both wire and sinker
EDM [electrical discharge machin-
ing], but we also provide extensive
milling and turning capabilities, as
well,” Zoubek says.
ZTECH receives work because ztech precision says nearly
80 percent of its work is
many Tier 1 suppliers consistant- repeat business.
ly outsource a percentage of their
work. “It creates some insurance for ZTECH provides components pri- Quality Checks
them,” Zoubek points out. “By being marily to the medical and aerospace ZTECH Precision saves its customers
able to find sources like us on the industries, along with some for the oil quality inspection time and paper-
outside, they can grow significantly and gas and defense industries, as well work. “Because we’ve worked directly
more without the need for addition- as tooling and special equipment com- with OEMs in the past, we know what
al internal infastructure. What we ponents. The company can provide our customer is dealing with and we
find is typically, once we’re awarded precision four-axis CNC milling and can anticipate what their customer is
a project and part number, when it is up to seven-axis CNC turning. It also going to ask of them,” Zoubek main-
reordered, it usually comes back to performs CNC EDM drilling, four-ax- tains. “So we work with the customer
us.” Zoubek estimates that approxi- is CNC sinker EDM and four-axis on the front end to find out exactly
mately 80 percent of ZTECH’s work CNC wire EDM in workpieces up to what quality measures and processes
is repeat business. 15.75 inches thick. their particular customer is going to

ZTECH Precision Midwest
require from them. We perform all of that here internal- times be produced within 24 hours or over a weekend in
ly and provide them with all the documentation, some- emergency situations.
times using their own forms.” The company invests greatly in capital equipment, em-
ZTECH Precision’s quality management system ployee training, support equipment, inspection equip-
is based on the ISO 9001:2008 standards. “When we ment, CAD and CAM workstations, custom tooling and
started three years ago we chose to implement a qual- fixturing, rotary tables and work-holding accessories to
ity management system right from the start, which is fully support primary machining operations. “We just
a little unusual for a small company,” Zoubek remem- put in our 15th CNC machine,” Zoubek notes.
bers. “We wanted to become compliant with ISO but Most of ZTECH’s customers are in the Midwest, al-
not necessarily certified to ISO, because there’s tens though a minority are located in other regions of the
of thousands of dollars difference between the two of United States. “We know that for everything we do,
them, which would drive up our overhead. What we’ve someone else’s reputation is in our hands, and that is
found is if you follow all the ISO procedures and live understood throughout the organization,” Zoubek em-
it every day, it shows in your quality, delivery and cus- phasizes. “We have some very talented and experienced
tomer satisfaction. Up to this point, it has not been re- individuals working on the team, but also some great up-
quired of us by our customers, but we are prepared for coming people learning under them. They all have mutu-
when that changes.” In the meantime, this helps keep al respect for one another and for our customers, as well
ZTECH’s overhead and consequently its prices to its as treat vendors with just as much respect. In most cases,
customers lower. our customers and vendors become actual close personal
Being able to perform many different types of manu- friends of ours.” mt
facturing operations in one location has been a compet-
itive advantage for ZTECH. “You rarely find all of these
capabilities and a serious quality system to back all that
up in a company this size,” Zoubek declares. “A Tier 1
supplier to a medical company we’re working for was
manufacturing a component to a certain point, and then
it required a sinker EDM operation to be done. They’d
send it to us, we’d perform the EDM and send it back to
them. Over time, it evolved that they had us make the
whole part complete.”
Then the company asked ZTECH to manufacture two
other components that went into the assembly. “Now
we’re doing all of the components in the assembly for the
simple fact that our quality is impeccable, our delivery
is on time, the documentation we provide them with is
unequalled, and we can do all of that under one roof and
they don’t have to send this around to multiple places,”
Zoubek asserts.
Moderate Quantities
ZTECH Precision manufactures parts at its single
9,200-square-foot plant in quantities from 50 to 500 or-
dinarily, although the company will produce prototype
quantities in conjunction with larger projects from time
to time. On the the other end of the scale, ZTECH runs
1,600 a month of some parts. Lead times vary from two to
six weeks during the plant’s one-and-a-half shifts Mon-
day through Friday. In addition, components can some-

Trinity Products
www.trinityproducts.com / Revenue: $100 million / HQ: O’Fallon, Mo. / Employees: 160 / Midwest
Specialty: Steel manufacturing
Steps To Success
trinity products utilizes a continuous
improvement approach. by tim o’connor
trinity products has been

providing steel manufactruing
services for nearly 10 years.
Since its founding in 1979, Mis- the contacts Trinity worked with left “We have a plan to get there and we
souri’s Trinity Products has rein- those suppliers for new career oppor- know how we’ll get there.”
vented itself time and time again. tunities. Griggs saw that Trinity need- Griggs credits that growth to the
The company began as a steel broker ed to become its own supplier out of people who make up Trinity, includ-
before opening a yard and becoming a necessity. “You almost have to be dis- ing his partner of 28 years, Vince Han-
distributor. Then, about 10 years ago, tributing what you make to have any sen; Bryan Davis, the sales manager
it transitioned again into becoming a real stability for your future,” he says. who has been with the company for
full-on steel pipe manufacture. Taking on pipe fabrication has en- 15 years; and Jim Nazzoli, who leads
Trinity’s move into production oc- abled Trinity to improve its customer Trinity’s continuous improvement
curred as CEO Robert Griggs watched service and control its own future. That effort and has been with the company
the steel pipe industry and noticed future looks bright because the compa- for eight years. Plus the new hire last
manufacturers were squeezing dis- ny is expecting to reach $100 million in year of Charlie Lamb, one of the pre-
tributors during market downturns. revenue this year, up from $75 million mier spiral pipe and welding experts
Further, longtime relationships with in 2014. “Our goal is to be at $250 mil- in the world to be named director of
mills Trinity bought from would end as lion in the next five years,” Griggs says. operations. Lamb has brought his

Midwest Trinity Products
Midwest
30 years of experience in pipe make

to Trinity and set the course for Trini-
ty to be a world class pipe manufactur-
er. Lastly, Trinity recently hired Ross
Heutel as the head of IT and made it
his mission to make Trinity the cut-
ting edge company for software, hard-
ware and systems in the steel industry.
“We have a really good group of people
that understand what we’re trying to
accomplish,” Griggs says with pride.
When Trinity was a $10 million-a-year
company Griggs says it did a good job of
serving customers but its reach did not
touch a lot of people. Now that it han-
dles its own production, Trinity pipes
have ended up in construction and in-
frastructure projects, even finding their
way into new scoreboards for the Uni- trinity says it operates with
versity of Missouri and University of Il- the goal of continuous
improvement in mind.
linois football teams. Trinity outputted
50,000 tons of steel last year from its ed presentations on the company’s leadership group, Griggs learned the
pipe mill in St. Charles, Mo., and a small- revenue and projected incomes. Fur- Cycle of Success, a continuous-im-
er fabrication facility in O’Fallon, Mo., ther, Trinity’s leadership decided to provement program that has shaped
creating and supporting jobs through- share 10 percent of its profits with em- how the company operates and grows
out the country. “It’s a long journey, but ployees. “We want everybody to know for much of the past decade.
we’re getting at it,” Griggs says. what we’re doing,” Griggs says. “Trinity is in a relentless pursuit of
Because of that transparency, em- continuous improvement,” Griggs
Open Book ployees had a better grasp of Trinity’s says. The approach is filtered through
Around the time Trinity was shifting operations and realized the company every layer of the company, to how Trin-
into pipe fabrication, the company was never struggling or profiting as ity improves manufacturing to how its
adopted the open-book management much as it may seem – the reality was employees answer phone calls. The
philosophies of Jack Stack, founder of more middle of the road. Seeing the idea, Griggs says, is to start with what
SRC Holdings Corp., an independent actual data gave workers more confi- you are working on today, add goals and
remanufacturer. In following those dence in management and the direc- prioritize by identifying the large objec-
transparency guidelines, Trinity began tion of the company, Griggs adds. tives and the ones that can be done in
sharing virtually all of its operational short order. In the last six years, Trini-
information with employees. Monthly Continuous Improvement ty has checked off more than 200 such
finance meetings with workers includ- Many of the factors affecting the prof- continuous-improvement projects,
itability of a business are out of the though the to-do list keeps expanding.
Advanced Industrial Controls (AIC) is a full service company’s direct control. Steel prices Committing to continuous improve-
systems integrator located in Steeleville, IL. AIC provides innova- will rise and currency values will fluc- ment has helped the company stay fo-
tive control automation solutions to a wide variety of industries
including food/ beverage, plastics/rubber, mining, paper/printing tuate without care or consideration cused on the future even during lean
as well as metal processing. Most recently, AIC’s design team for a steel maker’s bottom line. So years. “Improving doesn’t mean you’re
worked closely with Trinity’s engineering and operations groups
to implement a very accurate automated cut-to-length system Trinity has focused on those factors always profitable,” Griggs says. “But
This system has reduced scrap by 50% saving $84K/year. Cut
length accuracy improved to +/-1/16 inch tolerance. Additional
it can control: the workers it hires and what it does mean is you’ll always be
control automation projects installed by AIC have saved Trinity its commitment to constant refine- open. You’ll always have a company.”
over $350K/year. For more information, call (618) 977-4315.
ment. Through Vistage, a CEO peer Griggs and his partners know they

Trinity Products Midwest
are not experts at every job in the company and don’t have
the answers to fix each problem. So Trinity has empowered
its employees to find their own solutions. Each department
has regular group meetings to discuss where improvements,
large or small, can be made. A night shift worker could raise
awareness of poor lighting conditions not experienced
during the day, for example. Griggs says including all levels
of employees in the continuous improvement process keeps
the staff focused on making Trinity better.
Continuous improvement is a never-ending process Trin-
ity looks to build on every day. There is always a new piece
of equipment or new manufacturing method to discover,
Griggs says. “We work on saving 30 seconds in a step,” he
adds. “You can always get better.”
Production speed is the area where those small, but ac-
cumulative steps have seen the most significant results.
Trinity has relied on its long-term partnerships from com-
panies such as Advanced Industrial Controls, which builds
control systems, to provide those improvement solutions.
Advanced Industrial Controls helped Trinity to automate
the beveling process with a 75 percent success rate. Now,
employees only have to cut the ends of 25 percent of pipes,
allowing Trinity to allocate that staff time and energy else-
where. “They’re constant partners in helping our continu-
ous improvement,” Griggs says.
The pipe mill has gone from producing 60 inches per min-
ute two years ago to 100 inches per minute. Likewise, coil
splicing used to take 20 minutes, but minor improvements
have added up and now Trinity can do coil splicing in 12-and-
a-half minutes. Those types of compiling successes have
brought Trinity from producing 2,000 tons of steel each
month to 5,000 tons this past May. “It’s a series of small wins
to get into places where you have huge success,” Griggs says.
Staying Hot
To keep its momentum going, Trinity is undergoing a re-
branding effort and wants to build a larger presence on so-
cial media and online. “We’re going to become the voice in
the new-age media,” Griggs boasts. “[We’re] going to con-
nect to our customers in the way they want to be connected.”
Griggs says Trinity would consider acquiring other com-
panies if an opportunity arose. Trinity already serves all of
the United States but Griggs is aiming at total penetration
of the steel market. Sales offices are opening up in Chicago,
New Orleans, New Jersey and other areas of the country. As
Trinity grows, no customer will be too small. “We’re happy
to sell a guy one truckload of pipe. I want them all,” Griggs
says of steel customers. mt

Rembrandt Foods
www.rembrandtfoods.com / Revenue: $300 million / Headquarters: Spirit Lake, Iowa / Midwest
Employees: 900 / Specialty: Egg producer and ingredient supplier
Productivity Portrait
rembrandt foods grows to become a global
leader in egg production. by bob rakow
rembrandt foods specializes

in producing eggs, and is the
second-largest egg producer
in the country.
Dave Rettig and his father, Dar- a member of the Minnesota Senate Rettig says his motivation to start
rel Rettig, started Rembrandt Foods from 1981 to 1990, grew up on a farm. Rembrandt Foods was threefold.
15 years ago, more than a decade af- “He’s one of the most successful busi- “First, my family had always been
ter the younger Rettig developed the nessmen in the country,” Rettig says. in the egg business,” he says. “My
business plan for the egg production Rettig met Taylor through a friend, grandfather had retired, my father
business. “It took 10 years to find an Mike Gidley. “Mike grew up in north- had been bought out and was looking
investor,” Rettig says. west Iowa and was aware that Glen for re-entry into the egg business.
Rembrandt Foods got off the Taylor owned land in the area,” Rettig Second, the motivation was to have
ground when Rettig met Glen A. Tay- recalls. “He wrote Glen a letter saying an ownership position in an entre-
lor, a successful businessman who he had some friends who had a plan preneurial business.
is the majority owner of the NBA’s to start an egg business. After we put “Third, when I looked at the op-
Minnesota Timberwolves and the Rembrandt together, Mike and I be- portunities, it was apparent that the
Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA. Taylor, came the first two employees.” foodservice segment of the egg busi-

Rembrandt Foods Midwest
“my thing is working with key custom-

ers. where can we take this business
over the next five years?” - Dave Rettig
restaurant market, for example, Rembrandt Foods sup-
plies liquid egg products for various dishes containing
eggs. It also provides two new precooked items: an egg
white patty for breakfast sandwiches and scrambled eggs
that require minimal handling and easy portion control,
Rettig says.
The egg products Rembrandt sells are used in myri-
ad food categories, including mayonnaise and sauces,
baked goods, confections, pasta and noodles, nutritional
beverages and bars, and prepared foods, Rettig explains.
Products include liquid, dried and frozen eggs as well as
hard-cooked and precooked egg products and no- or re-
duced-cholesterol eggs.
president dave rettig started rembrandt Rettig points out that although people consider eggs
foods when he saw opportunities in the
foodservice segment of the egg business. as a breakfast food, they have a much wider variety of
ness was growing extremely fast, and egg processors

needed integrated egg production and processing solu-
tions that gave them the freshest eggs possible to offer
to their customers.”
Taylor liked Rettig’s proposal and ultimately invested
in the company, a vertically integrated egg operation on
160 acres of Taylor-owned land near Rembrandt, a small
community in northwestern Iowa. The company started
as an egg supplier before expanding to a manufacturer of
egg products eight years later.
Among the Top

Today, Rembrandt Foods is the second-largest egg pro-
ducer in the country and among the top 10 globally, Ret-
tig says. The company is also among the top-five produc-
ers of egg products in the world. Rembrandt Foods has
more than 900 employees in Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri
and Alabama.
The company does not supply eggs to grocery stores.
Rather, it produces more than 200 egg products for the
food industry and distributes to 30 countries.
The market for egg products is large and varied, a ben-
efit for Rembrandt Foods, which sells egg ingredients to
food manufacturers, brand owners, foodservice compa-
nies and pet care manufacturers. The company counts
restaurants, hotels and motels, healthcare facilities,
schools and convenience stores among its clients. In the

Midwest Rembrandt Foods
rembrandt foods is the second-largest

egg producer in the united states and
among the top-10 producers globally.
the company also is among the top-five
producers of egg products in the world.
applications, including emulsifica- hance the quality of life for farmers ny follows good manufacturing prac-
tion, whipping and foaming, flavor- and society as a whole. Rembrandt tices to protect consumers from food
ing, crystallization control, protein buys grains and soybeans from local borne illnesses.
enrichment, thickening, and binding farmers, and the company mills its Rembrandt adheres to welfare goals
and gelling, as well as browning and own feed. Day-old chicks are pur- and principles that are essential for the
coating other foods. chased from a local hatchery, and eggs humane care of the chicks. These in-
Rembrandt Foods has grown sig- are broken in an on-site facility the volve appropriate feed, water, shelter,
nificantly since its inception, but the day they are laid. Eggs are pasteurized transportation and veterinary care.
company’s core culture and values and processed within a few hours. All Rettig’s focus for the company’s fu-
have not changed. “We follow our byproducts are returned as fertilizer ture is twofold. “My thing is working
principles which we’ve had from the to the company’s farming partners, with key customers,” he says. “Sec-
beginning,” Rettig says. For example, Rettig says. ondly, where can we take this business
the company strives to use low-cost Rembrandt employs strict quali- over the next five years?” He believes
grain, employ vertical integration and ty assurance standards throughout the template for ongoing success is
scale to optimize its various products. its operation, including bio-security to continue to “do what we’re doing”
Additionally, the company has de- procedures at all of its locations and while seeking opportunities for glob-
veloped a live-responsibly initiative, a labs for product testing. Additionally, al expansion. “Eggs are the last great
business model focused on efficiency egg products are inspected by an on- natural protein that can be exploit-
and input reduction designed to en- site USDA inspector and the compa- ed,” he says. mt

Control Gaging
www.controlgaging.com / Headquarters: Ann Arbor, Mich. / Employees: 34 / Specialty: Gage
Midwest
solutions / Dave Hayes, president: “We excel on projects where changeover time is critical.”
A Step Above
control gaging’s automated measurement systems
improve changeover times. by janice hoppe
control gaging founder jack

Control Gaging first made a name brown patented the world’s
first quick-step gage head.
for itself more than 40 years ago when
founder Jack Brown patented the
world’s first quick-step gage head that
reduced changeover time from 20
minutes to 30 seconds.
That innovative spirit continues
within the company today as it con-
tinues to develop automated gage
systems while maintaining its reputa-
tion for superior-quality products and
dedicated customer service.
“We excel on projects where
changeover time is critical,” Presi-
dent Dave Hayes says. “Typically, our
products offer faster setup time than
the competition and those are the
products we have an advantage on.”
The company was founded 43 years
ago in Saline, Mich., to address a need
in the manufacturing industry for
more sophisticated instruments to
control automatic machinery and
produce higher-quality products.
“We know from experience that auto-
matic control of machining processes
through real-time measurement can
cut production costs through im-
proved productivity and quality,” the
company says.
Today, Control Gaging is a leader
in measurement systems and process
controls for the machining industry.
It designs and manufactures in-pro-
cess gages that provide closed-loop
feedback to machine controls based
on real-time part measurement.
The company also produces gage
systems that can be integrated into
material-handling systems so parts
can be measured while transported.

Midwest Control Gaging
Petra Electronic Manufacturing,

based in Moline, Mich., supplies cir-
cuit boards for Control Gaging’s
products. The companies work close-
ly together when developing a new
solution for customers, Hayes says.
“We involve them in the manufactur-
ability of our products and they offer
us ideas on how to improve our circuit
board designs,” he adds.
The company says its extensive
technical knowledge, innovative gage
products, and dedicated field service
and support earn customers’ loyalty.
Control Gaging supplies its products
to customers in the automotive, heavy
truck, construction vehicle, bearing,
medical and aerospace industries.
control gaging has been
a place for innovation “Our customers can expect products
since day one.
from us that work, are durable and
easy to use,” Hayes notes.
Innovative Culture and the World Gage product line of Over the past couple of years, Con-
Control Gaging has been a place for enhanced products with greater du- trol Gaging has developed new post
innovation since day one, and over the rability and accuracy was rolled out by process and inner diameter grinder
years it has not only introduced the Control Gaging in 2006. gages. The automated post-process
first electronic quick setup gaging sys- “Today’s highly competitive mar- gage systems require fast retooling
tem, but also the first quick-setup ID ketplace requires reliable gaging sys- for multiple part configurations.
gage for through-spindle applications. tems,” the company says. “Control Once machining is completed, the
In 1985, the company moved to its Gaging responds to [our customers] automated systems provide accurate
current location in Ann Arbor, Mich., needs with gages that are easy to set- measurements of the finished part
which offered more space for growth. up, produce precise measurements to compensate the machine tool and
Throughout the 1990s, Control and are extremely reliable.” prevent bad parts from entering the
Gaging patented its first crank pin product stream.
gage and center-less shaft gage, as well Reliable Products The center-less grinder TFX In-
as introduced the fourth-generation Control Gaging manufactures cus- line Diameter Gage offers precise size
of micro-based monitors. In 2000, tom-engineered solutions for a vari- control of small parts and spools at
the company became a registered ety of industries. “Typically we run a production rates. “The TFX provides
TE9000, tool and equipment quality design/build model,” Hayes says. “We the accuracy and throughput, as well
standard company, and earned ISO will quote a system for a given part as the flexibility for changeover, that
9001 and QS 9000 certifications. and our customer’s manufacturing manufacturers of these parts have
Control Gaging introduced its first process, then we build a custom de- been looking for,” the company says.
electronic monitor with digital signal sign for them. Everything is designed Control Gaging’s Post Process Shaft
processing to produce greater accu- and machined in-house.” Gage offers a flexible fixture design
racy and speed for premier products.
The introduction of the Grip-Gage-
Go solution that integrates measure-
“typically, our products offer faster setup
ment devices directly into materi- time than the competition and those are the
al-handling systems followed in 2004 products we have an advantage on.” - Dave Hayes
Control Gaging Midwest
that makes purchasing a post-gage ufacturing space by 5,000 square Hayes says. Control Gaging also
for in-feed center-less shaft grinding feet. The company expects further plans to stay true to its roots by con-
simple and affordable. When mount- growth because of the mass reloca- tinuing to develop innovative auto-
ed adjacent to the grinding machine, tion and re-shoring of manufactur- mated gage systems and remain an
the fixture receives work pieces from ing companies to the United States, industry leader. mt
a gantry or robot loader.
The gage sends size readings to a
D500 controller that monitors size
trends and feeds appropriate com-
pensation signals to the machine to
maintain tight tolerances.
The fifth-generation WG2 Dual
Finger Gage was developed by Con-
trol Gaging with design advance-
ments, including the bearing struc-
ture, corrosion resistance, coolant
seals, setup and retract mechanism
reliability, crash-resistance, easily
accessible adjustable features and is
easier to repair. WG2 offers repeat-
ability of less than .0005mm, sets up
in less than 30 seconds and comes
with a two-year warranty.
Control Gaging will be featuring
its new systems in May at EASTEC,
2015. “The most important benefit
with trade shows is to stay in touch
with the current trends and tech-
nology, and find new customers,”
Hayes says. “For us it’s also a way to
keep existing relationships estab-
lished and communications going by
spending more time talking to our
customers about existing equipment
and new opportunities.”
Moving forward, Control Gag-
ing has prepared for further growth
by relocating to a new building in
Ann Arbor that increased its man-
Petra Electronic Manufacturing has been

partnering with Control Gaging for over 10 years now.
We have had the good fortune of manufacturing the PCB
assemblies that are the backbone of their product line. Our
capabilities include the SMT placement of BGA and other
fine pitch state of the art IC packages, as well as through
hole and mixed technology production. Two complete SMT
lines, automated optical inspection and BGA reworking ca-
pability make us a good fit for a company concerned about
a quality product at a competitive price like Control Gaging.
Contact us today to find out what we can do for you!

National Enzyme Company
www.nationalenzyme.com / 2014 revenue: $40 million / Headquarters: Forsyth, Mo. / Midwest
Employees: 138 / Specialty: Enzyme-based dietary supplements
History of Health
national enzyme company has been a market leader
for more than 80 years. by chris petersen
national enzyme company

provides customers with
full-service capabilties for
dietary supplements.
While working in the Lindlahr zyme supplements that replicated the built around reliability, quality and
Sanitarium in the 1920s, Dr. Edward function of the enzymes in raw foods. meeting our customers’ needs,” Ami-
Howell, M.D., took an interest in Today, NEC is a leading producer of don says. “We have a full-service ca-
studying nutrition and specifically enzyme-based dietary supplements pability here.”
digestive enzymes. He believed that for a variety of market channels, and NEC’s full-service capability makes
if he could replace the digestive en- President and COO Charlie Amidon it a valued partner for manufacturers
zymes lost from food during cooking says the key to the company’s longev- across six market channels, Amidon
with dietary supplements, he could ity and success has been its ability to says. The company provides contract
improve his patients’ nutrient assim- provide its customers with virtually manufacturing services, along with
ilation and their overall health. After any type of supplement, including manufacturing for direct mail and
years of research and trial, Howell vitamins and many other types of Internet sales, multi-level marketing
founded National Enzyme Company nutraceutical products. “We’ve been operations, healthcare professionals,
(NEC) in 1932 to manufacture en- here 83 years, and the company was retail mass merchandise and natural

National Enzyme Company Midwest
health retail stores. The company’s products reach ap-

proximately 60 percent of the digestive enzyme market
in the United States.
Alone on Top
Amidon says NEC stands alone in the marketplace be-
cause of its ability to provide virtually every aspect of
what its customers need. The company not only manu-
factures the supplements, but it also provides packaging
and labeling services, making it possible for NEC to serve
its customers at every stage of the process from formula-
tion to packaging. “We consider ourselves turnkey here,”
Amidon says. the company says its strong
internal culture is one of
The company’s ability to make any kind of supplement its biggest advantages.
capsule with full turnkey service means it stands alone
in the industry, but those are far from the only reasons has made it easier than ever for consumers to educate
why NEC has been successful for more than 80 years. themselves about the nutritional content of what they
Amidon says the company is striving constantly to im- eat and how they can benefit from nutritional supple-
prove its manufacturing processes and bring them up to ments. As a result, NEC’s growth over the last few years
the highest standards. “We operate under the strictest has been six times higher than the normal growth in
guidelines,” Amidon says.
“we’ve been here 83 years, and

the company was built around
reliability, quality and meeting
our customers’ needs. we have a
full-service capability here.”
- Charlie Amidon
NEC is certified by the National Sanitation Foundation

(NSF), and it also holds the more-rigorous NSF Sports
certification. Amidon says the company’s facilities are
also certified kosher. He says the company’s equipment
is all state-of-the-art and upgraded fairly regularly, with
blenders up to 90 cubic feet.
Amidon also noted that keeping up with standards
and regulations is one of NEC’s top priorities, but also
represents one of its biggest challenges due to the fluc-
tuating nature of the regulatory environment. “We have
stricter and tighter requirements that we have to meet,”
he says.
Strong Culture
One of the most positive developments for NEC over
the last several years is the rise in health conscious-
ness across the nation. Amidon says that the Internet

Midwest National Enzyme Company
has expanded its capabilities in recent years to include vi-

tamins and other dietary supplements, making it more of
a one-stop shop for manufacturers looking for nutraceu-
tical needs. “We’ve continued growing our capabilities
and our strengths,” Amidon says.
The company has also made a substantial investment
in its staff, and Amidon says NEC has attracted a strong
core of people from the surrounding area who provide
expertise as well as a high-energy, dedicated culture. He
adds that the company is doing everything it can to en-
sure that it keeps those people and the culture they have
built around for a long time, from profit-sharing to ex-
national enzyme company tensive healthcare benefits. “We pay a good chunk of per-
continues to expand its
capabilities to better serve sonnel healthcare because we believe in our personnel,”
its customers.
Amidon says. “They’re not just human resources, they’re
the industry because of its high quality and versatil- good people. Everyone understands the importance of
ity. “It’s feeding itself, the whole dietary supplement the role they play, from a maintenance technician to my
industry is growing,” Amidon says. “Everybody is now directors,” he says.
taking supplements.” All of these elements add up to a bright future for NEC,
To help the company take advantage of this trend, NEC Amidon says. The company has projected a minimum
growth rate of 10 percent every year for the foreseeable
future, and its expansion into other types of dietary
supplement products means NEC should be poised for
growth going forward. “The future is very exciting here,
it really is,” Amidon says. mt
the company can provide packaging
services in addition to its
manufacturing capabilities.

Bennett Machine & Fabricating
www.bmandf.com / Annual revenue: $20 million - $40 million / Headquarters: Anamosa, Iowa /
Midwest
Employees: 95 / Specialty: Full-service machine shop
bennett machine & fabricating

says it is known for its on-time
delivery and high-quality services.
Mission-Driven manufacturing space in 2005, and

today has about 140,000 square feet.
The second generation of family own-
bennett machine & fabricating has become a top ership took control of the company
vendor for oems in agriculture. by eric slack in 2010 and soon after achieved IS0-
9001-2008 certification.
The company manages all steps of
Founded in Iowa in 1973, Bennett the customer needs it,” co-owner and the process for customers, providing
Machine & Fabricating has grown Vice President of Engineering Char- complete parts with outside process-
considerably since its early days serv- ley Martin says. “We provide machines if necessary. It manages the pur-
ing local farmers by repairing and ing on horizontal machining centers, chasing and scheduling of all of raw
maintaining their equipment. Ben- lathes, vertical machining centers, materials to ensure that parts get to
nett Machine still primarily serves broaching, balancing and assembly.” customers on time and to maximize
the agriculture industry, but it works its machine operation time.
with a number of customers in other Developing the Market Working typically with large OEMs,
industries as well. The contract ma- After beginning to do machining for a Bennett Machine supplies finished
chine shop primarily machines cast foundry in Davenport. Iowa, and add- components for assembly. It is in-
iron parts but has the ability to ma- ing to its original facility five times, volved with customers during the
chine other materials. the company moved to Anamosa, design stage so it can design in man-
“We are known for our on-time de- Iowa, in the mid-1990s. Bennett Ma- ufacturability to reduce costs. By spe-
livery, and we deliver very high-qual- chine added approximately 80,000 cializing in the machining of castings,
ity parts at a competitive price when square feet of climate-controlled the company can look into designs

Bennett Machine & Fabricating Midwest
where weldments could be changed into castings to re- such as labor rate information during quoting. The com-
duce costs for customers. In addition, the company ma- pany has made that change and evaluated and adjusted
chines steel and plastic. its burden rates to make sure it is competitive.
“To develop a new customer base and get into different In the years ahead, Bennett Machine knows it will be
markets, we are working with an outside sales rep, devel- tasked with challenges in hiring and maintaining the
oping contacts within the automotive, large truck and right employees. The younger generation does not al-
off-road industries,” Martin says. “We consider those ways see manufacturing as top career choice, but Ben-
some of our key markets for diversification.” nett Machine is working to get the word out about the
The company believes it can continue to grow through career opportunities in manufacturing.
communication with customers on a daily basis. It It is also working to keep costs down. The company
watches their schedules and lets them know if there are invested in geothermal heating and cooling in its office,
changes it cannot meet, and it alerts customers to issues as well as T-8 lighting throughout the warehouse and of-
within their own systems. fice and T-5 lighting in the production facility. It recycles
coolant and evaporates cleaning water, while constantly
Setting Goals watching chemical and oil usage to find eco-friendly al-
One of the key areas that Bennett Machine has been in- ternatives. As the company seeks growth, it will strive to
vesting in over the past few years is its company culture. continue to be a good corporate citizen at the same time.
The company’s employees are a key reason why it is able “Our goal for 2015 is to add another customer, manag-
to offer the quality and efficiency it is known for. That is ing our growth and not taking on too much work at one
why one of the focal points for the company is to improve time,” Martin says. mt
its culture and make it a better place for everyone to
work. “We feel this will help us to maintain our current
workforce, reduce turnover and training costs, and also
reduce scrap due to the familiarity with our processes
and parts,” Martin says.
Other investment areas include expanding its man-
ufacturing space by almost 80,000 square feet of cli-
mate-controlled area. This will give the company the
room to add additional equipment as it diversifies by si-
multaneously providing a better working environment
for employees.
“The facility has overhead hoists for lifting parts in and
out of the machines, so we lower our risk for injury, and
also reduce the fatigue factor as well,” Martin says.
Staying on the cutting-edge of tooling technology al-
lows Bennett Machine to get the most out of its machines
and provide the most economical price to its customers.
Many of the same basic machines are commonplace in the
industry, but the way that Bennett Machine processes its
parts helps to set the company apart from its competitors.
“Our employees help us to improve our processes and
make suggestions that help us to produce better parts
with less time and/or less effort,” Martin says. “This
makes their job easier and makes them want to suggest
more improvements, which makes us more efficient and
makes their jobs easier as well.”
As it evolves, Bennett Machine is working to meet its
customers’ expectation for more transparency in areas

Hatch Stamping Company
www.hatchstamping.com / Headquarters: Chelsea, Mich. / Employees: 700+ / Midwest
Specialty: Stamping, welding, engineering services, assembly
Leadership Position
facility, technology and talent investments are the reasons why hatch
stamping continues to expand as an automotive service provider. by eric slack
hatch stamping has eight

manufacturing and technology
center locations.
Founded in 1952, Hatch Stamp- so they don’t have to source services Hatch Stamping’s capabilities have
ing Company has taken a leadership from multiple providers. Vertical in- continued to evolve over the years.
position as a manufacturer of highly tegration and investing in technology The company offers stamping, weld-
engineered metal stampings and as- has helped us achieve growth.” ing, engineering, assembly and other
semblies for the automotive industry. services to the marketplace.
Having created an innovative, tech- Strong Foundation Its footprint includes a facility ded-
nology-driven organization, Hatch The company has more than 700 em- icated to technical innovation where
Stamping makes parts exclusively for ployees in eight manufacturing and it can build its own assembly equip-
the auto sector. technology center locations. Hatch ment, transfer systems and progres-
“This business has been built by un- Stamping has a presence in Michigan, sive dies. This helps Hatch Stamping
derstanding customer requirements Tennessee and Mexico, with 500,000 take a collaborative approach to its
and looking to be a solution provider square feet of manufacturing space. work with customers and allows it to
from design to production,” President It currently has 42 stamping lines, engineer, design, build, integrate, pro-
Dan Craig says. “We want to provide 39 welding cells, 38 robots and three gram and troubleshoot on projects.
all of their stamped metallic needs e-coat lines. Hatch Stamping is also regularly

Hatch Stamping Company Midwest
evaluating and implementing new technologies, such facturing systems that are standardized and consistent
as 3-D printing, laser scanning, linear transfer and laser at each of its operations. It has also implemented a web-
welding. This helps Hatch Stamping manufacture auto- based ERP system that allows it to centralize and moni-
motive parts using many materials, including stainless tor key performance metrics.
steel, aluminum and ultra-high strength steel. It also is In the years ahead, Hatch Stamping will continue to
critical in the company’s effort to shorten time-to-pro- grow its business along with its customer base by creat-
duction and enable high-quality results. ing ties to those companies that value the services it pro-
Ultimately, the company’s technology, innovation and vides. Recruiting and retaining talent has been and will
experience help it to utilize its expertise on a wide variety continue to be a high priority for the company through-
of applications. Hatch Stamping can provide solutions out its footprint. “The staffing challenge is an industry
for customers in need of roofing, fuel systems, chassis issue, so we are increasing our focus on recruitment, ap-
systems, interior structures, braking systems, seating prenticeship programs and community involvement so
and a wide range of other segments. we can have access to a large talent pool,” Craig says.
“We focus on a number of segments within the au- Although organic growth is more difficult than growth
tomotive market, typically homing in on metallic parts through acquisition, Hatch Stamping will continue to
that are complex, highly engineered and require exten- focus on building on the traditions it began more than
sive value-added services,” Craig says. “The idea is to add 60 years ago. “Our fundamental guiding principle is to
more value to the customer than just being a contract respect and protect the rights of all the individuals we
manufacturer. Our growth has been centered around tak- interact with, including customers, employees and sup-
ing on the difficult and highly engineered products.” pliers,” Craig says. mt
Continued Growth
Physical expansion is helping Hatch Stamping expand its
global footprint and position itself close to its customer
base. It recently opened a 106,000-square-foot manufac-
turing facility in Portland, Tenn., and it will open another
facility in China in 2016.
“When you examine the evolution of the automotive
industry, a lot of growth is taking place in the Southeast
U.S., Mexico and China,” Craig says. “We are following
the industry, and we feel that our expansion efforts have
been into geographical places for us to invest.”
The Tennessee plant just opened in April. Hatch
Stamping is working on bringing new business into that
facility and getting it up to high capacity utilization. As
for the launch of the China operation, that is slated for
first-quarter 2016. The company will be working on set-
ting up the operation and business structure there for the
balance of this year.
“The automotive industry has become global, and our
Tier 1 and OEM customers are operating around the
world,” Craig says. “ High inventory levels, in-transit in-
ventory or long lead times are not desirable. There is im-
mense pressure within the industry to serve these com-
panies and their plants and operations regionally.”
One of the ways Hatch Stamping has stood out in the
industry is by pursuing its growth organically. This has
allowed the company to develop operating and manu-

Blackhawk Engineering
www.blackhawkengineering.com / 2014 revenue: $60 million /
Midwest
Headquarters: Cedar Falls, Iowa / Employees: 170 / Specialty: CNC machining
blackhawk engineering
specializes in high-quality
precision cnc machining and
production services.
A Big Year OEM manufacturers in a variety of in-

dustries,” the company says. “These
industries include those that work
blackhawk engineering recently marked a major above and below ground to provide en-
milestone and expanded its capabilities. ergy, industries that work the ground
to feed nations and industries that de-
fend the ground from our enemies.”
Last year was a major year for the best precision CNC machining With the expertise and capabilities
Iowa-based Blackhawk Engineer- services available.” Blackhawk Engineering brings to the
ing. Not only did the precision CNC Based in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Black- marketplace, the company has carved
machining specialist mark its 40th hawk Engineering specializes in out a highly successful niche for itself
anniversary, but the company also high-quality precision CNC machin- in the industry. These strengths com-
completed a 40,000-square-foot ex- ing and production manufacturing bined with the company’s willingness
pansion of its main facility. The com- services for a broad customer base. to invest in its people, equipment and
pany says this expansion is significant The company’s customers include facilities are the reasons why Black-
because it demonstrates the growth some of the largest manufacturers in hawk Engineering plans to continue
and evolution of the company since the agriculture, construction, ener- being a strong presence in the CNC
its inception as well as its commit- gy, military, railroad and wind energy machining arena.
ment to serving its customers. sectors. Wherever the company ap-
“Blackhawk Engineering was plies its expertise, Blackhawk Energy Superior Specialties
founded in 1974 to design and build says, it delivers the same high-quali- Blackhawk Engineering says its spe-
tooling, dies, and special machines,” ty services with a focus on delivering cialty is in the machining of large
the company says. “Over the next 40 true solutions for its customers. parts, many of which tip the scales
years, our company has expanded and “For more than 30 years, Blackhawk at more than 800 pounds and some
diversified to provide customers with Engineering has provided support to weighing more than 7,000 pounds.

Blackhawk Engineering Midwest
Although it is a much smaller aspect of the company’s of procedures and techniques used to develop products
business, Blackhawk Engineering also has dedicated in industry, particularly the automotive sector,” the
equipment for the machining of smaller parts of less company says. “We align our internal processes with cus-
than 50 pounds. tomer-specified APQP process for both new and existing
“Blackhawk Engineering has the experience and ex- parts to continually drive efficiencies.”
pertise in machining parts of various materials weigh- Within those frameworks, Blackhawk Engineering
ing from several pounds to several thousand pounds,” strives to work under the safest conditions in the indus-
the company says. “With our extensive list of large hor- try. “At Blackhawk Engineering, we strive to make safety
izontal machining centers, horizontal lathes, large ver- an integral part of our company culture,” the company
tical lathes, and other support equipment, we are able says. “Our first consideration is to manufacture a prod-
to machine parts from the prototype phase to full-pro- uct safely for the protection of everyone involved in the
duction volumes.” process – from the receiving of raw material to the use of
Blackhawk Engineering provides its customers with the final product.
more than simply the capabilities to machine parts, and “Every employee has the authority to identify and
the company says its value-added capabilities help to fur- stop any unsafe situation on the premises,” the compa-
ther distinguish itself from its competitors. For example, ny adds. “In addition, monthly audits are conducted by
the company’s engineering capabilities give it the ability groups on a rotating schedule that consist of plant floor,
to work with a customer’s internal development team to office, quality, human resources, maintenance and man-
develop products within a specific launch schedule and agement personnel identifying and eliminating poten-
utilizing lean manufacturing techniques. tial risks.” mt
The company also points to its prototyping services
as evidence of the added value it brings to its customers.
“Blackhawk Engineering offers concurrent prototype
and pre-production development services,” the compa-
ny says. “By using the best machining practices, materi-
al selection, process development and documentation,
Blackhawk Engineering can offer optimal solutions to
manufacture [the customer’s] part to meet [their] quali-
ty, cost and delivery specifications.”
High Quality
Blackhawk Engineering says its processes are geared
toward producing the highest-quality components it
can possibly offer, and it can guarantee that for a num-
ber of reasons. Perhaps first and foremost is the system
through which the company organizes all of its work.
“Blackhawk Engineering uses the QOS Quality Oper-
ating System to define process measurables and cus-
tomer-focused indicators that drive organization-wide
improvement,” the company says. “Monthly meetings
are held to monitor the status of action plans and prob-
lem-solving activities by department champions. The
key measurable components are then displayed to all in
the organization.”
For certain customers, Blackhawk Engineering tailors
its processes to meet their industries’ particular stan-
dards and processes. “Blackhawk Engineering uses Ad-
vanced Product Quality Planning [APQP], a framework

Lacks Enterprises
www.lacksenterprises.com / www.evolvehybrid.com / 2014 revenue: $500+ million / Midwest
Headquarters: Grand Rapids, Mich. / Employees: 2,900+ / Specialty: Auto parts
Rolling Forward
lacks enterprises says its advanced wheel and trim technology will be the
answers the auto industry will need now and in the future. by chris petersen
The technology used in the auto- the reason why the company has be- ther-and-son team John P. Lacks and
motive industry has come a long way come a trusted supplier to the world’s Richard Lacks. The company origi-
since the earliest days of Henry Ford, largest automakers. “We basically try nally concentrated on basic machin-
and it continues to advance by leaps to focus on the future as opposed to ing, but soon it added metal finishing
and bounds even now in the 21st cen- what other companies do,” he says. and decorative painting capabilities.
tury. For more than 50 years, Lacks Lacks Enterprises specializes Today, the company has more than 20
Enterprises has been at the forefront in components including wheels, facilities throughout North America
of technology in the manufacturing of wheel trim, and interior and exteri- and Europe serving some of the larg-
components for automakers, or trim. The company est automotive OEMs in the world,
and Vice President was founded in primarily the “Big Three” Detroit
Larry O’Toole 1961 by automakers. O’Toole says the nature
says this is fa- of the company’s products are such
that the company finds itself selling
to wheel manufacturers as well as ve-
hicle OEMs.
Even though the compe-
tition in the automotive
market is fierce, Lacks
Enterprises brings its
customers solutions to
their needs in the form
of innovative and for-
ward-thinking prod-
ucts. Not only does
the company antic-
ipate continuing to
serve its existing cus-
tomers this way, but it
also expects to contin-
ue gaining marketshare
in the future. “A lot of
what we’re trying to do is
branch out to other custom-
ers that we haven’t been with
in the past,” O’Toole says.
Technological Advantage
Lacks Enterprises’ strongest advan-
tage is its technology, and the most
lacks enterprises specializes prominent example of this is in the
in components such as wheels
and trim for vehicles. company’s wheels. General Manag-

Lacks Enterprises Midwest
er James Ardern says the company’s concentration on “when you’re the leader in a
lightweight, premium finished wheels has become more
valuable today as OEMs look for ways to reduce the over-
category, you’re setting the pace,
all weight of their vehicles for fuel efficiency as well as to but it’s a lot of work to change
include more amenities. the marketplace.” - Nick Hrnyak
For example, the company’s eVOLVE™ hybrid com-
posite wheels reduce weight while also providing “Ours is a very long-term sale, and it’s not something
enhanced aerodynamics for even greater fuel econ- they grasp right away,” O’Toole adds.
omy savings. Lacks Enterprises’ Chromtec® wheels Nevertheless, the innovations Lacks Enterprises has
offer superior durability when compared to traditional introduced have brought with them a lot of growth for
chrome-plated wheels thanks to the high-impact com- the company, especially in areas such as plastic plating.
posite materials used in their construction, and can re- The company has started working with manufacturers
duce the weight of a vehicle by up to 40 pounds. outside of the “Big Three” like, Toyota, Nissan, Audi,
“So not only can they save weight and get better fuel Mercedes and Volkswagen, and O’Toole says the compa-
efficiency, but they get a premium finish,” President Nick ny is confident that its lightweight and advanced prod-
Hrnyak says, adding that OEMs have a mandate to reduce ucts will be the answer that more OEMs will be looking
the weight of their vehicles but don’t want to skimp on for in the future. With the capabilities it has, he says,
looks. “We see that as the fastest-growing, highest-mo- Lacks Enterprises can provide that answer.
mentum side of our business.” “Now I think we’ve got the right story for the next 10
Innovations such as these are made possible through years,” he says. mt
Lacks Enterprises’ extensive investment in R&D, includ-
ing dedicated labs for electrochemistry and organic coat-
ings. Hrnyak says that with centralized facilities in the
USA, the company is in a unique position to draw upon
the expertise of multiple sites with exceptional flexibili-
ty. “We can move our technical mass to any challenge or
opportunity that we have, instantly,” Hrnyak says.
In addition to its innovative and lightweight wheels,
Lacks Enterprises also offers OEMs a full line of exterior
and interior trim products, including grills and interior
trim. The company has been an innovator on this side
of the business, as well, introducing High-Impact Plat-
ed Plastic, Platinum and Iridium Chrome, a proprietary
electroplating process that creates a smooth, matte fin-
ish. O’Toole adds that the broad selection of finishes
Lacks Enterprises is capable of producing means it can
match different parts on the vehicle to harmonize the ve-
hicle in total.
The Right Story

O’Toole says Lacks Enterprises continues to make in-
roads into new areas of the market through new prod-
ucts and introducing itself to new OEMs, but even
though its products are innovative the company un-
derstands that manufacturers can be slow to adopt new
ideas. “When you’re the leader in a category, you’re set-
ting the pace, but it’s a lot of work to change the market-
place,” Hrnyak says.

Hawker Well Works
www.hawkerwellworks.com / Headquarters: Wilmar, Minn. / Employees: 15 / Midwest
Services: Pipe handlers
Meeting a Need
hawker well works prospers by introducing a
new product to the oil industry. by bob rakow
hawker well works says

its new product increases When oil boomed in North Dako-
safety and efficiency on
the jobsite. ta, Mike Jeseritz and his four partners
sought a way to take advantage of the
sudden economic prosperity. “We
were looking for a way in,” says Jese-
ritz, co-owner of Hawker Well Works.
The group eventually penetrated
the burgeoning oil marketplace via
man camps, prefabricated homes that
serve as workforce lodging facilities
for transient oilfield workers. “There
was a big need for them in North Da-
kota,” Jeseritz recalls. “Companies
were looking for temporary housing
for their employees.”
Jeseritz and his partners came from
varied business backgrounds, which
was ideal for manufacturing and sell-
ing prefab housing. Jeseritz previ-
ously owned an auto repair station
and was accustomed to interacting
with customers. His partners brought
sales, fabrication and finance experi-
ence to the mix. “Everyone had a spe-
cialty,” he says.
Their time spent working in the oil
industry led Jeseritz and his partners
to found Hawker Well Works and de-
velop a product designed to increase
safety, speed and efficiency on the
jobsite while improving production
times and reducing costs. “We had
everything we needed,” Jeseritz says.
“We saw a need for another product.”
That product is the Hawker Pipe
Handler/Hydraulic Catwalk, which
Hawker Well Works launched by de-
veloping a prototype and giving it to an
oil well service company to use. “They
had it for one month,” Jeseritz says.
The oil service company provided

Hawker Well Works Midwest
feedback to Hawker Well Works, which took the product

back to its research and development department for ad-
justments and fine-tuning. “We listened to our customer
and finalized the product,” Jeseritz says. Nine months later,
Hawker Well Works sold the product to that company.
The primary advantage of the pipe handler is the elimina-
tion of manual labor when lifting the pipe to and removing
it from the service rig, Jeseritz says. Workers are no longer
required to raise and lower pipes. Instead, the pipe handler
picks up pipes from the pipe racks. The hydraulic trough
raises the pipe to the sub-floor of the workover rig and the
skate pushes the pipe to the rig hands, Jeseritz says.
The operator has the option of using the controls locat-
ed on the machine, or workers can use the wireless remote
control. The Hawker Pipe Handler can reach sub-floor
heights of up to 31 feet. Additionally, the Hawker is easy to
move from site to site and can be assembled and disassem-
bled within a few minutes, Jeseritz says.
Continued Success
Hawker Well Works has closely followed the sales model on
which it relied during its early days for continued success.
“You need to get the product in front of the people,” Jese-
ritz says. He continues to give demonstrations at oil fields
and company yards rather than rely on advertising or mar-
keting campaigns. “I’m still able to get in front of people,“
he says. “I don’t just sit back at the office.”
His diligence had paid off. Hawker Well Works has sold
75 Hawker Pipe Handler/Hydraulic Catwalks over the past
three years, including 40 in 2014, Jeseritz says. The pipe
handler costs $235,000 and can be delivered to a custom-
er about 30 days after the order is placed. “We’re making a
pretty good footprint in the industry,” he says.
The company recently expanded into international mar-
kets, shipping its first pipe handler overseas to Colombia.
Jeseritz also is in negotiations with potential customers
in Canada, Australia and the Middle East. “We’re taking it
slow,” he says of international expansion.
Hawker Well Works has a presence in North Dakota, Wy-
oming, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Mississippi, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Utah, West Virginia and California. “We really rely on
word of mouth,” Jeseritz says. Prompt customer service is an-
other cornerstone of the company’s success. “When you call
us, we pick up the phone,” he says. Additionally, customers are
trained to use the equipment following purchase, he says.
The company is working with a finance firm to help com-
panies purchase equipment via monthly payments. “How
do you make it easy to own?” Jeseritz says. mt

Cincinnati Incorporated
www.e-ci.com / Headquarters: Harrison, Ohio / Employees: 400 / Specialty: Machine tools /
Midwest
Carey Chen, CEO and president: “We are reinvigorating the company’s never-ending journey.”
cincinnati incorporated
has been serving customers
in north america for more
than 100 years.
Full Progress Quality is another reason the com-

pany has endured for more than a
century. “Cincinnati Incorporated
resilient cincinnati incorporated remains a leader machines are engineered and built to
in the machine tool market. by bob rakow the standard of ruggedness required
in the North American market,” Chen
says, “with premium engineering fea-
Many years ago, Cincinnati was a a leader in manufacturing large indus- tures that stand up to years of rigor-
hotbed for large machine tool com- trial machine tools, laser cutting sys- ous use in demanding environments.”
panies. That’s no longer the case as tems, big area additive manufacturing The company has an installed base
consolidation and increased compe- machines and automated solutions. of about 60,000 machines. “Our cus-
tition have forced many companies Contributing to that resiliency is tomer base is extremely diverse, rang-
out of the market. But 117 years after Cincinnati Incorporated’s ability ing from small fabrication shops up
its founding, Cincinnati Incorpo- to supply customers in myriad in- to Fortune 500 manufacturing com-
rated continues to operate its plant dustries, including agriculture, con- panies such as Caterpillar, General
and technical center just outside the struction, emergency, energy, food Electric, John Deere, Steelcase and
Queen City. and beverage, freight and furniture. Disney,” Chen says.
“The company has been remarkably Chen notes the company also serves
resilient and able to weather many the material-handling, metal service Operational Efficiencies
severe economic downturns over the center, military, power distribution, Cincinnati Incorporated continual-
years,” says Carey Chen, president transportation, shipbuilding and tele- ly seeks ways to achieve operational
and CEO of Cincinnati Incorporated, communications sectors. excellence. “There is significant op-

Cincinnati Incorporated Midwest
portunity to drive waste out of the production process,” that can flex and adapt deliveries to meet the company’s
Chen says. “Waste can be in many forms, including specific needs. “For example, we used to purchase fixed
non-value added waiting and excess inventory.” quantities of steel with a defined delivery regardless of
Another initiative designed to reduce waste and save the underlying customer demand,” Chen says. “Today,
time involves the aggressive management of inventory. we have the ability to buy just what we need, when we
“The company attempts to minimize inventory wherev- need it. We share our internal business forecasts with
er possible,” Chen explains. “However, since we are in key suppliers on a regular basis, which allows them to
a cyclical durable goods industry, we occasionally man- set appropriate inventory levels to accommodate our
ufacture stock machines to level-load our production. demand requirements.”
This helps mitigate the whipsaw effect on our production Cincinnati Incorporated has overcome numerous
employees and our key suppliers.” challenges throughout the years, especially those that
Cincinnati Incorporated’s long-term success has led involve meeting customer needs, Chen notes. “Within
it to set the bar even higher. “We are diversifying into the last year, we sold a laser system in Russia,” Chen re-
new products such as big area additive manufacturing calls. “To meet the local needs of our customer, we need-
[BAAM] with new opportunities and markets,” he says. ed to change the operating voltages on the chiller and
As it explores new initiatives, the company is retooling dust collector during the installation. Rather than trying
its manufacturing plant to add capabilities and capaci- to coordinate parts deliveries and schedule our internal
ty. “We are reinvigorating the company’s never-ending service in the United States to make the required modifi-
journey of implementing lean practices and operational cations, two of our suppliers agreed to make the changes
excellence,” Chen says. in country.” mt
Meeting Expectations
“Our customers have grown to expect production-proven,
reliable machines with integrated controls and software
that are designed and built for 24-hour/7-days-a-week
operation,” Chen says. “They also expect outstanding
service, including technical support, to ensure their ma-
chines meet their demand for continuous production.”
The company guarantees quality throughout the manu-
facturing process. “At the completion of final assembly, a
thorough run-in test is performed to ensure that the prod-
ucts will perform to customers’ expectations,” he says. “In
certain instances, our customers also visit our plant in per-
son to sign off on the product prior to final delivery.”
Important Relationships
Chen notes that the products’ basic designs and func-
tionalities do not change frequently. “However, we do
offer our customers the ability to customize various op-
tions so that they tightly align with their specific man-
ufacturing needs,” he says. “Manufacturing has been
designed as large job shops, versus batch production, so
they are accustomed to the variability. If we are out of in-
ternal capacity – human resources or machine capacity –
some operations may be outsourced to qualified vendors
to ensure our target final assembly date.”
Cincinnati Incorporated maintains long-time rela-
tionships with its suppliers by partnering with ones

CTS Corp.
www.ctscorp.com / Annual revenue: $404 million / Headquarters: Elkhart, Ind. / Employees: Midwest
3,200 / Specialty: Designer and manufacturer of sensors, actuators and electronic components
sors, actuators and electronic compo-

nents. It serves customers primarily
in the automotive, communications,
medical, defense and aerospace, in-
dustrial and computer markets.
“We understand our value in the
markets we serve,” O’Sullivan says.
“As an organization we have a very
clear and deep strategy aligned with
our board and investors, focused on
products that Sense, Connect and
Move. This is where we are focusing.”
The reorganization has created a
smaller, more profitable company. It
is leaner, more nimble and competi-
tive globally. In addition to reducing
the number of physical locations, the
company reduced its corporate struc-
ture by 20 percent to improve cost ef-
ficiency and promote a culture where
cts has refocused its attention
corporate exists to serve its business
on its core business to simplify its rather than the other way around.
operations and drive more growth.
“We removed a level separation,
A New Era allowing corporate leadership to help

the different pieces of the business
to succeed,” he says. “When we talk
cts corporation has a long legacy of to investors, we tell them that we are
putting talent and resources around
strategic reinventions. by eric slack our products. We are stepping up in
regards to engineering resources, and
Much has changed for CTS Cor- been the divestiture of roughly 40 we are rebalancing our advanced engi-
poration since it was founded in 1896 percent of the business to simplify neering and innovation efforts.”
as Chicago Telephone Supply. Near- its operations, focus on core areas
ing its 120th anniversary, the compa- and drive profitable growth. In 2013, Strategic Steps
ny has demonstrated an uncanny abil- the company sold off its Electronics Working closely with OEMs is help-
ity to endure and negotiate change. Manufacturing Solutions business to ing CTS succeed within all of its mar-
CTS has gone from supplying hard- Benchmark Electronics for $75 mil- kets. For example, CTS is working to
ware such as telephones and switch- lion. By selling that part of the busi- develop an RF filter for base stations
boards to becoming a designer and ness, CTS became better positioned that would reduce the size and weight
manufacturer of sensors, actuators to focus on the sensors, actuators of the filters while improving perfor-
and electronic components. CTS is and electronic components business. mance. CTS’s engineering capabili-
headquartered in Elkhart, Ind., and “We didn’t have the scale or pur- ties and its ability to customize prod-
has additional locations in the U.S. chasing power for that business,” ucts are things that customers value.
and around the world. CEO Kieran O’Sullivan says. “It has CTS has also modernized its sales
been a big shift, but margins and prof- organization to help the company
Renewed Focus itability have improved.” get closer to the customer. By better
Among the biggest changes that CTS Now, CTS can focus on being a lead- understanding their challenges, CTS
has implemented in recent years has ing designer and manufacturer of sen- believes it can take its technologies

CTS Corp. Midwest
to the next level, as it is seeking to do nect and Move. CTS is spending a lot foundation based on integrity, re-
with the RF filters for base stations, of time on reinforcing those values spect and transparency,” O’Sullivan
new sensors and piezo applications. and promoting behavioral change. says. “Our people continue to bleed
As CTS has changed its structure, “We have to build around inter- CTS blue to provide value to our cus-
it has worked to ensure that it is still nal and acquired technology with a tomers and partners.” mt
providing high-quality products and
on-time delivery for its customers.
It is also developing a new website to
launch later this year to modernize
its online look and better reflect its
new identity and future direction as
part of a brand modernization plan.
CTS is also looking for ways to pur-
sue organic and acquisitive growth.
O’Sullivan says there are outside
technologies the company would
like to bring onboard while building
upon its already existing capabilities
and footprint. Some focus will be on
organic growth initiatives like devel-
oping light vehicle and commercial
vehicle actuators and expanding its
geographic customer base.
“That expansion is an important
part of bringing in new business,”
O’Sullivan says. “We brought in
more than $480 million in new busi-
ness awards in 2014, and this year we
are targeting further improvement.”
Throughout this process, CTS
will work on development of a more
modern culture with values aimed at
playing to win while being respon-
sive and solution oriented. O’Sulli-
van wants the CTS brand to go from
a complex company to one that has
a simpler focus with more clarity
around products that Sense, Con-
Deringer-Ney For the last 203 years, Deringer-Ney has

specialized in the development of unique precious metal
alloys and the manufacture of precision components for a
wide variety of applications. One such product includes a
custom bimetallic sliding contact that Deringer-Ney part-
nered with CTS to supply for the last 30+ years for custom
automotive sensor applications. Deringer-Ney products
are in millions of devices used worldwide, including
appliances, automobiles, switches, medical technologies,
sensors, electronics, and many others.
For more information, contact us at (860) 286-6101 or
visit our website at www.deringerney.com

DeWys Manufacturing
www.dewysmfg.com / 2014 revenue: $40 million / Headquarters: Marne, Mich. /
Midwest
Employees: 150 / Specialty: Sheet metal fabrication
dewys manufacturing serves

more than 160 companies in
a broad range of industries.
On the Rise full-service precision sheet metal fab-

rication services. Its capabilities in-
clude laser cutting, turret punching,
dewys manufacturing has grown from a one-man bending and forming, welding, ma-
operation into a market leader. by chris petersen chining, powder coating, and product
assembly. The company’s products
are shipped throughout the Midwest
Today, DeWys Manufacturing is very light repair work and welding,” as well as the rest of the United States.
known for its state-of-the-art sheet DeWys says.
metal fabrication capabilities, but the The company wasn’t confined to Diverse Strength
company’s beginnings were about that barn for long, however, and now As it was at the company’s very begin-
as humble as they could be. Founder DeWys Manufacturing is one of the ning, DeWys Manufacturing contin-
Mark DeWys started the company leading sheet metal fabricators in the ues to maintain a diverse and broad
out of a small red barn in western Midwest, with a client base that re- range of customers, serving more than
Michigan in 1977. His brother, Presi- mains diverse to this day. DeWys says 160 companies in multiple industries.
dent Jon DeWys, says the enterprise the company’s broad customer base “We’ve always stayed very diversified,
was a one-man operation in those is one of its greatest advantages, one and that’s something about our histo-
early days, focused on a modest but that has helped the company weather ry that remains today,” DeWys says.
diverse range of work. “We just start- the storms of the manufacturing sec- No single customer of DeWys Man-
ed out making small little products tor for the last 37 years and beyond. ufacturing accounts for more than
like fireplace inserts, wood racks, From its facility in Marne, Mich., 10 percent of the company’s overall
wood stoves, and we got into some DeWys Manufacturing provides sales, and DeWys says this suits the

DeWys Manufacturing Midwest
company just fine. By having such a diverse and extensive ing philosophy of being a leader rather than a follower.
clientele, he explains, DeWys Manufacturing is better in- Laura Elsner, workforce development, says that’s a phi-
sulated against downturns in the market than fabricators losophy that comes directly from the top. “The owners
who concentrate on serving fewer customers or focus on here, Jon and [Vice President] C.T. [Martin] are very
just one or two sectors of the marketplace. Right now, for big in believing that we should be leaders in the indus-
example, the company is moving into more work for the try,” she says.
power generation sector, and its presence in the medical
market continues to grow. It was the company’s diversi- An Exciting Time
fication that allowed it to bounce right back once the re- DeWys Manufacturing continues to work toward that
cession took hold a few years ago, DeWys says. goal, specifically in terms of finding and recruiting the best
and the brightest from the labor pool. DeWys says it can be
“we’ve always stayed very di- difficult to find people with the right training and the right
work ethic, so the company has established DeWys Uni-
versified, and that’s something versity to give people with the proper work ethic the skills
about our history that remains they need to make a difference for the company.
today.” - Jon DeWys With these pieces in place, DeWys Manufacturing
stands to benefit from more manufacturers bringing
Committed to Lean their business back to the United States after offshoring
Another significant advantage working in the company’s for many years. “We see a lot of opportunities coming our
favor is its commitment to lean manufacturing. DeWys way now,” DeWys says. “It’s an exciting time for us.” mt
says DeWys Manufacturing has been on its lean journey
since the late 1990s, and its continuous improvement
team has been focused on finding new efficiencies every
single day.
This company’s commitment to lean has proven to be
a difference-maker for DeWys Manufacturing in serving
many of its varied customer bases. For example, DeWys
says, making products for various medical companies
means the weight of products is always a concern. With
medical companies looking for ways to keep the weight of
products down, DeWys Manufacturing looks to its lean
specialists to find ways to shave ounces off its products
without losing their strength or effectiveness. DeWys
says automation is one of the primary methods through
which the company realizes its lean goals. “We’re getting
amazing results,” he says.
DeWys points to the company’s inventory turnaround
as evidence of its lean prowess. According to DeWys,
DeWys Manufacturing turns its inventory over an aver-
age of 22 times year, compared to four or five times a year
on average for its competition. “That just bodes well for
our lean journey that we’re very efficient and very fast,”
DeWys says.
The company also continues to invest in the latest and
most advanced technology in the market, and DeWys
says customers are frequently blown away when they vis-
it the company’s facility.
Much of this is driven by the company’s overarch-

South
112. PSC 142. Augusta Fiberglass

127. 152. 117. Advanced Control Systems 144. Cornet Technology
120. Honda of South Carolina Mfg. 146. Genco Stamping &
124. Ard Trucking Co. Inc. Manufacturing Co.
127. The TharpeRobbins Co. 149. Nailor Industries Inc.
130. Signal Machine Inc. 152. MGM Industries
134. C.R. Onsrud 156. Microflex Inc.
138. 2G CENERGY Power Systems
Technologies Inc.

South
PROPER PAY
kings iii emergency communications demonstrates what it considers to
be a proper living wage in the manufacturing industry with the raise it
gave to employees.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
What is considered a proper living wage has been a widely dis-

cussed and highly controversial subject in the United States for a con-
siderable amount of time. Many people believe that there are many
underpaid workers who do not receive fair compensation in return for
their hard work.
While minimum wage has not yet been raised in the United ployees expressed their sincere gratitude, respect and admira-
States due to possible economic implications, Kings III Emer- tion for Broady.
gency Communications Owner and Chairman George Broady “I think you are a model, and I think it’s very exciting. I hope
took his employees’ proper pay scale into his own hands in others in many industries will follow your lead,” Karin Walsh,
May, in a move to benefit every single Kings III and SoloPro- vice president of finance and human relations, said to Broady
tect employee. in response to the news.
Broady’s decision was to increase the company’s mini- This new compensation schedule took effect in June. Com-
mum wage to $17 an hour. Additionally, anyone making more pany members met with their managers individually to deter-
than $17 an hour currently would receive proportional adjust- mine how exactly this affects their own compensation.
ments up to a threshold. Everyone in the company – up to but Founded in 1989, Kings III Emergency Communications
not including the vice president level – would receive a mini- is the nation’s only full-service provider of emergency com-
mum of a $2,000 increase to their proper living wage. munication solutions. With headquarters in Coppell, Texas,
“People with wealth usually pass this wealth on to their chil- Kings III has been delivering peace of mind to its customers
dren, charities or something similar,” Broady says. “What I’ve nationwide for more than 25 years. The company has installed
noticed is that none of it goes to the employees of the company tens of thousands of emergency phones throughout the United
that helped the people gain wealth.” States and Canada. Kings III is fully integrated; not only engi-
Broady, along with son and CEO John Broady and President neering and manufacturing emergency phones, but also pro-
Dennis Mason, recognize the hard work that every single Kings viding one-stop-shop solutions that include installation, main-
III and SoloProtect employee put forth and realize that some tenance and 24/7 emergency monitoring for emergency help
of the least compensated are those who work around the clock phones utilized at poolside, in elevator,s parking areas, stair-
to ensure clients are taken care of. This is how the manage- wells and more. The company acquired UK-based Connexion2
ment team came to the executive decision to give back to these (now branded SoloProtect) in 2013 and expanded the worker
employees in order to provide a proper pay scale via George safety division into North America, offering safety and moni-
Broady’s generosity. toring services to lone working employees who face environ-
During the meeting when this was announced, many em- mental or social risks. mt

PSC
www.pscnow.com / Headquarters: Houston / Employees: 2,500 /
South
Specialty: Specialty maintenance services
Out of Harm’s Way

psc automates hydroblasting equipment to improve worker safety
in a variety of different applications. by bob rakow
psc says its automated
hydroblasting equipment
minimizes the risk to workers Hydroblasting is a highly effec-
in the field.
tive way to clean industrial equip-
ment, but it is an inherently high-risk
activity as well. “A lot of bad things
can happen,” says Joe Davis, vice pres-
ident of sales and marketing for PSC,
a provider of specialty maintenance
services to the energy infrastructure
marketplace.
The use of high-pressure water
cleaning systems at pressures up to
40,000 psi to clean oils, sludges, poly-
mers and other contaminants from
plant equipment has been an indus-
try standard for more than 30 years,
Davis says. Until recently, however,
hydroblasting was primarily achieved
through manual handling of lancing
equipment, either stiff or flexible.
“The greatest risk comes from un-
expected human contact with the
high-velocity water stream coming
from either the tip of the hydroblast-
ing assembly or from a failure in the
water supply system,” Davis says. He
notes that even contact with water
pressure below 1,000 psi can result in
life-threatening water cuts. Addition-
ally, workers are exposed to water and
vapors containing fouling products.
Further complicating the risk, the
likelihood of an accident increases as
workers become fatigued or are ex-
posed to extreme environmental con-
ditions, Davis says.
Automation the Solution

The solution to these risks is automa-
tion, Davis says. Indeed, automation
has been PSC’s primary focus for the
past five years, and the company

South PSC
operators can use psc’s hydroblasting

equipment from a safe distance with
remote control.
continues to turn to hydroblasting equipment that does

not require workers to handle hoses and tools. Instead, the
new devices are controlled remotely, allowing users to work
at safe distance from the force of the water. The new equip-
ment features pneumatic or hydraulic controls and secure
anti-withdrawal devices.
“Everything is joy stick-controlled,” Davis says. “With au-
tomated equipment, the operator is moved well away from
the line of fire. With the continued development of new tech-
nologies, nearly all manual approaches can be replaced with
automated means, where the operator works from a safe dis-
tance. Safety is such a critical piece of what we do.”
Despite the obvious safety features, plant owners some-
times greet automated hydroblasting equipment with skep-
ticism, primarily because it can be more expensive than
manual means, and the economic benefits are often un-
clear, Davis says. Although the cost of automated solutions
is higher, customers ultimately save money because the au-
tomated tools are more efficient, he says.
“You can get the work done a lot quicker with this equip-
ment,” he says, adding that automated machinery can clean,
for example, up to five heat exchanger tubes simultaneous-
ly. “You can justify automation not only for safety but for
cost,” he says.

PSC South
have properly trained operators, who there are a number of both real and
are extremely knowledgeable about perceived impediments to automa-
both equipment operation and main- tion that must be overcome, includ-
tenance, the economic advantages to ing cultural, cost and the need for a
automation can be lost. Furthermore, highly trained workforce, he says.
More Than Safety

The benefits of automated cleaning
solutions are not limited to safety.
Rather, automation leads to more
consistency in cleaning, reduced
client down time, smaller crews and
reduced total cost of ownership,
Davis says.
But simply owning the sophisticat-
ed technology is not sufficient, Davis
says. If a service provider does not
StoneAge Inc. is one of the world’s leading

manufacturers of automated waterblast equipment
for industrial companies and contractors worldwide.
Their commitment to designing innovative tools and
equipment has improved the way the industry works
for over 35 years.
By partnering with industrial cleaning contractors
like PSC, StoneAge engineers are able to gain unique
insight that guides the design of automated systems
that increase safety and advance productivity for a
wide variety of waterblasting applications.
The company has over 150 dealers in 47 countries
offering products for industrial, sewer, and coiled tube
cleaning as well as custom engineered equipment for
application-specific challenges.
For more information, call 970-259-2869, email
sales@stoneagetools.com, or visit www.stoneage-
tools.com.

South PSC
“Our experience shows that a suc-

cessful program must move beyond
the gadgets and include a strong safe-
ty culture and loss-prevention sys-
tem, a mechanical integrity program
for equipment and an excellent train-
ing program on equipment and haz-
ards, Davis says.
For the past three years, PSC’s
mechanical integrity program has
accomplished a variety of safety mea-
sures. There include upgrading all
high-pressure hose systems, color
coding hoses and fittings to ensure
workers’ compliance requirements,
testing and recertifying hoses on an
annual basis.
Making the Right Choice

Choosing the right approach requires
a company to have a thorough under-
standing of cleaning cost versus eco-
nomic benefits and risk mitigation.
“We expect you to work safely with
whatever equipment you use, but we
also expect the most economical solu-
tion,” Davis says he commonly hears
from his customers.
PSC’s Fully Automated Site (FAST)
program has been developed to eval-
uate each application with these fac-
tors in mind, Davis says.
PSC credits partnerships with its psc has been a provider of
strategic suppliers, such as StoneAge specialty maintenance services
for more than 30 years.
and Peinemann, for much of its suc-
cess. The suppliers, who are industry dramatically improve cleaning of heat maintenance. Today, with more than
leaders, give PSC a much “broader exchanger tubes over traditional de- 40 service locations throughout the
field of view” and help the company signs. During a long partnership with United States and more than 2,400
innovate, Davis says. Partners also Peinemann, PSC has made extensive employees, PSC is a national provider
provide honest feedback that helps investments in the company’s 3 XLTC of specialty maintenance services to
PSC grow, he says. automated flex lancing systems. America’s energy infrastructure. The
For example, PSC has invested These cutting-edge tools allow for au- company provides a variety of ser-
heavily in StoneAge’s “AutoBox” tomated, in-unit cleaning of heat ex- vices, including environmental man-
systems, which allow for automated changer and fin-fans where space has agement, boat and barge cleaning,
pipe cleaning, known in the industry traditionally been a challenge. offshore and vessel cleaning, well and
as line-moling. StoneAge has also de- PSC was founded in 1977 as a small facilities abandonment, boiler outage
veloped an innovative line of nozzle regional industrial services compa- services, pumping unit maintenance
tips, such as the “Banshee” line, which ny that specialized in process plant and vapor control. mt

Advanced Control Systems
www.acspower.com /HQ: Norcross, Ga. /Kevin Sullivan, CEO: “Our focus is placing real-time
South
information, advanced technology and energy control in the hands of our customers.”
Powering Up
advanced control systems™ creates what is needed
in an energy-conscious world. by tim o’connor
Kevin Sullivan begins each morn-
ing realizing how critical founda-
tional energy is to our quality of life
and our civilization in general. “We
believe energy is foundational to our
civilization and that Advanced Con-
trol Systems’™ (ACS) prime purpose
and business is built on trust, as our
customers know us as the go-to re-
al-time energy management solution
provider of innovative products and
services,” Sullivan says.
Prior to joining ACS as the CEO,
Sullivan spent much of his career im-
proving the electrical grid in devel-
oping nations where many citizens
have access to electricity for a limited
number of hours each day. All of civ-
ilization needs electricity, and ACS
creates the real-time control centers
needed to provide uninterrupted mobile applications help
utility crews to better
power. “We provide the most ad- respond to outages.
vanced real-time control systems to
the people and organizations who are Precision Real-time Information Sys- vative Advanced Distribution Man-
in the business of delivering energy,” tem Management (PRISM™) and ad- agement Systems (DMS), Outage
Sullivan says of ACS’s role. vanced controls from ACS.” Management Systems (OMS), bulk
The company started making su- ACS in headquartered in Norcross, high voltage Energy Management
pervisory control and data acquisi- Ga., a suburb of Atlanta, but also has Systems (EMS), Remote Terminal
tion (SCADA) systems and system offices in El Salvador and Taiwan. For Units (RTU), Substation Automa-
components for electric, gas and much of the planet, blackouts and tion, Feeder Automation, based on an
water utilities since its founding in brownouts remain a major concern, advanced real-time SCADA.”
1975. Sullivan, who took over as CEO and ACS systems specialize in bal-
this past April says ACS is moving ancing supply and demand as genera- Building the Smart Grid
forward, with a singular focus on its tion and load become more variable, Many of today’s electrical grids were
strengths. “We’re taking a much more coupled with a unique grid resto- built decades ago and as a result are
market-focused approach,” Sullivan ration technology to reduce outage based on older technology. These sys-
says of ACS today. “For 40 years we times. “Our focus has really been to tems have aged and are now being up-
have been know to a limited set of get our advanced technology out to graded to use digital microprocessor
utilities and are somewhat of a secret our public and privately held utility based monitoring and control. This
in the general energy industry. Today, customers,” Sullivan says. “We team- is a transition that requires advanced
we are taking our secrets out of the up with customers to execute their communication infrastructure and
box and letting everyone know about vision while we deliver quality, inno- extreme makeovers of the central

South Advanced Control Systems
to efficiently dispatch crews and con-

duct a triage of the outage to priori-
tize repairs. Mobile apps even allow
crews in the field to view a map over-
lay of the electrical grid to see all the
assets on the grid and fault locations.
“We make sure that in real-time, en-
ergy crews know exactly where they
need to go” Sullivan says.
Once they know where repairs are
needed, crews can take and upload
photographs, update the central con-
trol room and set expected resto-
ration times all from the field. Those
capabilities are all derived from ACS’s
understanding that a central brain can
no longer manage an emergency on its
own, Sullivan says. As the country saw
during Hurricane Sandy, the control
ceo kevin sullivan says acs
room personnel are often unable to
is taking its energy control see the realities of a situation on the
secrets out of the box.
ground and are at risk of making poor
control room. The RTUs that act as mation system to lessen the impact of decisions. “By distributing the intel-
sensors on the grid, measuring things outages by shorting restoration times ligence to the field, we have the field
such as voltage and current, are one during severe weather or equipment units optimize themselves,” Sullivan
such technology. Older RTUs were failure. Cobb EMC one of the nation’s says.
designed based on the use of elec- largest co-operatives, uses ACS inno-
trolytic capacitors that have a shelf vation for fault detection isolation Branching Out
life, leading to concerns throughout and restoration (FDIR) to minimize The strength of such integrated map-
the industry that older RTUs will be- outages and automatically re-route ping technology is the ability to vi-
gin to fail. To modernize this sensor power to get customers back online. sualize power grid data in real time,
technology, ACS has developed a new Through PRISM, utilities can read but it has attracted interest from new
version of the RTU based on micro- data from the substations, automat- types of clients, as well. Sullivan re-
processor technology that fits into ically determine the proper reaction cently visited the San Francisco Mu-
the older model’s casing, allowing for and send commands back to the sys- nicipal Transportation Agency to dis-
easy installation. Keeping the sensor tem, meaning energy is more quick- cuss how PRISM is helping the agency
equipment up to date is important ly and efficiently redirected around manage the energy necessary to oper-
for SCADA systems, which act as the problem areas to diminish downtime. ate its underground rail, trolley and
backbone of today’s energy manage- ACS has installed more than 500 streetcar systems, all of which run on
ment systems, Sullivan explains. PRISM systems worldwide and con- electricity.
Everything ACS manufacturers tinues to add new features that help PRISM data could soon find its way
revolves around the control of ener- utilities respond to emergencies. Us- into the average person’s hand, too.
gy in real-time to help the industrial ing PRISM, clients can tap into smart ACS invests about $3 million each
and commercial industries manage grid technologies such as smart me- year into product development and
energy inside facilities and utilities ters to isolate local outages, pinpoint Sullivan says much of that is going
to ensure the quality of supply to the locations and determine the root towards extending the reach of cen-
consumers. Georgia Power has de- cause. Having quick access to such tral control rooms with mobile ap-
ployed ACS’ Centrix™ Feeder Auto- detailed information enables utilities plications that the utility can make

Advanced Control Systems South
available to the end-users of electricity. also enable a utility to ask [customers], when they power their cell phone. Cus-
The prevalence of smart phones in the ‘What else do you know?’” tomers may grumble when their power
population has created an opportunity bill comes every 60 days, but the rest of
for utilities to collect accurate near-real- Modernizing the Industry the time they aren’t thinking about how
time data from customers on where out- “This is an industry that, for many years, to cut consumption. Sullivan believes
ages are occurring and potential causes. has been delivering a commodity at the that customer behavior must change or
Through the mobile apps developed speed of light that was totally invisible, many grids risk curtailing service and
by ACS, customers can take pictures of but at the same time has no direct end- more frequent outages.
downed power lines or write messages use [without conversion],” Sullivan With today’s technology, Sullivan says
about what they noticed just prior to says. People use electricity nearly every it is finally possible to alter how every-
an outage and send that data directly to moment of their lives, but they don’t day people think about energy and how
their electricity provider, where it will physically interact with it, and they they can be part of the “social energy”
be added to the PRISM knowledge ac- don’t consider the impact on the grid evolution taking place. mt
cessible by crews in the field. The apps
will also keep customers updated on the Prime Technological Services, LLC specializes in high mix, high complexity printed circuit board assembly and
three key questions during a blackout: top-level box build. For 25 years, our belief has been that the only source of enduring success is the understanding and
servicing of our customers, and having a deep appreciation for their success. Our commitment to these ideas is communi-
Am I alone, is someone working on it and cated in our Core Values and Brand Promise. We understand that our customers’ reputations and brand integrity relies on
our performance. Our team members, systems, equipment assets, processes, and leadership combine to create a focus and
when will the power be back on? “Our culture of quality that is unsurpassed in the EMS industry. We have built our company on a foundation of quality, flexibility
application will answer all three of those and responsiveness, and are proud to be recognized as an Inc. 5000 Award recipient for the past three years running. See
more at prime-ems.com.
things immediately,” Sullivan says, “but

Honda of South Carolina Mfg. Inc.
www.hondaofsouthcarolina.com / Headquarters: Timmonsville, S.C. /
South
Associates: More than 1,000 / Specialty: All-terrain and multiuse vehicles
new 1000 we just expanded a little

bit,” Newman continues. “We’re go-
ing to produce the rear bed of the new
1000. It’s a larger bed than the 700,
which we currently bring in from the
outside. We’re bending the raw mate-
rial and final welding the 1000’s rear
bed, as well as the frame.”
Newman explains the plant will
produce the 1000’s bed and frame
in-house “so we can guarantee the
quality, durability and reliability of
the frame, both for ATVs and side-
by-sides. We want our associates to
manufacture some of the most critical
components for us.”
The company also has a powder
coating line with curing ovens and
performs a quality inspection on all
its vehicles before shipment. Newman
honda of south carolina will
produce the 1000’s bed and
estimates that approximately 20 per-
frame in-house to guarantee
quality and reliability.
cent of the company’s components
are manufactured at Honda of South
Powersports Carolina, including the ATVs’ engines,

while 80 percent of the ATV and side-
by-side components come from Hon-
honda of south carolina aims to be the power- da’s local/global supply base.
sports manufacturer for honda. by russ gager Power Train
Another large section of the plant is
Growth requires effort, and the “We do our own plastic blow-mold- for the manufacture of power trains.
associates of Honda of South Caro- ing for fuel tanks for all models and “We have high-pressure die casting
lina Mfg. Inc. as well as its suppliers plastic injection molding of the larg- that makes our engine cases and cov-
are making efforts to add a second er component parts – such as fenders ers,” Newman explains. “We also have
production shift and the new Pioneer and side covers for the ATVs, and the low-pressure casting operations here
1000 side-by-side flagship multi-use front hood, fenders, grilles and in- as well, where we make the cylinder
vehicle to its annual production. The strument panels for the side-by-sides heads of the engines.”
Pioneer 1000 is scheduled to be in – as well as the side fenders,” he says. Engine case and cylinder head ma-
dealers’ showrooms by early October. “So we try to do as much as possible chining is done in-house, while steel
Besides adding the shift and addi- in-house with some of the more criti- crankshaft and forged materials are
tional associates, increasing produc- cal parts, especially appearance parts, obtained from outside suppliers. “We
tion to that extent requires more pro- with our injection machines.” do the final machining and confirma-
duction equipment. “We had to bring The new Pioneer 1000 will add tion of the crankshaft in-house, as
some more in-house tooling in to be manufacturing of another compo- well as some engine covers and some
able to produce that model,” Honda of nent to Honda of South Carolina’s differential case covers,” Newman
South Carolina President Brian New- production line. “We already do all points out. “We also do our two-wheel
man says. “We’re a full manufacturing the frame welding for the ATVs and drive and four-wheel drive differen-
facility here. side-by-sides in-house, and for the tial assemblies in-house.”

Honda of South Carolina Mfg. Inc. South
Among the challenges Newman that Honda does not produce in its Tim- there is a quality issue with a part, then
sees is hiring the number of associates monsville plant. our quality department is contacted.”
Honda of South Carolina needs for the Demand forecasts are formulated Once the containers are emptied, they
production ramp-up and then training and shipped to suppliers so they know are returned to the warehouse, where
them to be ready. 26 weeks in advance what quantities of they are cleaned and the labels removed
“The second challenge is with 235 parts will be needed. “All of our parts are before being returned to the supplier
local suppliers in North America, get- driven off of the individual schedule, and for refilling.”
ting them verified and confirmed and my group is responsible to make sure
making sure they can meet our quality that the suppliers ship full quantities in Early Notification
and delivery needs to where it all comes the right type of containers,” explains If there are problems with a supplier
together to produce our high-quality Scherrell McElveen, manager of pro- getting its components, subassemblies
product,” he says. “The teams are work- duction service (OEM and logistics). All or parts to Honda on time, Honda will
ing hard and making sure our supply shipping is done by third-party carriers.
Fitts and Goodwin is proud to work with Honda of
base is ready to roll.” Associates working for the inventory South Carolina.
control group at Honda of South Caro- Since 2001 Fitts and Goodwin has enjoyed a great
partnership with Honda undertaking 15 renovations and
Transportation and Logistics lina’s warehouse scan the parts into the addition projects at the Honda of South Carolina facility. In
The sizable production increase is re- system by the label. “Once the parts are doing so, Fitts and Goodwin has been able to witness the
growth of Honda as it continues to meet the ever changing
flected in the transportation and logis- actually received, if there is any type of demands of the today’s competitive marketplace. Fitts and
tics departments that must procure the discrepancy, they can issue a domestic Goodwin is honored to be a part of the Honda of South
Carolina success story.
additional 80 percent of components trouble report,” McElveen explains. “If

South Honda of South Carolina Mfg. Inc.
be notified. Honda requires its sup-

pliers’ trucks to be equipped with GPS
so their locations are known in real
time, and the drivers can be reached
through their cell phones. “There are
times when we know in advance that
a part is going to cause a problem,”
McElveen says. “When we know that,
we are able to meet with our team
here at Honda, all the groups – plant
manager, production control, all the
sections – we could come together
and say, ‘This is what we got,’ and we
can work together.”
But if a problem is discovered with
parts or components upon their re-
ceipt, usually three days are available
to solve the problem – the day it is re-
ceived at the warehouse, the day it is
transported to the staging area and
the following day, when it is used on
while ramping up, honda of
the production line. south carolina is working
to hire enough associates
“Sometimes we don’t know of a to support its needs.
problem until it’s on the line, where
it could be the parts were short in the warehouse. Then we have an abnor- McElveen’s department is respon-
container or there is a quality issue mal situation where parts come in sible for the specialized packaging
with the parts,” McElveen says. Air and sometimes some have to come that Honda owns in which the compo-
transport sometimes is required for directly here. Sometimes, that could nents are shipped from the suppliers.
emergency part shipments. cause other issues. We like to make “We need to make sure that when the
“We have to do our follow-up by sure the suppliers ship on time, and if product leaves the supplier and comes
getting in touch with the supplier and they do have a problem, we work with to our warehouse that we don’t have
making sure they understand what them, but it’s that communication any impact to our production line,”
caused them to be late, do a partial that is the key.” McElveen says. “We have to keep the
shipment or even miss a shipment,” Honda of South Carolina invites quality and integrity of the part.”
she continues. “If those parts don’t bids from most suppliers and trans- Honda of South Carolina has
come in on time during the three-day portation providers every three years. long-lasting relationships with many
window, it interrupts the flow at our “We normally send out packages to of its suppliers. “We are committed to
the different transportation compa- that supplier to do whatever it takes to
nies, and we give them the criteria work together to get through any type
Big Dreams and let them know where most of our of issues we may have,” McElveen em-
Honda of South Carolina President Brian Newman cal- supply base is located in the north- phasizes. “If a supplier has a problem,
culates that Honda has invested more than $330 million
in its approximately 655,480-square-foot Timmons-
east part of the country,” McElveen we work together with them. We are
ville facility from an initial investment of $32 million in describes. “Then the bids come in, one team, and we have a family orient-
1998. “My life dream for this company is to be the best and we go through their bid packages. ed atmosphere.”
powersports plant for Honda Motor Co. worldwide,” Normally, it is based off of cost. If they
Newman says. “My goal is to continue to grow and
manufacture 200,000-plus units a year. I’d love to get
can come in with the cost we need to Legislative Outreach
up to 2,000 associates someday.” keep our budget, that’s normally who Additional efforts are being made
will be awarded the business.” by the state of South Carolina to im-

Honda of South Carolina Mfg. Inc. South
prove its infrastructure as Newman’s paper and had opportunities to talk to has a history of being recognized for its
outreach efforts bear legislative fruit. Governor Nikki Haley about that, as safety programs, including being named
“We’ve had great support here by the well as other elected officials. Other one of America’s Safest Companies in
local elected officials in our county and major companies in South Carolina are 2014 by EHS Magazine and earning the
city, and more importantly, the state of really pushing for this infrastructure Theodore Roosevelt Workers’ Com-
South Carolina,” Newman says. “Those improvement. That’s the type of rela- pensation and Disability Management
elected officials have been huge support- tionship we have here in South Caroli- Award for efforts to reduce the number
ers to us. They work very closely with us, na. It’s a wonderful state to do business and cost of injuries to workers. Honda
and we have very good working relation- in, and that’s why it’s growing as fast as of South Carolina also earned the Hon-
ships with the state, as well as the county it is and will continue to grow as long as da Safety Manufacturing Excellence
and the city.” the state and the counties get together Award in 2014 from the South Carolina
With the number of manufactur- and work together and improve the in- Manufacturing Alliance. mt
ers locating plants in South Carolina, frastructure and bring more jobs into
Newman has been spearheading ef- South Carolina.” Ard Trucking Company Since Honda of South
forts to support infrastructure im- Honda of South Carolina empha- Carolina Mfg., Inc. began production in 1998, Ard Trucking
Company has been honored to be their transportation
provements to roads, bridges, harbors sizes safety in all its operations. “We and logistics provider. Honda is a dedicated and reliable
and docks. “I’m trying to put my voice just achieved 3 million hours without business partner, but more than that, they are committed
to the people of South Carolina through community
out there to elected officials about the a lost-time accident, and we are three involvement, leadership, and education programs. Con-
importance of that to Honda,” New- months away from achieving 4 million,” gratulations to Honda of South Carolina Mfg., Inc. on the
production of Honda’s new 2016 Pioneer 1000.
man reports. “I’ve been quoted in the Newman says. Honda of South Carolina

Ard Trucking Co. Inc.
www.ardtrucking.com / 2014 sales: $20 million / Headquarters: Darlington, S.C. /
South
Employees: 100+ / Specialty: Transportation management
Tops in Trucking
seventy-year-old ard trucking looks forward to the
opening of its new headquarters. by alan dorich
ard trucking president and ceo allen ard

(right to left) stands with his wife shelby
ard, son taylor and carolina international
trucks vice president kate hanson and
president and owner richard ryan.
For Ard Trucking Co. Inc., the ence, S.C., and Lebanon, Tenn. “We’re A key vendor for Ard Trucking is
customer is No. 1, President and CEO [also] up to 110 trucks, 450 trailers, Carolina International Trucks Inc.
Allen Ard says. “We just work to help and growing.” “Ard Trucking is one of the biggest
solve all of their transportation needs The company operates as a dry fleets in the Pee Dee [region of South
and all of their cross-docking needs,” freight carrier and hauls anything Carolina] and we are grateful for the
he declares. classified as “general commodities,” partnership we share with Allen Ard
Darlington, S.C.-based Ard Truck- he explains, noting the company has and his team,” Vice President Kate
ing specializes in transportation hauled automotive parts, clothes, Hanson says.
management, including van, flatbed, canned goods and other products. “Like us, they are a family owned
intermodal, warehousing and yard Ard Trucking also operates a flatbed and operated business and share many
services. Ard’s father, J.W. Ard Sr., division that hauls steel products and of the same values,” she adds. “We are
started the company in 1945 with a building materials for the construc- excited to see Ard Trucking Co. grow
single used 1938 truck and trailer. tion industry. “We try to target dedi- and are committed to supporting that
Although Ard Trucking endured cated businesses,” Ard says. growth in the coming years.”
challenges with shifts in the economy, The company’s longtime clients in-
“We’re back on the rebound,” Allen clude Honda. “When Honda opened a An Industry Veteran
Ard asserts, noting that it employs a plant in South Carolina here in 1997, Ard joined his family’s business in
staff of more than 150 and operates we became their in-house carrier and 1969 and still loves the work. “I’ve
terminals in Darlington, S.C., Flor- we’ve been it ever since,” he explains. told people over the years if it ever got

Ard Trucking Co. Inc. South
to the point where I didn’t like coming

to work, I would sell it,” he says. “I’ve
never gotten to that point.”
His son, Taylor Mac Ard, works in
the business as a driver supervisor.
“What I’m trying to do is teach all the
aspects of the business, so one day,
he’ll know how to run it,” the elder
Ard says.
He went through the same pro-
cess with his own father, who died in
2009. “I serviced the tires, I loaded the
trucks, I did the billings and I did the
hiring and the firing,” Ard recalls. “I
went through the whole corporation.”
Ard also earned a reputation among
customers as a problem-solver, Direc-
the company plans to move
tor of Safety and Human Resources into a brand-new facility in
florence, s.c., by the end of
Veronica Harden adds. “They know to the summer.
come to Allen with a unique or special
transportation need,” she says. “He’ll and are planning to grow and double Trucking Association. “In 2007, we
[create a solution] for them.” that over the next few years.” were awarded the Grand Trophy Prize
for being the safest carrier in South
Longtime Relationships Developing Drivers Carolina,” Ard recalls. “We outshone
Ard Trucking sets itself apart with its Ard Trucking’s market is experienc- every other company in South Caroli-
approach to customer relationships. ing a shortage of qualified drivers. na for that year.”
Unlike some competitors, “Ard is not “It’s creating stress on carriers and The company has maintained driver
looking for the one-time opportunity customers alike,” Ard says. safety through multiple initiatives, in-
with the customer,” according to Ard. The company has coped by getting cluding a new pay program for its driv-
“We intentionally select customers more involved with social media out- ers. “We give them additional safety
where we can build long-standing re- lets, including Facebook, Twitter and and performance pay per mile, as long
lationships.” Instagram. “You wouldn’t think social as they don’t have any safety violations
When Ard Trucking quotes rates to media and trucking go together, but or service issues,” Harden says. “This
a customer, it is in it for the long term. they do,” Harden says. “Social media is not a bonus, but straight pay they
“We want to be in business with them is the biggest opportunity where we have earned by making safe decisions
for 10 to 20 years,” he asserts. “It’s see to [recruit] qualified drivers.” and taking care of our customers.”
been a benefit for Ard, because cus- The company also has increased “It’s been extremely successful,”
tomers actually seek us out.” its driver training initiatives. “We’re she continues. “We’ve seen a huge
The close relationships also have working right now with a couple of decrease in roadside inspection vio-
led to the re-addition of more trans- local trucking schools to develop pro- lations. Some of the drivers are learn-
portation-related services. A manu- grams,” she continues, noting that ing the hard lessons, but it helps.
facturing plant recently approached potential recruits go to the schools This new pay program is making a
Allen Ard about getting back into the and then “come to Ard Trucking and difference in the fleet and their deci-
flatbed business. “They wanted to put get hands-on experience.” sion-making.”
in a dedicated fleet,” Harden recalls.
“We are now back in the flatbed di- Learning Lessons Making a Move
vision,” she continues. “We just pur- Ard Trucking has won several safe- Ard Trucking plans to move into a new
chased 10 flatbed spread-axle trailers ty awards from the South Carolina company headquarters in Florence,

South Ard Trucking Co. Inc.
S.C. this August. Spanning 35,000

square feet on 20 acres, “It’ll be right
off of Interstate 95,” Ard says.
The location also puts Ard Trucking
four miles away from Honda. “It’s a
good strategic position,” Harden says.
“As this area changes, a lot of busi-
nesses will come to this area for the
east coast ports.”
The facility will feature driver
training centers and state-of-the-art
technology. “Our shop will be able to
work on eight trucks and seven trail-
ers at the same time,” Ard says. “All of
the drivers and customers are excited
about it.”
A Known Name
After seven decades, Ard is proud of
the reputation his company has es-
tablished. Although it is still relatively
small, “I feel like people know us,” he
says. “They know it’s a good company
behind the name.”
One of the keys to its status, he
notes, is its family atmosphere. “We
probably could have grown a lot fast-
er and bigger if we had gotten away
from keeping it family oriented,” he
admits.
“[But] I found, over the years, that a restored international truck
the best way to succeed is treat people sits in front of ard trucking’s
new headquarters as a reminder
the way you want to be treated,” he ex- of its beginnings.
plains. “Building a strong reputation

in your industry is going to mean a lot The Next 70 Years tent, which is not how it was six years
more than trying to make an extra dol- Ard Trucking will enjoy “a long, bright ago,” she says. “But we don’t want to
lar today.” future,” Ard predicts, noting that the over-extend ourselves. We want to be
The family approach also has nur- company is staffing up. “I’m planning here for another 70 years.”
tured longevity in the company, and on retiring at age 80.” The company might add more ser-
an environment where “everyone is The company also expects to ex- vices. “We actually have customers
treated equally,” he says. “We have an pand, but at a controlled rate, Harden asking us to grow beyond trucking and
open-door policy.” says. “We want to grow with our ex- into other areas of logistics,” she says.
For example, a mechanic can freely isting customer base and stay close to “Our customers are asking us to get
speak with Ard without any “fear that our core business,” she says. into not just traditional warehousing,
he’ll get reprimanded from his imme- It is also a good time for Ard Truck- but a velocity center, where we can
diate supervisor,” he asserts. “I feel ing to be in business, Harden says. bring parts in, do less-than-truckload
we’re building a good team, and I call “Rates are going up, and you can pret- shipments and do some of the inven-
it ‘the A-team.’” ty much name your own rate to an ex- tory control and tracking.” mt

The TharpeRobbins Co.
www.tharperobbins.com / 2014 sales: Approximately $250 million / Headquarters: Statesville, N.C. /
South
Employees: Approximately 350 / Specialty: Employee reward and recognition programs
Problem Solvers
tharperobbins helps customers including honeywell
increase employee engagement. by alan dorich
tharperobbins co. provides

managed employee recognition
and reward programs.
If there is anything an employee the company in 1892 as a jewelry com- jewelry manufacturing, “It represents
needs to stay engaged in their job, it’s pany. The first piece it manufactured, a little less than 10 percent of our
the right amount of recognition for Luciano notes, was a campaign but- sales,” he says.
their hard work. The TharpeRobbins ton to promote Benjamin Harrison In the past decade, “We’ve grown
Co. helps other firms in nurturing for president. very rapidly,” Luciano says, noting
that loyalty, Senior Vice President Over time, the company grew into that the company has been featured
Anthony Luciano says. recognition items, including pins. multiple times on Inc. magazine’s list
Based in Statesville, N.C., the firm “That changed and evolved into the of the 5,000 fastest-growing private
offers managed employee reward classic gold watch-style programs,” U.S. companies. “I’m confident, based
and recognition programs through he says. “Now, what we continue to on our growth, we’ll achieve that
in-house creative services, software innovate is the performance world again this year.”
development, jewelry manufacturing with much more complex employee
and distribution centers. “We help engagement solutions.” Maximizing Engagement
customers solve business problems TharpeRobbins uses business ana- TharpeRobbins serves a highly di-
where increasing employee engage- lytics to look at what inspires its cus- verse customer base that largely con-
ment is key to their success,” he states. tomers’ workers and their goals and sists of “enterprise-type customers,”
Founder Charles Robbins started objectives. Although it still does some including Honeywell International

South The TharpeRobbins Co.
Inc. and Jet Propulsion Laborato- its success to the company prac- before,” he says. “It’s really import-
ry, Luciano says. “We support over 20 ticing what it preaches. “We’ve got ant for us to engage all different lev-
percent of the Fortune 1,000 compa- great people, and we try to keep them els in the workforce.”
nies,” he adds. highly engaged as an organization,” The use of technology has changed
Usually, TharpeRobbins’ clients he explains. as well. “It’s become more socially
want to increase productivity and de- TharpeRobbins needs this sense of collaborative in engagement,” he de-
crease employee turnover. “What we engagement in order to promote it at scribes. “We make sure we have tools
try to do is maximize that level of en- other companies. “High-caliber peo- in place so we can do things like in-
gagement and the additional output ple also help reinforce those behav- ternal blogging. There’s a lot of social
they get from their people,” he says. iors,” he adds. collaboration on the sites.”
For example, TharpeRobbins ad- Luciano also praises TharpeRob-
vises its clients to engage with their bins’ customized programs. “We real- Good Times
younger workers immediately. When ly configure them around the custom- It’s a good time for TharpeRobbins to
these employees start a job, “They er’s specific business needs,” he says. be in business, Luciano says. “We have
know within the first few hours “If we don’t have a specific capability, been very fortunate,” he says. “We
whether or not they’re going to stay then we develop that for the custom- have continued to grow despite ups
with that organization for a long ers and help roll that out.” and downs in the economic cycle.”
time,” Luciano says. TharpeRobbins’ technology is When times are good, TharpeR-
“You want to engage them upfront unique in its space, as well. “We’ve obbins’ clients want to reward their
and reinforce that with core behav- spent tens of millions of dollars on employees with gifts and cash bonus-
iors,” he advises, noting that this will our technology,” Luciano says, noting es. “They also have the ability to hire
help increase the employees’ engage- that the company often exceeds its people to take on additional work and
ment in the organization. competitors’ capabilities. responsibilities,” he says.
Some companies, he notes, have to But when the economy gets tough,
Strong Factors use multiple technologies to manage its clients tend to retract. “Sometimes
Luciano has been with TharpeRob- different currencies such as access they let go of people,” he says. “They
bins for nearly 10 years and credits codes and points. However, “We have have the same output, but they just try
the ability to do it all on the same dy- to do it with less people.”
namic platform,” he says. This also moves TharpeRobbins’ cli-
Word of mouth also has helped the ents more towards “non-cash recog-
company achieve leadership, Luciano nition/incentive programs,” Luciano
adds. “We have grown our business says, noting that it is unbiased when
significantly where some have not it comes to award selection. “We’re in
grown nearly as rapidly,” he says. “We an extremely stable growth environ-
are definitely an industry lead- ment, regardless of the economy.”
er by looking at the solutions
themselves and what they can Strong Skills
do for the customer.” TharpeRobbins excels at manufactur-
ing, Luciano says. “We do practice cel-
Moving with Changes lular manufacturing [approaches],”
TharpeRobbins’ market is constantly he says.
evolving, Luciano says. “We’re seeing “We also integrate a lot of Six Sig-
a lot of change based on the mix of ma principles, where everything is
people,” he says. manufactured to the unit of one,” he
Although baby boomers and gen- continues. “It takes some impressive
Xers once were dominant in the coordination skills.”
the company started life
as a jewlery company, and company’s market, “There’s more The company also constantly
still produces jewelry for
customers today. gen-Ys in the workforce than ever re-evaluates its product line and

The TharpeRobbins Co. South
keeps abreast of the latest trends. “We ergy-efficient IT hardware. “We try to be ics. “We manage a tremendous amount
also attend the latest shows, do test as green as we can be,” he states. of employee data,” he says. “We have
items and look at different partners,” thousands of customers with millions
he says. Top Performers and millions of recipients.”
Luciano is pleased with TharpeRobbins’ TharpeRobbins will continue looking
Green as Can Be staff. “I’m proud of their ability to con- at specific trends, including what drives
TharpeRobbins maintains a very green tinuously push the envelope and come levels of engagement. “We’re really on
operation, Luciano states. “We’re actu- up with innovative ideas on how we can the cutting-edge on the analytics side,”
ally the benchmark for green manufac- increase engagement in our organiza- he says. “We’re seeing more of a quan-
turing in the state of Massachusetts by tion,” he says. “I love every one of them titative analysis trend and using that
the EPA and Greenpeace,” he says. “Ev- and their commitment to making us a detailed information to help our clients
erything gets recycled.” better organization and making our cus- drive more people to become top per-
Previously, the company used tomers’ lives easier. formers in their organization.” mt
600,000 gallons of water weekly in its “We have partners and people
manufacturing process. Thanks to recy- around the world, and we work in har- KDL is a full service third party logistics resource providing
capabilities in all modes and disciplines including technol-
cling, “We only use a few gallons a year at mony with them,” he states. “It’s been ogy, business intelligence visibility, audit & freight payment
this point,” he says. a tremendous joy to come to work ev- services, LTL, truckload, international, air & ground expedite,
parcel, warehouse, and supply chain management. The
The company also has installed green ery day.” company is headquartered in Carnegie, PA. Contact KDL for
lighting throughout its facilities, reduced Luciano predicts that TharpeRobbins’ a comprehensive freight & supply chain analysis based on
supplied data to improve your margins immediately.
toxic chemical use and implemented en- industry will move more towards analyt-

Signal Machine Inc.
www.signalmachine.com / Headquarters: Ringgold, Ga. / Employees: 75 / Specialty: Machining
South
and fabrication/ Delton Mullens, general manager: “We’re not afraid to take on challenging projects.”
signal machine may be a

small manufacturer, but
it has a big impact on the
industries it serves.
Process Passion non-woven materials for carpet-fin-

ishing and textile equipment. “Our
clients know the outstanding tech-
signal machine inc. welcomes the challenges of nology that we bring,” he says. “We
custom manufacturing. by bob rakow have Signal equipment serving cus-
tomers’ production needs on several
different continents.”
Delton Mullens understands what non-woven fabric and tire and rub-
brings him the most professional sat- ber. Signal Machine Inc. also provides Steady Growth
isfaction. “I enjoy helping a customer laser cutting, controls and machine Signal Machine Inc. got its start in
solve a production issue and under- installation services. “We all enjoy 1983 serving the carpet industry,
taking the development of new prod- designing and constructing equip- but quickly grew to have a presence
ucts,” Mullens says. “I like the process ment,” Mullens says. “There’s a good, in other markets. The company
of transforming raw material into an productive atmosphere here. We was established by Thomas Hall as
effective end-product.” work well together to achieve a result a two-room, on-demand machine
Mullens has ample opportunities of which we’re proud.” shop. It was expanded in 1990 to a
to see that process in action at Sig- Mullens describes Signal Machine 28,000-square-foot facility and had
nal Machine Inc., where he works as Inc. as a small manufacturer, “but doubled in size by 1997. The compa-
general manager. The manufacturing we’re big in the industries we serve,” ny added an additional 30,000 square
and machining company designs and he notes. In fact, the company has feet to its existing facility in 2002.
builds equipment for a variety of in- exported equipment to numerous “We’ve grown the business over the
dustries, including carpet, textiles, other countries for manufacturing years,” Mullens says, adding that

South Signal Machine Inc.
quality and efficiency,” Mullens says.

Employees are asked to consider the
emphasis they place on quality when
purchasing various products. “We
try to draw a parallel with their own
lives,” Mullens says. “People can re-
late to that.”
The company also has cultivated
strong relationships with suppliers,
who serve as valuable advisers. “We’re
always open to new ways of doing
things,” Mullens says. Suppliers play
an important role in helping Signal
Machine Inc. innovate because they
are exposed to changes in the market-
place, he says.
“By working with the customer
through the design process, we can
provide the solutions that will solve
with a strong entrepreneurial
the problems they face,” Mullens says.
spirit, signal machine is not afraid
to take on challenging projects.
“Signal Machine Inc. has developed a
team of creative and motivated peo-
the company’s entrepreneurial our standard equipment,” he says. ple who have the ability to turn great
spirit drives its success. “We are always looking at new pro- ideas into superior products. We have
“We’re not afraid to tackle new chal- cesses. If a customer has a need, we a lot of experience here.”
lenging projects,” he explains. Today, are prepared to meet it.” The company’s in-house mechani-
Signal Machine Inc. offers a complete cal and electrical controls design team
line of opening and blending equip- Ultimate Satisfaction has more than 150 years of combined
ment and web-handling equipment Because the company builds to exact experience in the area of design and
for non-woven fabrics, which are specifications, workers must possess engineering. The engineering depart-
commonly used in the medical and ge- exceptional skills, Mullens says. The ment, meanwhile, is equipped with
otextile industries. Non-wovens also staff’s in-depth knowledge and ex- the resources to create a complete set
are used in automotive components, perience enable Signal Machine Inc. of drawings on a piece of equipment
carpet, composites and insulation. to manufacture, test and guarantee or an equipment line, or to just get a
Performing custom work is a chal- products with the most value for each small project out to the shop.
lenge and a passion at Signal Machine dollar spent by the customer, he says. Flexibility is another key to Signal
Inc., Mullens says. “The majority of The ultimate satisfaction for Mul- Machine Inc.’s success. Products can
our customers seek modifications to lens comes when he sees a piece of be manufactured to specifications
equipment that his company designed supplied by the customer, or designed,
and built operating at a client’s manu- engineered, fabricated, installed and
Applied Software is a premier national professional services
firm providing workflow analysis and expertise to manufacturing facturing facility helping to produce a tested to meet functional require-
industries. Our design strategies help companies optimize their
processes and workflow to design and build better manufactur-
product. “What we’re doing is pretty ments, Mullens says. Additionally,
ing products. With over 30 years expertise in 2D and 3D modeling, special,” he says. Signal Machine Inc. offers complete
building information modeling, and construction technology
consulting, Applied Software has helped over 5,000 customers Signal Machine Inc.’s commitment design and engineering services to
assess and align their processes to achieve optimal performance to quality is market driven, and the suit client needs. The company can
throughout the design ecosystem. Simply put, we help our
customers improve and achieve time, cost and productivity effi- company is not satisfied until cus- build a project from the ground up or
ciencies related to design workflows. We look forward to helping tomer expectations are met. “We’re implement a new piece of equipment
our clients apply technology to modernize their workflows.
always looking for ways to improve into an existing facility, he says. mt

C.R. Onsrud
www.cronsrud.com / Revenue: Between $20 million and $40 million / HQ: Troutman, N.C. /
South
Employees: 130 / Specialty: Machine manufacturing
Investing Inward
cnc machining manufacturer c.r. onsrud expanded product capabilities
during the recession to prepare for growth. by tim o’connor
c.r. onsrud offers nearly 50

standard models of three-,
four- and five-axis cnc
machining centers.
business, Onsrud Machine

When the Those addi- Works, Charlie Onsrud saw many
economy is tional workers helped C.R. Onsrud opportunities to utilize the tech-
sour, some companies go into bomb increase its output by 50 percent from nology and engineering know-how
shelter mode, cutting staff and ex- before the economic downturn. within other industries. In 1978, he
penses to squeak by. But for CNC ma- The recession was just the latest took the family’s innovative spirit
chine maker C.R. Onsrud, the reces- challenge in the Onsrud family’s to the major furniture producers of
sion was an opportunity to invest in 100-year manufacturing legacy. C.R. the Southeastern United States, and
itself by increasing its workforce and Onsrud was founded by Charlie On- C.R. Onsrud was born. The compa-
developing higher-precision equip- srud, Tom Onsrud’s father, in 1976, ny began producing its patented,
ment to serve new markets. but the company can actually trace its inverted router, a machine which is
At the start of the recession in 2007, history to 1915, when Oscar Onsrud still manufactured today to meet the
the North Carolina company had 80 and his son, Rudy, invented the first demand of smaller, customer wood-
workers. Today it has 130, a testament pneumatic, high-speed spindle. The shops and hobbyists.
to its bold approach to the lean econo- original company was called Onsrud C.R. Onsrud today offers nearly 50
my of the past decade. “It has us ready Machine Works and many of its ma- standard models of three-, four- and
to go if the economy turns around,” chines were used to produce U.S. mil- five-axis CNC routers, CNC Mills,
CEO Tom Onsrud says of the hiring itary aircraft parts and rifles during CNC machining centers and four
surge. “If you lay off all your work- World War II. models of inverted pin routers. Fifty
ers, who is going to build the product While working for his father and percent of the company’s production
when the economy turns around?” grandfather at the original family is built-to-order equipment, accord-

C.R. Onsrud South
ing to Onsrud, with the largest ma- Serving Customers is buying machinery based solely on a
chines taking as long as a year to build. The company started out building pri- price tag. We’ve had customers come to
That tailor-made approach to manufac- marily woodworking machinery, but us after buying a lower-cost machine and
turing allows C.R. Onsrud to design, new markets opened up as C.R. Onsrud tell us they wished they’d bough from us
engineer and build machines for its developed more precise products. Now in the first place because it would have
customers’ performance in mind, and it supplies equipment to a range of man- saved a lot of headaches from all the un-
is reminiscent of the philosophy used ufacturing companies from the cabine- foreseen costs.”
at Onsrud Machine Works when the try to aerospace industries. “I’d be hard Ninety percent of C.R. Onsrud’s busi-
precursor company was building cus- to name an industry that doesn’t use ness is located in North America, but the
tom wing spar machines for the aircraft milling equipment,” Onsrud says. Cus- company also serves customers in South
industry. When buying CNC machin- tomers include global players such as America, Australia, Europe and Asia.
ery, there’s the choice of finding a stock Boeing, Airbus, GE Healthcare, Steinway
machine from a catalog and making it & Sons, General Motors and Goodyear,
fit your need or application, or finding to name a few. For every Airbus, howev- iAutomation partners with clients, like C.R. Onsrud,
who build machines that are revolutionary in innovation,
a company that will engineer and build er, there are far more small shops that performance, value and market acceptance. In addition to
supplying innovative electrical and mechanical automation
a machine specifically for your applica- need the capabilities of CNC technology technology, iAutomation’s services include high level engi-
tion. The Onsruds have always dedicat- in order to compete in the marketplace. neering support and manufacturing of custom assemblies
and control panels. Helping you build machines worth
ed themselves to building the best ma- “Buying machinery can be a tough, ago- talking about – that’s iAutomation! Bringing the most inno-
chines for the needs of each individual nizing decision for them,” Onsrud says, vative technologies and services to the industrial market
with 6 offices from South Carolina to Maine.
customer, Onsrud says. “and the biggest mistake many can make

South C.R. Onsrud
c.r. onsrud says it has a

strong commitment to its
customers and strives to
respond to them quickly.
C . R .
O n s r u d and a milling machine, which
specializes in allows for faster production. A part p a n y
built-to-order high- that might take four hours to produce often sends a
speed, larger format in a conventional milling machine can person who was directly involved in
milling machines ca- be completed in 30 minutes using one designing the machine or a team lead-
pable of cutting alumi- of C.R. Onsrud’s devices. er to the customer’s site by the next
num or any non-ferrous Building custom machines means day so repairs can be made in short
material such as Kevlar or that C.R. Onsrud must also have a order. “It’s a company driven by en-
carbon fiber. Typically, the machines strong commitment to customers gineering-minded people and we take
C.R. Onsrud manufactures have a pre- to properly service that specialized customer support very seriously,”
cision tolerance of a two-thousandth equipment. “You’d have a hard time Onsrud says.
C.R. Onsrud is CE certified and uti-
“we’ve had customers come to us after buying a lizes lean manufacturing practices to
lower-cost machine and tell us they wished they’d ensure customers are purchasing qual-
ity products at a competitive price.
bought from us in the first place because it would Onsrud says his company under-
have saved a lot of headaches.” - Tom Onsrud stands the importance to customers
of getting equipment back up and
of an inch, suitable for designing an finding customers that are upset with running immediately. Being able to
airplane seat or cutting metal to re- us,” Onsrud boasts. The company offer such thorough customer service
duce the weight of a car to improve strives to respond to customer needs requires a highly skilled and knowl-
fuel efficiency. quickly by maintaining a deep bench edgeable staff, and Onsrud says the
Speed is vital to any production of qualified engineers. company works hard to retain those
line and C.R. Onsrud uses modular Many of C.R. Onsrud’s service staff expert workers through good salaries
construction and efficient designs members have degrees in electrical and comforts such as air conditioning
to achieve a capability of 6,000 inch- and mechanical engineering, making throughout the manufacturing plant.
es per minute in some devices. The them well qualified to resolve any is- Many employees have been with the
company’s well-regarded aluminum sues that may arise with equipment. company more than 20 years and even
machines are a cross between a router When there is a problem, the com- some of the original staffers hired in

C.R. Onsrud South
precision levels, but when business slowed down in

2009 C.R. Onsrud’s leadership began exploring those
markets. The economic downturn provided a chance to
place staff on new projects and retool to prepare for the
boom periods that follow recessions. “Between 2009
and today we’ve completely redesigned our entire model
line,” Onsrud says.
The company’s commitment to new, higher-precision
products attracted new customers such as piano maker
Steinway. When Steinway needed a new machine to mill
the interior plates of a piano, C.R. Onsrud developed cus-
tomized equipment that uses a TIG and MIG welder to
heat-treat and mill both sides of the cast iron plates un-
der the piano strings.
Its expanding customer base has proven the wisdom of
C.R. Onsrud’s strategy of investing in itself during lean
times. With the economy rising again, the company is
well positioned to continue its growth for years to come.
ceo tom onsrud says c.r. onsrud “We came out of the recession much stronger than we
has earned numerous awards for
its customer service. were before the recession,” Onsrud says. mt
1976 are still reporting for work each day. “We have a very
good family type atmosphere,” Onsrud says. “If you take
care of your people they’ll take care of you.”
Growth Spurts
C.R. Onsrud moved its operations to a new 55,000-square-
foot manufacturing facility in Troutman, N.C., in 2006.
But the facility soon proved to be too small as the com-
pany’s investments during the recession brought success
and within a few years the manufacturing plant was at
capacity. By the end of 2013, the company was forced to
expand its building to bring the total space up to 100,000
square feet. Less than two years later that expansion is
continuing. “We already outgrew that and we’re getting
quotes for another 60,000 square feet,” Onsrud says.
Rather than another addition, the next expansion will
be an entirely new building on C.R. Onsrud’s 48-acre
property. The second facility will be primarily a fabrica-
tion shop for machine frames and will allow the company
to be more efficient by separating fabrication and ma-
chining. “We can easily double our output that way and
more,” Onsrud says. The company is not planning any
further expansions at this time.
Its growth has been fueled by C.R. Onsrud’s success
during the recession and investment in new machines
with increased capabilities and features. In 2007, On-
srud says, the company was not interested in higher

2G CENERGY Power Systems Technologies Inc.
www.2g-cenergy.com / U.S. headquarters: St. Augustine, Fla. / Employees: 44 in United States /
South
Specialty: Combined heat and power systems
engine jacket water that cools the en-

gine and heats up in this process, and
from the hot exhaust gas.”
Heat exchangers extract the heat
on these two levels, and manufactur-
ing plants can use the additional ener-
gy for their processes. Steam also can
be produced instead of hot water, or
other liquids used in a plant’s manu-
facturing processes – such as oil – can
be heated. If there is a need for cool-
ing, an absorption chiller can be in-
corporated into the system to use the
heat to produce cold water or air.
Big Savings
2g cenergy’s systems utilize Because CHP systems make extensive
the heat produced by
electrical generation for use of the heat produced during elec-
greater efficiency.
trical generation, they can achieve
Two for One overall efficiencies in excess of 91

percent at the point of use, 2G Cen-
ergy calculates. Glenister estimates
that with 2G’s CHP systems, a manu-
2g cenergy manufactures and installs turnkey facturing plant’s energy costs can be
cogeneration systems. by russ gager reduced by an average of 40 percent.
“The return on investment we see for
When Hurricane Sandy hit the “The main benefit to CHP systems our customers is an average of 12 per-
East Coast in 2012, electrical power lies in their reliability and high effi- cent or one to three years,” he says.
was cut off for days. In circumstanc- cency,” CEO Paul Glenister explains. “It depends on the electricity and gas
es like those, the smart company will “Traditional energy distribution prices (sparkspread), as well as any
generate its own electricity. Rising through large power plants loses lots possible peak demand charges.”
electricity costs make self-generation of energy in the process of physically Additionally, incentive programs
even more attractive. Now add to that generating the electricty, and more may further improve the payback cal-
the benefits of cogeneration – in which and more as it travels through the culation. For example, the New York
the heat produced by electrical gener- grid.” He estimates that only approx- State Energy Research and Develop-
ation is captured and turned into use- imately 35 percent of the energy gen- ment Authority provides up to half
ful heat to increase the total system’s erated at a large power plant actually the cost of installing a cogeneration
efficiency – and the argument for co- is received by customers. system, and other states also have in-
generation is even stronger. “So-called cogeneration systems – centive programs.
2G Cenergy Power Systems Tech- which also are known as CHP systems Another advantage of CHP systems
nologies Inc. adds to that equation the – are installed onsite, at the place of the is lower emissions and independence
benefits of turnkey service, effective energy consumption,” he continues. from rising electricity prices. “Elec-
service plans and meaningful warran- “The special thing about CHP is that tricity prices are increasing,” Glenis-
ties. The company is dedicated to the the waste heat that is produced by the ter notes. “Our parent company is a
production of decentralized power engine while generating electricity is German-based company, and in Eu-
generation systems that provide com- put to use instead of being released to rope, electricity costs are already ex-
bined heat and power (CHP) cogene- the atmosphere. We realize this by cap- tremely high, which is why cogenera-
ration technologies. turing the engine’s waste heat from the tion is a common technology there.

2G CENERGY Power Systems Technologies Inc. South
There is also a high demand for ‘green’

technology that provides sustainable
solutions. A 2G CHP system lowers
CO emissions by about 60 percent.”
With the latest EPA requirements,
the demand for sustainable energy
production is increasing in the United
States, as well.
It is really a mix of four main fac-
tors that make CHP so attractive: The
high cost savings play a central role,
but more and more businesses also
want to gain independence from the
utility grid and its increasing prices.
“We talk to a lot of customers that say
it gets harder and harder to forecast
and have control over their electricity
costs,” Glenister says. “The higher the
electricity demand, the bigger their
dilemma.” For manufacturing plants
or critical applications such as hospi-
tals or data centers, the high reliabili-
ty is the key decision point.
“The U.S. electric grid is outdated,
and the demand for electricity and
grid extension is growing,” Glenister
stresses. “As demand gets higher, we
see more and more outages happen
– often certain areas are hit and lose the company says its
products give customers
power for hours – that’s something greater control over their
electricity costs.
that affects continuous manufactur-
ing really badly. If they have an outage, between 50 and 2,000 kilowatts of great and uncomplicated fuel source
it’s affecting their business and often power. Higher system output can be that is successful for a wide variety of
causes high cost for them. If you look reached by linking several systems to- applications.”
at the example we had in New York gether. They will all run in synchroni- CHP systems usually run in parallel
– which was hit by Hurricane Sandy – zation with each other and be operat- with a utility’s grid or can be installed
there were long power outages.” ed with one master control panel. in island mode. “There will always
Diesel generators were not able to CHP systems can operate with be short downtime on these systems
supply power for as long as the outage natural gas or various biogases as the when they need maintenance, for
lasted, Glenister maintains. “It’s ex- fuel source. “We have a lot of projects example, an oil change or scheduled
tremely expensive to use diesel,” he where anaerobic digester systems overhauls on the engines,” Glenister
declares. “It’s extremely unsustain- supply biogas to our units installed says. “In these cases, the utility grid
able. Usually, it provides backup for a at wastewater treatment plants, serves as the backup.”
few hours, not for a week of an outage.” landfills or farming businesses,” As a solutions provider, 2G adjusts
Glenister notes. “For these cases, we each system to the customer’s needs.
Flexible CHP solutions integrate gas-cleaning solutions in In general, the system size is based
2G Cenergy specializes in providing our system to upgrade the quality of on the thermal demand of a facility,
cogeneration systems that produce the biogas, if needed. Natural gas is a because only a full utilization of the

South 2G CENERGY Power Systems Technologies Inc.
“2G is definitely the most advanced

cogeneration system on the market.
“There is great potential for CHP
in the U.S. market,” Glenister insists.
“We say we are in the beginning. The
market is not saturated at all. It is a
market that is just picking up; we’re in
the stage of early innovators.”
In Europe, even single-family homes
have cogeneration systems. “That’s
how common the whole technology
is there,” Glenister says. “But the U.S.
market is about to change. With in-
creasing electricity prices and stricter
emission guidelines, we see a huge,
growing market, without a doubt.”
Competitive Advantage
2G Cenergy’s niche is CHP. “A lot of
our competitors offer several tech-
by offering complete turnkey services
for cogeneration systems, 2g cenergy nologies, but we specialize in CHP,”
has a big advantage.
Glenister emphasizes. “We’ve never
thermal output unfolds the mas- problems and delays. Our systems are done anything else. We have our own
sive benefits of cogeneration. serviced by us. We take care of all the engine line. We have a big R&D de-
“Some CHP systems are set up to warranties, and our clients never have partment in Germany, and they con-
provide the base electrical demand to deal with anyone but us. tiniously improve the engines to get
of the system, so they may pull power “The commisioning engineer on- even higher efficiencies. Our systems
from the grid not only during mainte- site will train the operator, usually in a are different than all other cogenera-
nance but also during periods of peak few days, in simple servicing and how tion systems.
demand,” Glenister says. “In other proj- to operate and monitor the system,” “In the United States, we’ve often
ects, we produce more electricity than Glenister says. “Our technicians can seen a standard cogeneration system
the facility demands, and this excess en- access the system remotely and will get that an engineering company or a
ergy can be sold back to the utilities and alerted if there is a problem. Most little consulting company installs,” Glenis-
actually generate further income.” things can be fixed through this remote ter says. “They buy the components
access and the operator onsite. If there seperately and engineer the system
Turnkey Service really is a problem that requires one of onsite. In practice, we see difficulties
“The huge advantage of our system, our specialists, they will be onsite to with the quality of these systems. The
compared to traditional engineered service the unit within 24 hours.” art lies in gearing all components per-
systems, is that we manufacture, com- fectly to each other – only then can the
mission and service the whole system Growing Market highest efficiencies be reached. Our
with all its components,” Glenister 2G Cenergy has 4,500 of its cogene- system is a modular, containerized
continues. “We see projects that are ration systems installed worldwide. unit. Everything is in there – all the
engineered by an engineering com- Many of them are in Europe – which is components proven to work together
pany that use all kinds of components the company’s major market – but the get facility-tested onsite. When we do
from different vendors. So when there company’s systems also are installed a design, it just needs to be intercon-
is a problem, you need to get the war- in Japan, Africa and South America. nected with the building and can be
ranty and the service from different “In cogeneration, we’re definitely commissioned. So there is no upfront
vendors, which often leads to a lot of state-of-the-art,” Glenister maintains. engineering required.

2G CENERGY Power Systems Technologies Inc. South
2g cenergy says german

engineering is one of the
biggest keys to its success.
“That’s how we avoid problems we cylinder heads, cylinder linings and a transformation of energy into elec-
see often in traditional engineered 2G control system. That way, we in- tricity and heat. The U.S. company
CHP projects,” he declares. crease the electrical efficiency by 3 to was founded in 2009 and since then
“There are often extensive delays, 4 percent and reach overall efficien- has grown rapidly.
because so many parties are involved cies of more than 90 percent.” Glenister attributes the company’s
and components have never been 2G’s cogeneration systems are success to its technology and the high
tested with each other,” Glenister manufactured in its plant in St. Au- quality of its products. “It’s an excep-
adds. “So these projects often are tak- gustine, Fla. “German engineering tionally good product, especially com-
ing longer and get more costly than manufactured in the U.S.,” Glenister pared to everthing else that is on the
first anticipated. Our customers ap- says. “We assemble the whole system market,” Glenister insists. “It was an
preciate the low risk that the imple- in the U.S. plus add in components incredible success in Germany. They
metation of a 2G system brings. After that we get directly here from ven- grew within a short amount of years
all, we guarantee an uptime for the dors. So the engine technology behind to a huge company. 2G was started
system of 92 percent.” it is German, and the packaging and out of a garage by two engineers, but
the manufacturing is in the U.S.” it’s just the quality of the product and
Innovative Engine Technology 2G Cenergy was founded in Germa- also the concept of building it mod-
2G Cenergy’s R&D efforts have creat- ny in 1995 by Christian Grotholt and ularized to have it ready for use as a
ed an innovative engine. “One of our Ludger Gausling, whose last names plug-and-play.
biggest innovations is our own engine were the foundation of the company’s “The whole 2G team takes a huge
line, the Agenitor,” Glenister says. “It name “2G.” Over the years, however, pride in our product, and we will con-
is based on a MAN engine manufac- the company’s name more and more tinue to work hard on sharing the suc-
tured in Austria that is stripped down reflected the nature of the products cess with the U.S. market,” Glenister
to the block, and then rebuilt with 2G sold – the combined generation and concludes. mt

Augusta Fiberglass
www.augustafiberglass.com / Annual revenue: $50 million - $100 million / Headquarters:
South
Blackville, S.C. / Employees: 250 / Specialty: Custom fiberglass and dual laminate equipment
environment. We also focus on skill

and innovation as evidenced by our
engineering team, which consists of
the finest composite engineers in the
world with decades of fiberglass de-
sign and fabrication experience.”
Focus on Service
Augusta’s engineering team regularly
performs finite element analysis for
customers and can handle the most
complex, sophisticated fiberglass
equipment for any industry. By using
computer-controlled winders and
state-of-the-art chopper guns, Augus-
ta’s customers can feel confident that
all products will be built to the highest
standard of the industry.
“Our fabricators and chopper
gun operators are carefully and ful-
skillful engineering helps augusta’s ly trained to produce laminates and
equipment withstand seismic and equipment that meet our customers’
atmospheric conditions worldwide.
and the industry’s highest standards,”
Setting the Bar Boyd says.

A key part of Augusta’s ability to
succeed is its belief in maintaining
serving many industries has positioned augusta close, collaborative relationships
with resin manufacturers. This allows
fiberglass as a global leader. by eric slack Augusta Fiberglass to confirm and
have confidence in its choice of ma-
Providing fiberglass products to than 11 miles of stack liners having terials used. Skillful engineering, in-
many industries and communities internal diameters measuring 18 to cluding finite element analysis when
throughout the nation and beyond, 38 feet as well as seven of the world’s appropriate, ensures that equipment
Augusta Fiberglass specializes in cus- largest fiberglass vessels measuring supplied throughout the world can
tom fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) 119 feet in diameter. With its years of withstand seismic and atmospheric
equipment for the power generation, experience, the company can meet conditions at the place of service.
pulp and paper, chemical processing any fiberglass need regardless of Another critical element of its op-
and wastewater treatment industries. shape or size, including tanks, duct, erations is the ability to maintain a
Its products can be found in power scrubbers, stacks, stack liners and safe work environment for its highly
plants, nuclear facilities, wastewater other fiberglass equipment. In addi- skilled employees. “Our investment
facilities and throughout the chemi- tion, its sister company, B&D Plastics, in safety programs includes many
cal industry where caustic and corro- provides dual laminate systems. hours of training on safety for each
sive chemicals are used or stored. “Our target market is the world,” employee,” Boyd says.
Augusta Fiberglass has built thou- CEO John Boyd says. “We maintain Quality is an additional major pri-
sands of standard, large- and small-di- our marketshare by continuing to ority for Augusta, as is timely deliv-
ameter tanks and vessels of all shapes meet the stringent ASME RTP-1 Stan- ery of equipment built to spec. “The
and sizes. August Fiberglass has pro- dards and by continuing to produce old-fashioned American belief in hard
vided the power industry with more quality products in a safe, on time work for good pay forms the core of

Augusta Fiberglass South
our effort,” Boyd says. “We have a workforce that in- new energy sources opens a number of opportunities for
cludes third-generation employees and three workers Augusta’s industry, as does the need to provide power and
who have been with the company from its birth.” service to an ever-expanding American landscape.
Augusta understands that the continuing review and
Investing in Growth intelligent use of American natural resources, including
Among the company’s key investments in recent years coal, are increasingly important. As America and the en-
was the acquisition of B&D Plastics, a leader in the dual tire world make choices related to power, Augusta will
laminate industry. By bringing B&D’s plant in Ocean adapt and supply whatever is needed. Activity taking place
Springs, Miss., into its portfolio, Augusta Fiberglass can both inside and outside of America’s borders represent
offer a full complement of corrosion-resistant equip- opportunities for Augusta Fiberglass, which has plans for
ment. Expansions at the Ocean Springs facility allow the expansion at home and in Central and South America.
company to fabricate fiberglass-reinforced equipment “Our priorities remain the same, as our goal is to
along with the dual laminates that have long been a B&D continue to grow while creating the highest-quality fi-
core competency. berglass equipment in a safe, quality-oriented environ-
“The newly acquired waterfront dock allows Augus- ment,” Boyd says. “On time, to spec, and safe are our
ta Fiberglass easy access to the Gulf of Mexico,” Boyd bywords. We gladly accept the challenge of maintaining
says. “Using ocean-going barges, we can ship large proj- the high standard we have set for ourselves. Our planned
ects anywhere in the world. Most recently, a multimil- expansion west of the Mississippi continues, as does
lion-dollar duct project was shipped from Ocean Springs our continuing use of improvements in state-of-the-art
to Florida. That project was delivered on time and to chemistry, laminate design and testing.” mt
spec, accident-free.”
Augusta’s investment in dual laminates is critical to
the future of the company and the industry. By expand-
ing the dual laminate facility, Augusta and B&D can meet
today’s challenges through leading-edge technology be-
cause Boyd says B&D’s engineers are the most knowl-
edgeable and skilled in the dual laminate industry.
“Our investment in inventive engineering programs
has led to the development of unique, pace-setting, pat-
ented equipment,” Boyd says. “Our home in Blackville,
S.C., has been expanded with new 25,000-square-foot
buildings, underground gas service and a second physical
location near the main plant. We also have 22 rough ter-
rain cranes and a sister location in Denmark, S.C., with
100,017-square-feet of office and manufacturing space
under one roof.”
Keeping a watchful eye on the trends impacting its
business will help Augusta Fiberglass achieve its growth
goals for 2015 and beyond. Boyd believes that the future
looks very good for the company because it has invested
in leading-edge equipment and has earned a reputation
for providing best-in-class products and solutions to its
many customers.
Boyd says many engineering firms look to Augusta as one
of their top-choice suppliers. By continuing to insist upon
quality workmanship and safe practices, the company can
pursue growth as demand increases. Boyd says growth in
existing energy supply efforts along with the search for

Cornet Technology
www.cornet.com / Headquarters: Springfield, Va. / Specialty: Communications / Nat Kumar,
South
founder: “I wish to thank our customers, employees and vendors for their loyalty and dedication.”
Quality First
CTI performs all of its design, en-
gineering and manufacturing work
in-house, which gives it complete
control over testing and verification,
documentation, manufacturing, qual-
ity control and service.
“Our proficiency is a result of 26
years of engineering experience in
delivering data, video and voice prod-
ucts and solutions to a wide range of
commercial and government clients,”
the company says. “Our strength lies
in our ability to quickly and cost-effec-
tively tailor solutions that combine
cutting-edge with proven technolo-
gies that meet military and industry
standards and satisfy our clients’ ex-
acting requirements.”
All products are designed and man-
cornet technology’s communication
ufactured to strict quality guidelines
solutions play an important role in and to industry specifications. The
military and defense systems.
company in 2009 achieved ISO 9001
Mission Makers certification following a thorough in-

ternal review.
“This registration reflects the com-
cornet technology inc. plays a critical role in mitment of every Cornet Technology
employee to the company’s quality
military operations around the world. management system,” CEO Nat Ku-
mar said in a statement.
Cornet Technology Inc. (CTI)’s ferencing and recording systems, IP “This indicates our dedication to
clients look to the company for the video encoders/decoders/recorders producing quality products and ser-
systems they need to accomplish vital and control/management software. vices that meet our customer’s re-
missions. “No matter the media for- One of the company’s newest prod- quirements and expectations in terms
mat, we have the networking exper- ucts is the ADC RPS power supply, of quality, performance and delivery,”
tise to ensure mission-critical infor- which is suited for powering commu- Kumar added.
mation delivery,” the company says. nications equipment and radios in mil- Several of the company’s customers
Founded in 1989, CTI designs, en- itary vehicles. “The rugged industrial have noted the quality of CTI’s prod-
gineers and manufactures a range of unit is appropriate for a wide range of ucts, including Northrup Grumman
advanced command, control, com- field applications in demanding envi- Information Systems, which in 2013
munications, computer, intelligence, ronmental conditions,” CTI notes. awarded the company a Supplier Ex-
surveillance and reconnaissance solu- The company manufactures its cellence Award. Awards are given an-
tions used by defense and aerospace products in a 57,000-square-foot fa- nually to the top 24 of the company’s
agencies as well as prime contractors cility in Springfield, Va., near Wash- more than 5,000 suppliers “who have
in the United States and abroad. CTI’s ington, D.C. CTI operates subsidiar- significantly contributed to Northrop
products include circuit and IP-based ies in Tokyo; Frankfurt, Germany; and Grumman Information Systems
voice/data platforms, network switch- Chennai, India; and sales offices in through outstanding support and per-
ing equipment, VoIP-based voice con- London and New Delhi. formance,” the company says.

Cornet Technology South
Growing its Reach dized communications switch to the Air Force command/control centers,
Kumar founded CTI in 1989. “He envi- U.S. Navy, which brought the company reconnaissance platforms and Army,
sioned a company that would produce into the defense market. In addition, the Navy, and Coast Guard tech facilities.
state-of-the art products for large com- company at the time developed a line of “I launched the company with the
mercial clients such as banks and other fi- video encoding/decoding and record- mindset that success will come if you
nancial institutions as well as government ing products for the transportation and continue to provide customers with in-
agencies here and abroad,” CTI says. military surveillance markets. “As the novative products that meet or exceed
The company initially sold, main- defense business grew, CTI focused ex- their exacting requirements,” Kumar
tained, installed, integrated, modified clusively on the command, control, com- says. “This mindset positively affects
and repaired digital switching systems munications, computer, intelligence, how we relate with our customers and
for the global enterprise market. “As our surveillance and reconnaissance and has carried us through good and bad
reputation for providing sound solu- Homeland Security markets, leading to economic times. I wish to thank our cus-
tions grew, customers began to ask for the development and marketing of a new tomers, employees and vendors for their
custom-built equipment, leading to the family of communication and interoper- loyalty and dedication.” mt
expansion of in-house design and manu- ability products,” the company adds.
APCT Inc. is a leading manufacturer of High Reliabil-
facturing departments and the introduc- More than 120 Navy vessels use its ity, Rigid Printed Circuit Boards. Located in the heart of
tion of our flagship switching product, systems for off-ship communications, Northern California’s Silicon Valley, the plant is designed
to facilitate World Class Cycle Times and support a Broad
the MTX – an innovative, next-genera- and newly commissioned ships use its IP Range of Technologies. Our corporate culture focuses on
tion matrix switch – in 1994.” systems for on and off-ship communica- Continuous Improvement and strives for “Best in Class” in
Service and Support.
CTI in 1999 began offering a rugge- tions. Other military uses include U.S.

Genco Stamping & Manufacturing Co.
www.gencostamping.com / HQ: Cookeville, Tenn. / Employees: 66 / Specialty: Aftermarket
South
automotive parts / George Akers, president: “You’re only as good as the people who work with you.”
A Pressing Priority
quality and teamwork are hallmarks of genco as
a result of its esop status. by jim harris
genco specializes in manufacturing

metal stamped parts used in aftermarket George Akers’ official title at Gen-
automotive components.
co Stamping & Manufacturing Co. may
be company president, but in his mind,
there’s no distinction between him
and any of the company’s 65 other em-
ployees in terms of their importance.
“You’re only as good as the peo-
ple who work with you, and I believe
we’re all in this together,” he says. “I
may have the title of president beside
my name, but that doesn’t make me
different than the person operating
the press; I just have different deci-
sions to make.”
Akers attributes Genco’s team-ori-
ented approach to its status as an em-
ployee-owned company. The Cookev-
ille, Tenn.-based business, founded in
1969, established an employee stock
ownership plan (ESOP) in 2004, two
years before Akers started there.
“[The ESOP] gives us a different
drive every day,” he says. “It’s more
than just ‘I have a job,’ it’s ‘I’m a mem-
ber of this team and a partial owner of
the company.’”
The status has helped engender
company loyalty, as at least half of
Genco’s employees have worked
there for 10 or more years. “We make
all the important fiduciary and other
decisions about the company right
here in Cookeville,” Akers adds. “Our
people can see what we’re doing and
where our money is going every day,
and together, we find ways to contin-
uously improve and eliminate waste.”
Low Volume, High Mix

Genco’s focus on manufacturing
quality and continuous improve-

Genco Stamping & Manufacturing Co. South
ment ultimately benefits its customers. fore finishing processes, which include Quality Assured
The bulk of the company’s business is cleaning and deburring. After finishing, The company recently added a new line
providing metal stamped parts used in products are packaged and shipped. of four single-stage die presses with
aftermarket automotive shock absorb- Genco produces roughly 98 million a capacity of 200 and 250 tons. These
ers and struts for manufacturers in- parts a year in short runs, which require machines will enable the company to
cluding Tenneco Automotive and Ride between 35 to 45 equipment set-ups produce larger products. Genco also
Control LLC, which produce and as- daily. “We’re a very low-volume facili- recently added a 500-ton, 17-and-a-half-
semble the Monroe and Gabriel brands, ty. The system we have in place ensures foot-wide COE SpaceSaver feed line
respectively. Genco also produces met- that we can move from producing one press to its floor. “What we’re trying to
al parts used in appliances, heating and part to producing another very quick- do is implement technology that meets
other industrial functions. ly,” Akers says, noting that the com- our customers’ needs,” Akers adds.
The company manufactures compo- pany can perform change-overs in just Genco’s quality processes also re-
nents in a 150,000-square-foot facili- more than a half-hour.
ty that includes 41 pressing machines In addition to manufacturing, Genco Mill Steel Co. is one of North America’s premier flat-
ranging in size from 32 tons to 500 tons. also offers designing and engineering rolled steel suppliers, serving some of the world’s most
demanding industries. Founded in 1959, the business has
Raw metal received from the compa- expertise to its customers. Clients can grown over the past 56 years by sticking to its founding
ny’s suppliers is fed into the machines provide the company with solid model principles: reliability, accountability, and doing what we say
we will, and then some. Mill Steel is a proud steel supplier to
either by hand or automatically. De- parts or 3-D models, which Genco can Genco Metal Stamping, and is pleased to play part in their
pending on the part, up to 10 distinct then use as a basis for cost quotes and successful operations. For more information about Mill
Steel Co., visit www.millsteel.com.
pressing operations can take place be- tooling requirements.

South Genco Stamping & Manufacturing Co.
genco has been an employee-owned

company since 2004, and says that
has been key to its success.
cently received a boost from its Genco also uses a paperless, fully au-
High Honors addition of a Mitutoyo CHN-1208- tomated operating and maintenance
Genco Stamping and Manufacturing Co.’s commitment
to quality has earned it a number of recognitions from 20 coordinate-measuring machine management system to track its
its clients in recent years, including: (CMM). “Most of our competitors products. “All products are barcoded
> Nissan Motor Manufacturing Company “Zero simply perform manual inspections and scanned to ensure accountabili-
Defects” award for 13 years and “Quality Master”
and evaluate the operator at the ty through all phases of production,”
award for 11 years;
> Arvin Meritor’s “Supplier of the Year”; press,” the company says. “That’s just Genco adds. “Daily audits ensure
> Tokico (USA) Inc.’s “Supplier of the Year”; not good enough for us.” shipping accuracy.”
> The Dana Spicer Driveshaft Division “Supplier The company brings the first and Genco’s quality and other process-
Excellence” award; and
last piece of every product it runs to es have earned it ISO/TS 16949 certi-
> Porter Cable Power Tool Division’s “Preferred
Supplier” award. its quality lab, where the automated fication and a rating of zero defective
CMM takes precise measurements. parts per million, Akers notes. mt

Nailor Industries Inc.
www.nailor.com / Headquarters: Houston / Annual revenues: $100+ million /
South
Specialty: Commercial HVAC air control and distribution products / Employees: 1,200
In Control
nailor industries uses its clients’ hvac system
needs as a springboard. by barbara mchatton
When the company was estab-
lished in 1971, Nailor Industries
manufactured one air control device.
Today, the company’s considerable
growth has positioned it as a major
manufacturer of air control and dis-
tribution systems that are sold all
over the world.
“Our product line currently con-
sists of more than 1,200 products,”
asserts Julian Rochester, Nailor’s vice
president of marketing. “We are a
market leader in the HVAC industry.”
The company has 10 plants total-
ing more than 800,000 square feet of
manufacturing space. Distributing its
products worldwide, Houston-based
Nailor also has facilities in Las Vegas,
and Toronto and Calgary, Canada.
The company operates in the Unit-
ed Kingdom as Advanced Air (UK)
Ltd. Nailor boasts an international
distribution network, “[that works]
together to not only meet but exceed nailor industries says it has
been recognized as the leader
the expectations of clients, engineers in developing innovative new
technologies.
and customers around the world,” the
company says. However, what sets this company products’ energy performance, low-
Nailor offers a wide variety of apart is its technology advancements. flow and dynamic wind tunnels, and
air-handling units, fan coil units, According to COO Steve Nailor, his a mockup facility. “We’re a very mar-
variable air volume (VAV) terminal company is considered the industry’s ket-driven company,” Nailor asserts.
units (commonly referred to as VAV technology leader. “At our Houston “We listen to what our clients need
boxes), grilles, diffusers, life safety facility, about 40,000 square feet of both from a performance perspective
dampers and louvers, as well as elec- our manufacturing space is set aside as well as aesthetically.”
tric duct heaters, under-floor air dis- for research and testing laboratories,”
tribution (UFAD) and displacement he says. “We have the ability to fully Product Innovation
ventilation systems for the com- test our products under actual oper- Nailor pioneered the use of electron-
mercial HVAC market. Operating ating conditions.” ically commutated motors (ECMs)
with state-of-the-art manufacturing Nailor’s research, development for the commercial HVAC market.
equipment, including laser machines and testing laboratory includes a re- The ECM is an ultra-high-efficiency,
and robotic brakes and welders, en- verberant sound room to test prod- programmable, brushless DC motor
sures high quality in the company’s uct noise levels, an environmental that is used in air terminal units. Pre-
finished manufactured products. room and a curtainwall facility to test vious to this innovation, the single

South Nailor Industries Inc.
air-moving systems that mitigate

germs and minimize the risk of surgi-
cal site infections (SSIs) due to bacte-
ria in the operating rooms. The com-
pany created an advanced air-moving
system called the Steri-System Hos-
pital Operating Room Air System,
which is comprised of two major
components: linear slot diffusers and
laminar flow diffusers.
Linear slot diffusers, which are lo-
cated around the perimeter of the op-
erating room, are used to create a con-
tinuous curtain of air that is angled 5
to 15 degrees outward. This airflow
creates a curtain that encloses the op-
erating area, thus minimizing the risk
of contaminated air entering the sur-
gical area. “The laminar flow diffusers
are installed above the operating ta-
ble,” the company describes. “These
produce a low-velocity, non-aspirat-
ing vertical air pattern that allows
nailor industries developed clean, conditioned air to flow over the
a custom system for the new
exxon mobil campus being operating table and greatly increase
built in houston.
the ventilation rate within the surgi-
speed permanent split capacitor preventing smoke from permeating cal area.”
(PSC) induction motor, combined into other areas of a building in the “The air enters the room clean,”
with an electronic silicon controlled event of a fire.” Nailor asserts. “As low-velocity air
rectifier (SCR) speed controller, was Hospital projects re- flows over the patient, it’s drawn
used, which proved to be very ineffi- quire the use of away, keeping the patient as
cient. Whereas the PSC motor effi- germ-free as possible.”
ciency ranged from 12 to 45 percent, The company was
ECMs maintain a 65 to 72 percent
efficiency at all speeds. Nailor also
maintains that the ECM uses one-
third of the energy needed to power
the PSC systems.
Another product born of Nailor’s
expertise was a UL classified combi-
nation fire/smoke damper that could
also meet stringent European build-
ing codes. “Most damper blades, par-
ticularly at elevated temperatures
under fire conditions, can separate
leaving up to a 3/4-inch gap,” Nailor nailor industries pioneered
the use of electronically
commutated motors in its
says. “We created a damper in which hvac units.
the blades could interlock, thereby

Nailor Industries Inc. South
also instrumental in developing a VAV system for the Exxon

Mobil Campus, which is currently under construction on a
385-acre parcel in north Houston. The 20-building campus,
which will achieve LEED gold certification for sustainable
energy efficiency, is one of the largest commercial construc-
tion projects underway in North America. It will consist of
“multiple low-rise office buildings, a laboratory, conference
and training centers, and facilities such as child care, a well-
ness center and other employee amenities,” the client says.
Nailor was assigned the task of developing a custom
UFAD system. This air handler configuration consists of
custom-designed vertical air column units and VAV ECM
fan booster boxes feeding perimeter linear convection
heaters and high induction floor swirl diffusers in the interi-
or that will be installed under the floors. The floor diffusers
allow personal control at each workstation. Designed as a
partially stratified one-pass system, the air enters the room
at floor level, mixes rapidly and rises slowly upward, exiting
at ceiling level. Occupied comfort in the space is high with
low average room air velocities of 20 to 30 feet per minute.
This high-performance system is designed to significantly
reduce the central air-handling energy required to deliv-
er cooling to the occupied space. In addition, the one-pass
system will improve indoor air quality (when compared to
traditional overhead full mixing air distribution systems)
by helping to carry illness-causing germs upward instead of
across the room This, in turn, will reduce the spread of in-
fection among building occupants, thereby improving both
employee health and productivity.
Nailor states that the company’s biggest asset is its em-
ployees. “I’m proud of all of the people here,” he says. “We
have many long-term employees who have helped the com-
pany grow.” mt
the company says its diffusers

are often utilized in health-
care settings where air needs
to be kept clean.

MGM Industries
www.mgmindustries.com / Headquarters: Hendersonville, Tenn. / Employees: 320 /
South
Specialty: Vinyl windows and doors
Classic Vinyl
a commitment to vertical integration and ongoing investment have made mgm
industries a strong player in vinyl windows and doors. by eric slack
mgm industries has a strong Incorporated in 1965, MGM Indus-

regional presence in the vinyl
window and door market. tries has carved out a strong regional
reputation as a window manufactur-
er over the last 50 years. Originally
founded with a focus on jalousie win-
dows, the company long ago changed
its attention to the vinyl windows and
doors to the new construction and re-
placement product markets.
“We have been making all-vinyl
windows since 1985,” CEO Zeke Gas-
kins says. “The company has grown
a lot over the last few decades, and
our manufacturing facility has about
400,000 square feet with about 320
employees. We think we are looking at
good growth this year with an outlook
for three to five years of good growth
in the industry.”
A top regional window manufactur-
er, most of MGM’s sales come with a
geographic area that is roughly 500-
mile radius around its Henderson-
ville, Tenn. facility. Gaskins says the
company is positioned to service cus-
tomers well within that radius.
“Beyond that, it isn’t as economi-
cally feasible because we only have the
one plant,” he says.
Diverse Offerings
Today, MGM offers a product line of
vinyl windows and doors that allows it
to be a leader in the vinyl fenestration
product sector. The company offers
products that compete directly with
clad wood alternatives market, as
well as products that compete in the
multi-family, high-volume residen-
tial, and residential and commercial
replacement window markets.

MGM Industries South
like extrude our own vinyl because it

helps us to be more competitive from a
cost perspective,” Gaskins says.
MGM goes to market through a net-
work of dealer relationships that it has
built up over time. Instead of selling di-
rect to contractors or builders, the com-
pany works with independent dealers
that have detailed knowledge of local
abe gaskins, zeke gaskins and market conditions.
joe gaskins (left to right)
are carrying on a family
tradition of innovation.
Novagard Novaflex® Multi-Purpose Adhesive Sealant
“About 80 percent of our sales comes we offer high-end, medium and low- has been a leading silicone sealant in the window and
door fenestration industry for over 35 years. For the past
from the new construction market, end products.” 15 years, Novaflex has been exclusively used with MGM
with the other 20 percent in the re- A vertically integrated company, Industries. The neutral cure silicone allows for permanent
flexibility and excellent adhesion to substrates such as
placement market,” Gaskins says. MGM designs its own windows and vinyl, metal, kynar, masonry, fiberglass among others. This
“We make a wide mix of products manufactures and designs its own ex- sealant can be extruded in temperatures ranging from
-20°F to 120°F. Novaflex Multi-Purpose Adhesive Sealant
that includes things like windows, pa- trusion tooling. is UV resistant, meaning the product will not shrink, crack,
tio doors and screen doors,” Gaskins “It has always been important for us or sag. When looking for a leading silicone sealant, look no
further than Novaflex Multi-Purpose Adhesive Sealant!
adds. Our product mix is also deep, as to be vertically integrated and do things

South MGM Industries
“we design our own products because

we think it helps us to stay ahead of
our competition in terms of product
design. it is critical that we keep on
pushing forward.” - Zeke Gaskins
“Our dealers build up a reputation with the customers,

and they can showcase our products, quality and pric-
ing,” Gaskins says. “Our products are known for their
quality and can be purchased at a better price than the big
name national brands. We have built a good reputation
for the quality and service that we provide. The dealer
community knows who we are, which has opened doors
for us within the dealer network.”
MGM’s ability to adapt its products to best serve the
market stems from a willingness to listen to customers to
discover their needs and wants. For example, this is how mgm continues to invest in
its equipment and facilities
the company learned that builders wanted a 180 brick- to better serve the market.
mould on the profile along with an integral J-channel

and an integral mull on twins. MGM was the first to offer
product with these features to the market.
Breeding Innovation
The company has also continued to invest in the devel-
opment of its capabilities. For example, in 2009 MGM
put more than $1 million toward uPVC painting equip-
ment. The company felt that offering painted uPVC
products would position the company for the future by
expanding its product depth. Investing in the automatic
painting equipment has provided MGM with an advan-
tage because it can compete better against clad products.
Its painted vinyl products have fueled growth for MGM
since the capability was introduced, as clad products are
more expensive than vinyl products.
“The biggest thing we’ve done for the company is to
keep investing in new machinery,” Gaskins says. “In the
last three years or so, we’ve put in five automatic pro-
cessing centers. We must always continue to invest in the
company because we can’t keep up with the competition
if we do not. At the same time, we must be able to keep
finding the right employees to make the product, which
is a challenge for everyone in manufacturing.”
Ensuring an optimized supply chain has been another
ongoing focus for MGM. On the supplier side, the com-
pany has worked to create relationships with high-qual-

MGM Industries South
consciousness. It has tested all of its windows to meet the

Energy Star demands required in its market areas, and all
scrap generated internally is reused in its in-house extru-
sion operation. In addition, most of its product contains
20 percent recycled uPVC. All of this helps the company
to be green while at containing its material costs.
Over the next few years, MGM believes maintaining a
high level of customer service will help to drive growth.
Gaskins says the sales are there, as MGM is looking for
15 to 20 percent sales growth in 2015 and 2016. As sales
increase, it is important for MGM to ensure that it has a
highly trained workforce and the capacity to service the
customers by becoming more efficient in its plant.
“As we celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2015, we
must continue to be an innovative player in our indus-
try,” Gaskins says. “We design our own products be-
cause we think it helps us to stay ahead of our competi-
tion in terms of product design. It is critical that we keep
on pushing forward, looking for new products to release
and continuing to innovate.” mt
ity vendors by building a reputation as a company that is

easy to work with.
“We pay our bills on time, so getting the components
we need here has been an easy process for us,” Gaskins
says. “We also have 15 tractor trailers with our own driv-
ers that help us get the products out to customers.”
MGM also believes in operating with an environmental
all of mgm’s products have
been tested to meet energy
star requirements.

Microflex Inc.
www.microflexinc.com / Headquarters: Ormond Beach, Fla. / Employees: More than 160 /
South
Specialty: Flexible metal products / Microflex Inc.: “We always strive to be above the industry curve.”
Forty Years of Growth

1975: Microflex is founded in New Haven,
Conn.
1980: The company relocates to Ormond
Beach, Fla.
1982: Microflex purchases land for a
manufacturing site.
1984: The company completes construction
of a new 48,000-square-foot manufac-
turing facility.
1988: Microflex introduces Autoflex®
products for the automotive aftermarket.
1990: The company adds a 54,000-square-
foot expansion to its manufacturing
facility; an additional 20,000 square
feet were added in 1994.
1993: Microflex receives ISO 9001 certification.
1999: The company receives its first large
OEM automotive exhaust bellows
contract.
2004: Microflex installs an automotive and
material testing lab.
2006: The company develops a collapsible
steering bellows.
2007: Microflex Automotive, the company’s
microflex specializes in automotive products division, is
manufacturing flexible
hoses and other high-quality developed.
metal products.
Flexible at 40 sure Equipment Directive (PED) and

American Society of Mechanical Engi-
neers (ASME) certified.
microflex is a global leader in manufacturing
high-quality flexible metal products. Quality and Consistency
Microflex offers hose, braid and ex-
Microflex Inc. has prided itself are served by a 120,000-square-foot pansion joint products in a variety of
in manufacturing high-quality flexible manufacturing facility in Ormond materials and configurations. Stain-
metal products for 40 years. “Since Beach, Fla. less steel tubular wire braid, beam
1975, Microflex has proven to be the Founders and brothers Josif and braid or braided products are manu-
innovative leader in the manufactur- George Atanasoski lead a staff of factured in diameters ranging from
ing of metal hose and braid, metallic more than 160 people, which includes one-quarter inch to 30 inches. Prod-
expansion joints, bellows and auto- “a staff of engineers that design products are available in two different
motive products,” the company says. ucts for reliability and value,” the types of stainless steel. “Microflex
“Our customers can count on us to be company says. has combined years of manufacturing
their one elite source for design and Microflex’s products and opera- experience with the most technical-
fabrication of flexible metal products tions are backed by a number of qual- ly advanced braiding equipment to
for all applications.” ity certifications. “We always strive provide customers the finest, most
Microflex Inc. operates two main di- to be above the industry curve when consistent wire braid available,” the
visions: an industrial division serving it comes to all available qualifications company says.
the automotive, petrochemical and and certifications in engineering and The company assembles braided
power generation industries; and an manufacturing,” Microflex adds. pump connectors using close-pitch
automotive division. Both divisions The company is ISO 9001, Pres- annular metal hose and high-strength

Microflex Inc. South
“microflexbraidedpumpconnectors The system includes five main components:

are a high-quality alternative > Identifying materials, processes, products and
wastes that could cause pollution, and implementing
to the commodity braided pump measures to avoid, reduce or control pollution where
connectors that are on the market possible;
today. microflex hose assemblies > Complying with applicable federal, state and local
are the standard by which the environmental laws, regulations, codes and other en-
vironmental requirements;
industry compares all metal > Evaluating the effectiveness of the system and con-
hose.” - Microflex Inc. tinually improving it to meet the company’s environ-
mental goals and prevent pollution;
braid. Connectors are available in diameters ranging from > Educating employees as well as vendors, contractors
one-half inch to 30 inches and flanged or male threaded. and customers; and
“Microflex braided pump connectors are a high-quality > Maintaining a system that considers the interests of
alternative to the commodity braided pump connectors the public.
that are on the market today,” it adds.
Microflex’s annular corrugated metal hose is man- “We consider waste reduction in every process we
ufactured from high-quality materials “which are undertake and make it a top priority in order to protect
precision welded and corrugated to create a flexible, the environment in which we live and work,” according
long-lasting and reliable product,” the company says. to Microflex. mt
Metal hose ranges in diameter from a quarter-inch to 30
inches and is available in Type 321 and Type 316L stain-
less steel. Special alloy hoses are available on request.
“Years of experience, along with our modern corrugat-
ing equipment, combine to provide the customer with
the most consistent, reliable metal hose available,” the
company says.
The company can also combine its hoses and braids to
create hose assemblies, which it designs with reliability
and safety in mind. “Microflex can perform all types of
leak tests and non-destructive testing, hydrotest, pneu-
matic, mass spectrometer and dye penetrant, as well as
X-ray,” the company says.
Microflex’s metal hose assemblies are used in a mul-
titude of applications ranging from tank trucks to Space
Shuttles and from steam generation to gas separation.
“Microflex hose assemblies are the standard by which the
industry compares all metal hose,” the company adds.
“Our ASME-certified welders and ISO9001-certified fa-
cility provide customers with the confidence they require
when specifying metal hose for demanding applications.”
Environmental Stewardship
Microflex manufactures with the environment in mind.
“We maintain an environmental management system to
improve our environmental management and, ultimate-
ly, reduce the environmental impacts of our operations,
activities, products and services,” the company says.

Northeast
160. Pines Engineering 190. Masline Electronics Inc.

170. 196. 167. Royce Colors 192. Rowley Spring & Stamping Co.
170. Oberg Industries 194. LENOX, A Newell Rubbermaid
174. Riggs Industries Inc. brand
177. Vinylmax LLC 196. GTI Spindle Technology
180. Arrowhead Industries 198. Global Precision Parts Inc.
183. Pernix Therapeutics
186. Weiler Corp.
188. Bliley Technologies

Northeast
‘IMPORTANT
INITIATIVE’
sometimes communities, government and businesses have to work
together to ensure economic growth. pennsylvania and great dane
show how important that cooperation can be with the
creation of new jobs.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Economic development does not always come easily, but Penn–

sylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced in June that Great Dane, a leading
manufacturer of semi-trailers, will establish a facility in Ralpho Town-
ship, Northumberland County. This expansion will create 150 new jobs.
“I am thrilled to recognize 150 new manufacturing jobs com- turing capabilities while increasing employment opportunities
ing to Northumberland County,” Wolf says. “Through Great in the region.”
Dane’s expansion, a long-vacant manufacturing facility will be The project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team,
put back into productive use. My budget will continue to sup- an experienced group of economic development professionals
port manufacturing companies that are creating good-paying, who report directly to the governor and work with businesses
middle-class jobs for Pennsylvanians.” that are considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania,
Great Dane will expand business operations at the former in collaboration with Northumberland County Office of Eco-
Fleetwood RV site in Ralpho Township. The company plans nomic Development.
to invest $11 million at the site, and has also committed to “I have been working to bring this company and all of the em-
create at least 150 new jobs and retain 438 existing positions ployment opportunities for our citizens for several years now
over the next three years. The company received a funding and I am thrilled to finally see the deal coming together. We still
proposal from the Department of Community and Economic have some work to finalize all of it on a local level, but I am con-
Development, including a Pennsylvania First Program grant fident we will get it done,” Northumberland Chairman Vinny
for $425,000 and a WEDnetPA grant for $67,500. Clausi says.
According to Sam Gupta, Great Dane’s executive vice pres- “I want to thank Governor Wolf, the Governor’s Action Team
ident of manufacturing, the company has successfully main- and our state officials for helping secure this great company,”
tained a trailer manufacturing presence in nearby Danville for Clausi adds. “I also want to thank Ralpho Township supervi-
more than 10 years, and is looking forward to expanding its sors, ARC, PennDOT and SEDA-COG for all they did in work-
manufacturing and employment footprint in the region. ing with us to help bring these well-paying jobs to our county.”
“Our current Danville facility will be complemented by the With more than 100 years in business, Great Dane is a leading
new Elysburg plant, which is larger and better suited to future manufacturer of dry van, flatbed and refrigerated semi-trailers,
expansion,” Gupta says. “Once the new plant is fully operation- with offices, manufacturing locations, distribution centers and
al, we will be able to significantly expand our dry-van manufac- retail facilities located throughout the Americas. mt

Pines Engineering
www.pines-eng.com / HQ: Wickliffe, Ohio / Employees: 148 / Northeast
Specialty: Tube- and pipe-bending machinery
The Extra Mile

pines engineering follows up sales with service
to build lasting relationships. by tim o’connor
ohio-based pines engineering was
one of the first companies to make
pipe- and tube-bending machines.

Pines Engineering Northeast
As one of the first companies to

make pipe- and tube-bending ma-
chines, it is no surprise Pines Engineer-
ing equipment is found in factories and
shops across the United States. But it’s
the longevity of Pines’ custom-built
machines that have made the company
worthy of a second glance.
Where other decades-old machines
are usually quickly replaced with
newer models, Pines still receives re-
quests nearly every day from custom-
ers looking for spare parts for their
bending equipment dating as far back
as the 1950s. Director of Business and
Product Development Jon Canfield
says those inquires are the result of
Pines’ long history of expertise in
its industry. “We can customize our
equipment to bend applicatons that the company says its
equipment can be found
others can’t,” he adds. in numerous factories all
across the country.
Pines traces its roots back to Auro-
ra, Ill., in 1943, but eventually moved “we serve a diverse range of industries, so
to the suburbs of Cleveland. Cur-
rently located in the Cleveland sub-
when one is slow, we can count on other indus-
urb of Wickliffe, Pines now shares a tries to support our revenue base.” - Jon Canfield
120,000-square-foot manufacturing
facility with another Park Ohio com-
pany, PMC-Colinet, who specializes cranes to support assembly, nitride ter capacity while the numerical con-
in pipe threading equipment. capability for case hardening steel, trol (NC) machines can handle up to
The consolidation has allowed CNC and manual lathe for steel cut- 12 inches.
Pines and PMC-Colinet to share re- ting, and a grinding facility.
sources while maintaining a focus on Throughout its history, Pines has Catering to Customers
the separate businesses. Pines has a kept its focus on producing equip- Canfield says the market has been
dedicated group of employees skilled ment for pipe, tube, aluminum and trending toward CNC equipment be-
in the assembly and manufactur- steel profile bending. About 90 per- cause of the automation and ease of
ing of its bending machines, but can cent of the company’s production use over the more manual NC tube
draw upon PMC-Colinet staff during is rotary draw bending, in which the benders. But the niche NC market
high-production periods. “If we have material is dragged through a die set still remains an important part of
extra work coming in we can pool our to form the bend. The other 10 per- Pines’ business, Canfield explains,
resources on an as-needed basis,” cent is compression bending equip- because the purchase price is less
Canfield says. ment, in which the material is held than half the cost of a CNC bender.
Within the shared facility, Pines in place vertically or horizontally as Further, upgraded control systems
has all the equipment needed to make it is pushed around the dies. Pines have made NC machines safer and
the highest-quality machines. This equipment can fit a range of applica- easier to run, making them appealing
includes computerized numerical tions and sizes, from small benders to job shops and small manufacturing
control (CNC) milling equipment, for cable to 10-inch pipes. The CNC companies that rely on long-lasting
its own heat-treat facility, overhead equipment has a 15- to 350-millime- equipment. “Pines is known for du-

Northeast Pines Engineering
director of business and

product development jon
canfield says pines has
extensive expertise.
rable machines that run for years and years and years,”
Canfield says.
Pipes and tubes bent on Pines machines can be found
in nearly every industry and many manufactured compo-
nents, including aircraft ventilation systems, furniture,
stationary exercise machines, stainless steel handrails for
handicap bathrooms, window frame extrusions and auto-
motive exhaust systems. Supplying equipment to a variety
of clients has helped make Pines’ business strong because
the company is less impacted when a downturn occurs in
one market. “We serve a diverse range of industries so when
one is slow we can count on other industries to support our
revenue base,” Canfield says.
Through the course of 72 years in operation, Pines has
built more than 30,000 bending machines and developed
an extensive knowledge bank of expertise. “Because of the
amount of machines in the field, a lot of customers will come
back to us,” Canfield says. When companies buy from Pines
they are getting an all-in-one package. Many competitors
will only supply the bending machine, leaving customers
to find another company to make the tooling the machine
needs. But Pines customizes and manufactures the tooling
of its equipment, as well, meaning customers know their
machine’s reliability remains with one company.
“That’s very advantageous for people new to the indus-
try or customers getting into tube bending,” Canfield

pines engineering makes

maintenance easy for
its customers by keeping
detailed records.
“pines is known for durable ma-

chines that run for years. because
of the amount of machines in the
field, a lot of customers will come
back to us.” - Jon Canfield
explains. The average build time for a Pines bending ma-
chine is between 12 and 16 weeks depending on options, but
the company is looking to speed up that process by growing
an inventory of base machines that can be customized to
each customer.
Longtime customers count on Pines to keep their equip-
ment going long after the expected useful life has expired.
Each machine Pines makes has a unique serial number, al-
lowing the company to find detailed records on its design
and parts so that when a machine breaks down its compo-
nents can be remanufactured and replaced, even decades
after it was built. Canfield says replacing the electrical con-
trol board is typically more difficult as electrical parts be-
come obsolete, but even then Pines can conduct a retrofit to
update older machines with new controls. For equipment in
need of major overhauls, Pines can do a full rebuild by strip-
ping down the machine and remanufacturing parts while
keeping the most durable components.
Having the capability to service aging machines is a key

the company says it continues to

look for new technologies that
can better serve its customers.
part of how Pines builds long-last- “it’s a product and vided the company more resources to
ing relationships with its customers. a service that we’re devote to product development and
Selling a bender is only the beginning, improving its technology offerings in
Canfield says, Pines follows through
providing to our cus- the machines.
with maintenance. tomers. we try to Technology has played an increas-
“It’s a product and a service that work with our cus- ingly important role in bending equip-
we’re providing to our customers,” tomers and be ser- ment as customers have moved away
Canfield says. from the hydraulic systems of the past
The company has a full service
vice-based.” - Jon Canfield to electric ones.
department with experts located in Canfield says Pines is developing
India, Arizona, Chicago, Denver and Product Development machines to offer more electric-based
Cleveland who travel to customers After the Park Ohio acquisition, systems with new features, such as
and provide on-site service. Pines instituted new quality-control carriage push and roll bending to keep
“We try to work with our custom- systems that Canfield credits with pace with the industry. “We’re really
ers and be serviced-based,” according improving its products. But beyond working on expanding our technology
to Canfield. better standards, Park Ohio has pro- and product offerings,” he says. mt

Royce Colors
www.roycecolors.com / Headquarters: East Rutherford, N.J. / Employees: 75 / Specialty: Colorants,
Northeast
dyes and additives / Wylie Royce, owner: “We like the idea of having several legs to stand on.”
The Color of Quality

royce colors helps packaging producers, textile dyers, paper
mills and others keep their products bright. by jim harris
royce colors has been in business

for more than 80 years.
In the consumer-packaging world, must not only be attractive to the con- Royce Colors draws on its decades
appearance can be as critical as func- sumer, but also consistent in quality of experience in the chemical and
tionality. An unattractive foam tray and safety. colorant manufacturing industry to
used to hold a meat product or off- “When you’re supplying and serv- ensure its customers get what they
shade paperboard could lead a dis- ing companies that make products need when they need it, and at the
criminating consumer to make an- used to package food, consumer right consistency and formulation.
other purchase. products and dye fabric there has to The East Rutherford, N.J., based
The makers of the packaging used be 100 percent quality and consis- company manufactures and supplies
for food, cosmetics and other con- tency,” Royce Colors Principal Wylie a complete range of polymer colo-
sumer products want to ensure that Royce says. “These companies are in rants, functional masterbatches and
their goods are attractive to consum- a very competitive business – they compounds, and dyes and colorants
ers. The pigments and dyes used to can’t afford any downtime or rejects that can be used on textiles, paper
color plastic, paper and textiles in that so everything has to be as efficient as and plastics.
packaging play a major role in ensur- possible, delivered on time and to ex- The company’s customers range
ing the eye appeal of goods. Colorants acting specifications.” from manufacturers of polysty-

Northeast Royce Colors
ing, textile stripping, precious metal

recovery, recycled paper de-inking
and other applications; and Royce
Specialty Chemicals and Additives,
which manufactures zinc borate, zinc
powder, sodium nitrite and other
chemicals used in a variety of appli-
cations including as fire retardants
and smoke suppressants, as well as in
paint formulations and other chemi-
cal manufacturing processes.
In addition, the company is as-
sociated with Royce International,
founded by Harry Anand. Royce In-
ternational has grown to be a major
supplier and manufacturer of epoxy
resins, diluents and curing agents to
the coatings, construction and aero-
space industries.
“We like the idea of having several
legs to stand on, so if one market is
the company says its product not doing as well, we have others to
diversity is one of the biggest fall back on,” Wylie Royce says.
keys to its success.
Royce Associates is now in the
rene foam packaging to cosmet- cusing instead on dye manufacturing. fourth generation of leadership by
ic packaging, recycled paperboard The company from 1981 to 1986 also the Royce family, with Wylie’s neph-
and clothing to producers of medical supplied zinc powder used in alkaline ew A.J. Royce taking a large role in its
X-ray film. “We typically serve very batteries. management. “He’s running the busi-
mature markets that tend to be affect- In the late 1980s, the company ness every day and doing a phenome-
ed less violently by economic upturns added a plastic processing business, nal job of it,” Wylie Royce says.
and downturns,” Royce says, citing which included recycling polystyrene. The company continues to expand
packaging as an example. “During the This later shifted to color concentrate its capabilities and reach. Two years
Great Recession, takeout containers and additive manufacturing. ago, Royce purchased a new building
were affected because people weren’t Royce Colors is one of three busi- in Gaffney, S.C., to support its vat dye
eating out as much, but containers ness units now owned and operated manufacturing efforts and warehouse
used to package meat and produce by the Royce family that serve manu- its products for customers in the
sold in supermarkets picked up.” facturing customers throughout the southern United States. The company
United States. The other divisions of earlier this year also purchased the vat
‘Legs to Stand On’ the company, collectively known as dye business of Sunbelt Chemicals, a
Market and product diversity have Royce Associates, are: Royce Reduc- North Carolina manufacturer. “Or-
been hallmarks of the company since tive Chemicals, which offers a line ganic growth is still a general focus of
its origins. Founded by Albert J. Royce of reducing agents used in vat dye- ours,” he adds.
Sr. in 1929, Royce Chemical initially
supplied chemicals used in the textile “probably about 80 percent of our product
industry until the late 1970s, when it
acquired Passaic Color and Chemi-
line can be considered custom. we’ve probably
cal, a dye manufacturing company. In created between 15,000 and 20,000 colors.”
1981, it sold its chemical business, fo- - Wylie Royce

Royce Colors Northeast
A Greener Future
Royce Colors in recent years has devoted
many resources to developing dye and plas-
tic products that can be used on products
such as molded pulp fiber packaging and
resins including polylactic acid, a com-
postable material derived from renewable
resources including corn-based resin.
“Sustainability is a goal that everyone is
looking to achieve in packaging and their
companies, so creating products that
can be used with these new packages is
something we’re very involved in,” Principal
Wylie Royce says.
Manufacturing Capabilities
The Gaffney plant is one of five plants
operated by the company in New Jer-
sey and South Carolina. Royce Colors
also has co-manufacturing agree-
ments with companies in Pennsylva-
nia, Europe and Asia.
Royce’s manufacturing runs from
synthesizing basic and solvent dyes to
vat dye processing, which begins with
specialized grinding of the press cake
it uses to manufacture end product. royce colors has multiple
manufacturing facilities in
Grinding, shading and finishing op- new jersey and south carolina.
erations are performed on the press
cake, which the company from manu- tory for its plastics-manufacturing able to give close, timely attention
facturing partners in Asia. customers. “We have a number of to their customers at times,” Royce
Royce Colors also blends, com- customers that use seven to eight dif- says. “We feel that being somewhat
pounds has toll manufactured and re- ferent colors, but in different quanti- smaller allows us to give our custom-
sells hundreds of different dyes, pig- ties,” he adds. “If they call on Thurs- ers added attention and speed, along
ments and additives to create custom day with an order, we can put each with the regulatory expertise a larg-
masterbatch products for the plastics color on a truck for them by Friday; er company can provide.”
industry. “Probably about 80 percent that’s part of our service.” Although Royce Colors considers
of our product line can be considered itself a relatively small, family owned
custom,” Wylie Royce says. “We’ve A Critical Partner company, many of its customers are
probably created between 15,000 to Royce Colors’ experience as a dye not. “A good chunk of our customer
20,000 colors, and can create 20 to 30 maker and chemical manufactur- base is Fortune 100 or Fortune 500
new color matches every week.” er gives it the ability to offer a high companies, a good number of which
All of the company’s dyes and color level of service and expertise to depend solely on us and our products
blends are rigorously tested in on-site its customers, particularly when it for very critical operations,” he adds.
labs for dispersion, UV stability and comes to complying with industry “They depend on us because they’re
other quality measurements as re- regulations. “There are very large 100 percent comfortable with the
quired for the individual product or companies out there that excel at quality of our products and service,
by the customer. meeting regulatory standards, but and I don’t think we can be paid a
The company maintains inven- their size prevents them from being higher compliment than that.” mt

Oberg Industries
www.oberg.com / 2014 sales: $130 million / Headquarters: Freeport, Pa. / Specialty: Precision
Northeast
components and tooling / David Bonvenuto: “We are known as the one-stop shop.”
ry on his legacy and we still do tungsten

carbide progressive tooling. But we’ve
diversified with other capabilities to
become a proverbial one-stop precision
metalworking contract manufacturer.”
Medical devices comprise the
largest portion of Oberg Industries’
customer base, he adds. “Other key
markets are the aerospace, energy, au-
tomotive, metal packaging, housing/
construction and consumer products
sectors,” Bonvenuto says.
One-Stop Shop
Bonvenuto joined Oberg Industries in
2001 and became the company’s chief
financial officer. Seven years later, he
led the startup of Oberg Medical, a
subsidiary focused on medical device
products and transitioned into his
current role in January of 2013.
He praises Oberg Industries’ em-
oberg is the exclusive home for a unique grinding ployees. As a contract manufacturer,
technology known as molecular decomposition process
(mdp) that is used to grind very hard materials without “We’re known as the one-stop shop
heat or mechanical stress to achieve burr-free parts
with superior surface finishes. for your metalworking needs,” he
One to Rely On
says. “Yes, we have capabilities in mill-
ing, turning, EDM, grinding, tooling
and stamping in-house.
“However, the real differentiator
oberg industries says it has found success by is not just having the capabilities in-
following a simple formula. by alan dorich house but it is the expertise our em-
ployees have in these disciplines and
Oberg Industries makes a point dustries manufactures precision the ability to work together as a team is
of meeting the needs of all its customer components and tooling for leading what our customer partners say is spe-
partners in each market it serves, CEO manufacturers around the world. The cial about Oberg. Customers rely on us
David Bonvenuto says. “We obsess company started operations in 1948, – we rely on our people. We are a capital
over the execution of the job, from the Bonvenuto says. intensive business – but the people are
upfront planning through the manu- “Our founder, Donald E. Oberg, what make us successful.”
facturing of a quality product to the came up with an idea to use tungsten This has made Oberg Industries
delivery on-time – and communicat- carbide for progressive tooling,” he a preferred supplier as a higher-end
ing every step of the way with our cus- explains. “This is a classic entrepre- precision contract manufacturer.
tomers,” he says. “We have found that neurial story where he pitched the “Half of our top-20 customers are
picking the right markets and mar- idea to his boss and his boss told him Fortune 500 companies,” comments
ket-leading customer partners within no and get back to work.” Bonvenuto.
those markets, and executing to what But Mr. Oberg did not let it go. “Don None of Oberg Industries’ clients
we say we’re going to do has been a felt strong enough about this idea to are working with the company for
simple formula for our success.” start his own company,” Bonvenuto ex- sheer convenience, Bonvenuto asserts.
Based in Freeport, Pa., Oberg In- plains. “Sixty-seven years later, we car- “As none of these companies are lo-

Northeast Oberg Industries
cal to Oberg’s manufacturing operations. They’re working

with us because of the capabilities of our employees,” he says.
“We tend to work with more exotic types of alloys, such as
the titaniums, nitinol, stellite, Inconel, molybdenium, cobalt
chromes, tungsten carbide, etc.
“We also tend to work on tighter tolerance-type projects,”
he adds. “When you have multi-piece assembly or produc-
tion projects that require special processes, that is work
that we can do completely in-house, which enables better
control over the supply chain for reduced lead times and en-
suring quality throughout the manufacturing process.”
Growing More Room

Oberg Industries is expanding its footprint with a new facil-
ity in Pittsburgh. “We’re going to be breaking ground on an
80,000-square-foot facility in the next 30 days on our exist-
ing campus footprint,” Bonvenuto says.
“The new building will give us the room to expand sheer
floor space for growth as well as do more cellular manufac-
turing to increase efficiency.”
This will allow the company to be more flexible on its
manufacturing floor, yield large projects and be cost com-
petitive, Bonvenuto says. Currently, Oberg Industries oper-
ates with 350,000 square feet in the United States. The addi-
tional space will enable Oberg to reorganize a portion of its
existing space. “We are making continued investments into
our employee training areas – both classroom and on-hand
machine areas,” he adds.
Oberg’s Foundation
Like other manufacturing firms, Oberg Industries is coping
with a shortage of skilled labor. “We are making our appren-
ticeship program stronger,” Bonvenuto says. “It has been in
existence for over 50 years, and it was the first program to
get certification in the state of Pennsylvania. We have added
six new apprenticeship training programs in the past year.
These include two CNC programs for operators and setup
programmers in turning, milling and mill/turn areas.”
The program mirrors ones common in Europe. “Our Ap-
prenticeship Program has really been a foundation for our
company both past and present, attracting individuals,” he
says. “It’s all done in-house and it’s all competency based.”
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Oberg Industries Northeast
Once Oberg Industries gets interest pre-qualified for hire as full-time ap- of lower to mid-volume production runs.
from applicants in advanced manufac- prentices at Oberg upon graduation.” We force ourselves to pause and reflect
turing, “they will take over from there Bonvenuto mentions that Oberg In- on where we’ve come from to allow our-
and do the training and development on dustries has committed to make job of- selves to see what we can achieve going
their own,” Bonvenuto says. “We’re also fers to a certain number of students who forward to better serve the customer.”
engaged with our local technical schools get passing grades. The inaugural class He predicts that Oberg Industries will
and have seen enrollment going up, just graduated five students who will stay on its current path. “We will con-
which is encouraging.” start with Oberg this summer. tinue to stay very diversified in terms of
To help bridge the skilled talent gap, markets and manufacturing capability,”
the company recently partnered with a Striving to Always Get Better he says. “We will continue to invest in
local high school. “We have developed Bonvenuto is proud of Oberg Industries’ our people and having the best work-
a unique program with them known as success especially over the past two force that we can.
the Junior Apprentice Advantage (JAA) years, which have been record years for “I believe manufacturing is making a
program. JAA was designed to connect the company. However, “I’ve seen hun- resurgence,” according to Bonvenuto.
senior high school students to indus- ger in our employees’ eyes to do even “I see continued great opportunities for
try-specific training that mirrors the more,” he says. young people who want to have a career
apprenticeship experience. Students “We don’t rest on our laurels often,” in manufacturing. We are very, very op-
who successfully complete a special JAA he continues. “You’re never sure what timistic about the future of our markets,
curriculum and satisfy Oberg’s appren- is coming down the road in the next 12 our customers and our ability to contin-
ticeship entrance requirements will be months as most of our work is a high mix ue to grow.” mt

Riggs Industries
www.riggsindustries.com / Headquarters: Boswell, Pa. / Employees: 500 /
Northeast
Specialty: Steel design, fabrication and erection
All in One
vertically integrated
riggs industries can do it
all in-house.
by russ gager
Steel fabrication is a specialty that

relies on many different disciplines
such as design, engineering, detailing,
welding and painting. All of those are
offered by Somerset Steel Erection,
one of the companies of family owned
Riggs Industries.
“We fabricate for the steel and pow-
er industries,” says Daniel Riggs Jr.,
vice president of Somerset Steel Erec-
tion. “We do design work as well. We
do our own detailing and engineering
work and create drawings for the steel
industry. In Virginia, we do some ma-
rine-type work in the shipyards. We
do anything that is heavy industrial,
from steel to power to coal to chemi-
cal and paper companies.”
Somerset Steel Erection fabricates
conveyors, bins, platforms, access
ladders and material-handling struc-
tures. “We build platforms and fix-
tures to support submarine and air-
craft carrier work,” Riggs says. “We
work in paper mills and various other riggs industries fabricates
products for the steel and
industries and perform plant mainte- power industries.
nance and build platforms, ladders,
and various other structures. All of Somerset Steel Erection’s some automatic CNC equipment,
“We also manufacture coal sample welders are AWS certified. “We all such as burn tables and plasma cut-
systems in Somerset, Pa.,” Riggs con- have the qualifications,” Riggs de- ters,” Riggs says. The machines op-
tinues. “We’ll take a sample of coal clares. “We can deal in any type of erate from 3-D modeling programs
out of a truck or rail car, and the cus- metal – aluminum, steel or stainless the company’s three designers and 15
tomer can measure the quality using steel. Our fabrication facilities and to 20 detailers create. The detailers
our systems.” onsite erection is AISC-certified.” create close-up, detailed plans of how
Somerset Steel Erection fabricates fabricated steel connects.
structural steel for many different Automated and Manual The company’s latest equipment ac-
types of structures. The company has Building custom steel structures re- quisition is a CNC plasma beam line,
the ability to design, fabricate and de- quires a mix of automated and manual which is currently being installed.
tail most any structural steel project. manufacturing methods. “We do have It can make cuts and holes in a steel

Riggs Industries Northeast
meet the schedule more so than our competitors might.”

How quickly a project is turned around depends on the
size and scope of the project. “You can be looking at two
to three weeks or two to three months,” Riggs notes. “But
we definitely can take care of emergencies.”
Group of Companies
Riggs Industries says it is one of the largest and most
diverse family owned businesses in Somerset County,
Pa. It employs approximately 500 people and serves a
variety of industries including manufacturing (mining
equipment and specialty transportation solutions), con-
the company uses automatic cnc
struction, retail (distributor of industrial, agricultural
machines in its manufacturing
operations.
machinery and truck equipment) and custom welding
and fabrication.
beam in one pass. “It’s going to increase output and hope- Employees at Somerset Welding and Steel have exten-
fully lower costs,” Riggs forecasts. “We’re always adding sive experience in hydraulics, welding and fabricating
or trying to improve the technology we use.” Riggs esti- aluminum, steel, stainless and high hard steels. J&J Truck
mates the new machine represents a $1 million invest- Bodies and Trailers, a division of Somerset Welding and
ment and replaces an older, slower automated system. Steel, was established in 1958 and began by building
The company has its own shop painting facilities. “Our
paint capabilities are pretty much second to none in the
industry,” Riggs maintains. “We can put any coating on
in any of our shops. Exotic coatings go on some of these
steel products. In marine work or coal mining, they need
some pretty beefy or exotic coatings that we can do. We
can do pretty much any coating in-house; it gives us a
little bit of an edge in the industrial world.” Many of the
coatings are epoxy-based and ones that competitors
must have outside shops do for them.
Vertical Integration
Somerset Steel Erection works on projects on the East
Coast from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. It began
working on projects in Virginia three-and-a-half years
ago. “We’re regional, so we have different competitors
in different regions,” Riggs points out. “We are vertically
integrated more so than most of our competitors. On a
construction project, we might compete against a fabri-
cator, a different engineering firm and a different erector.
Someone else is painting it. We’re doing it all in-house.
It’s probably our biggest advantage, especially in indus-
trial work.”
This translates into time savings on many projects, as
well as value-engineering that can reduce costs. “We con-
trol the turnaround a lot better,” Riggs says. “We don’t
have to wait for a detailer to take on a project. We’re tak-
ing care of all of it. When it comes to scheduling, we can

Northeast Riggs Industries
steel dump bodies for coal haulers and These trailers come with many ready- the third generation of family manage-
farmers, the backbone of the economy at to-work specifications and options. ment. His father, Carl Daniel Riggs, is
that time. In 2007, J&J began manufacturing president of Somerset Steel Erection,
Over the years, the company expanded pressure vacuum tanks, which are most and his uncle, William Riggs, is presi-
its offerings to include a variety of trans- commonly used to haul brine water for dent of Somerset Welding and Steel.
portation equipment, certified welding the natural gas industry. The company “Being that we’re family owned, we’ve
and fabrication services for companies also upfits mechanic service trucks, crane always been a tightly knit group,” Riggs
with mines and quarries, power plants, bodies, lubrication trucks, winch trac- says. “Our philosophy is slow, steady
oil and gas drilling and general construc- tors, snow and ice equipment and wet growth and trying to satisfy our custom-
tion. Its products includes dump bod- line kits. It specializes in hydraulics and ers to the best of our ability. We’re always
ies for light-duty chassis or heavy-duty specialty fabrication of truck equipment. looking to grow the company and contin-
trailers for rock hauling or demolition Riggs estimates the companies have ue forward as a family company.” mt
and excavation work. more than 260,000 square feet of man-
By the early 1980s, J&J began manufacturing space among their five shops Flexospan Steel Buildings, Inc. Since 1969, Flexo-
ufacturing transfer trailers for solid in Somerset, Pa., Cumberland, Md., and span Steel Buildings, Inc. has manufactured commercial
and industrial steel roofing and siding in Sandy Lake,
waste, agricultural, recycling and mu- Williamsburg, Va. Approximately half Pennsylvania. Flexospan specializes in heavy gauge material
nicipal applications. The company man- the companies’ employees work in man- and finishes for industrial atmospheres. Flexospan also
manufactures self-storage building materials, custom
ufactures compaction, live floor, tipper, ufacturing and are trained in-house. pre-engineered steel buildings, structural components
and accessories. Flexospan is honored to have supplied its
steel lightweight and push-out trail- All of Riggs Industries’ companies are products to Riggs Industries for over 20 years.
ers for commercial and municipal use. family owned and managed. Riggs is in

Vinylmax LLC
www.vinylmax.com / 2014 sales: Approximately $40 million / Headquarters: Hamilton, Ohio /
Northeast
Employees: 250 / Specialty: Custom replacement windows and doors
Window
Masters
vinylmax has optimized
its manufacturing with
the latest technology.
by alan dorich
For more than three decades,

Vinylmax LLC has prospered by pro-
viding quality products at reasonable
prices with quick lead-times. “Every
window that we make is pressed and
manufactured for someone’s wall
[within] three days,” President Laura
Doerger-Roberts says.
Based in Hamilton, Ohio, Vinylmax
sells replacement windows and doors
to distributors. Doerger-Roberts’ fa-
ther, CEO Jim Doerger, co-founded
the company in 1982. With a staff of
only five people, the company made
light commercial and residential alu-
minum windows.
“As vinyl became more industry
accepted, they were one of the first
vinylmax became one of the
manufacturers of vinyl windows in earliest manufacturers
to concentrate on vinyl
the ‘80s,” Doerger-Roberts says. “The windows in the 1980s.
product became known as ‘Vinylmax.’”
Today, the company is still fami- Wise Investments The company also is investing in
ly owned and employs a staff of 250. Vinylmax invests strongly in its man- more automation from Sturtz Ma-
Although Vinylmax’s market can be ufacturing, Doerger-Roberts says. chinery Inc., Doerger-Roberts adds.
incredibly competitive, “We’re well “We put our money behind the things “This equipment will weld all four
known for our commitment to ‘Made that make the true difference in the corners of a window frame together,”
in the USA’ products and our fast lead- quality of the product,” she says. she says.
time,” she says. This includes purchasing informa- “It all does it in an inline fashion,
The fast throughput is managed tion systems that integrate with and [requiring only] one operator instead
through the efforts of its flexible optimize its manufacturing systems. of seven,” she says. “It brings more
workforce and information systems, “We have virtually no work in process quality to the product and allows us to
Doerger-Roberts says. “We distrib- at the end of the day and no finished increase our capacity.”
ute from Denver to the East Coast goods storage,” she says. “That means Vinylmax also invested in an au-
and Minneapolis to Atlanta,” she the product being manufactured goes tomatic replenishment system that
says. “[We serve only] wholesale off the end of the production line and helps it maintain strong relationships
distributors in the building materi- goes onto the truck that’s about to be with its suppliers. “It is sending data
als industry.” shipped out.” directly to our vendors,” Doerg-

Northeast Vinylmax LLC
the company says it has some

A Fine Facility employees with more than
30 years of service.
Vinylmax operates from a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in
Hamilton, Ohio. “This custom facility was designed and built for efficient
production of thousands of high-end replacement windows each shift,” the
company says.
“From material receiving to delivery on our clean, covered dedicated fleet,
every part of the process has been optimized for quality.”
This includes its welding technology. “Multiple flexible manufacturing
lines are equipped with the latest in German equipment and technology,” Vi-
nylmax says. “Four-point fusion welders precisely align corners for perfectly
sized frames and sashes.”
The company also excels in its finishing. “With computerized workstations
highlighting the unique features of each custom window, our quality-con-
trolled finishing process ensures consistent quality and accuracy,” Vinylmax
states.
It also highlights its glass manufacturing. “With two high-speed glass lines,
Vinylmax proudly manufactures its own insulated glass units,” it says. “[Our]
state-of-the-art, fully automated line reduces contact imperfections, debris
and smudging.”
For example, the company’s key vinyl vendor in Pitts-
er-Roberts says. “Without those types of relation- burgh sends shipments to Vinylmax daily. “They work
ships, we wouldn’t be able to make such custom products overnight to build the truck that replenishes [us] day to
on a short lead-time.” day,” Doerger-Roberts says. “That represents 40 percent
of our inventory.”
Maintaining Continuity
Vinylmax’s associates are essential to its manufacturing,
Doerger-Roberts asserts. “We have people doing what
they do best, where eyes and thought are required,” she
says. “We’ve found that the product we make requires”
both humans and machines.
The company also has a very stable workforce, she
adds. “We have employees that just last week hit a 30-
year anniversary,” she says. “They have been important
to the continuity of our products.”
Avoiding Accidents
Vinylmax strives to maintain a safe operation. “We’ve
gone more than a million hours without a worker’s acci-
dent,” Doerger-Roberts says.
Vinylmax is proud of this accomplishment, especially
considering the number of tasks its workers take on daily.
“We are cutting, manufacturing and handling thousands
and thousands of pieces of glass every day,” she says.
“We’re screwing locks and other hardware onto the
product,” Doerger-Roberts says. “It’s an environment
that’s ripe for injury.”
But Vinylmax has managed this feat by integrating
safety into its culture, Doerger-Roberts says. “Our
plant manager and our assistant plant manager care
abut their employees and care about [their] safety,” she

Vinylmax LLC Northeast
says. “We really started tracking the of Manufacturing Dave Doerger and er-Roberts asserts. “We’ve got a lot
impact that safety has on the morale Information Technology Manager of time, a lot of vision and we aren’t
of the workforce.” Mark Doerger. afraid of hard work. We also have a
The company also increased em- “We’re very determined and very lot of good managers under us that
ployee training and incentives. engaged with the business,” Doerg- are doing the right thing.” mt
“Safety and quality are hand in hand
at the top of our list of values and our
core commitments,” she says.
Passion for the Business

Doerger-Roberts started working
for Vinylmax in her teen years and
did accounting for the company. She
joined the family business full time
after graduating from college in 1993.
She is proud of the company’s com-
mitment to its values, particularly
during the recent recession. “We
watched many of our competitors
abandon their philosophy and use
desperate measures to get business,”
Doerger-Roberts recalls. “We were
able to come through all of that not
only by staying true to our core values,
but we also had significant growth
during the economic downturn.”
Vinylmax expects to grow by 35
percent this year by expanding into
new markets and through the addi-
tion of its Idea product line and its
Edison flagship product, which have
been well received by its customers.
“Our reputation for quality and [fast]
delivery hasn’t failed us yet,” she says.
The company also will continue
growing under the second gener-
ation of the Doerger family. Along
with Doerger-Roberts, the team
includes Vice President of Opera-
tions Craig Doerger, Vice President
Guardian Industries Corp. salutes Vinylmax

Windows on their commitment to high quality products,
manufacturing excellence, safety and continuous growth.
Guardian has been providing high performance glass
products, including Guardian ClimaGuard® low-E coated
glass, clear float glass, heat treated glass and pattern glass,
to Vinylmax Windows for almost 10 years.
Visit: guardian.com/residential

Arrowhead Industries Corp.
www.arrowhead-ind.com / Headquarters: Cleveland / Employees: 60 / Specialty: Core metal
Northeast
manufacturing for automotive weather-seal
arrowhead industries says its

in-house capabilities give it an
edge over its competitors.
Seal Tight ing coils of different grade and gauge

combinations. We might have 150 dif-
ferent products, but only 15 or so dif-
arrowhead industries specializes in core metal for ferent grades and gauges. We can buy
automobile weatherseals. by russ gager wide master coils of material and slit
them, so we can stay leaner and react
more quickly as we get orders. We also
Without Arrowhead Industries the rubber so they are not seen by have a bit of horizontal integration by
Corp.’s products, the flexible rubber the average consumer. The core met- having our own tool room where we
and plastic weatherseals that keep air al inserts can be manufactured from make and maintain the vast majority
and water out of automobile doors, win- cold-rolled, stainless or electrogalva- of our machining and tooling.”
dows and trunks would simply fall off nized steel, aluminum and all types of Arrowhead Industries Corp. has
the flanges. “Our products give weath- adhesive-coated steel and aluminum. always made its own manufactur-
erseal the structural integrity to grasp They are manufactured from coils of ing equipment. “Our lancing equip-
onto the flange of the car door or trunk aluminum or steel that are slit by Ar- ment – which manufactures the vast
or any areas that weatherseal goes on,” rowhead instead of by a supplier. majority of our products – is all cus-
CEO and owner Alex Scovil explains. “Of our competitors in North tom-made in our Cleveland plant,”
Arrowhead’s lanced and stamped America, I believe we’re the only one Scovil continues. “We also make our
metal carriers for rubber and plas- that has slitting in-house,” Vice Pres- own winding equipment, which takes
tic weatherseals and glass run and ident Alec Scovil maintains. “We also the material from the line and winds
trim products are extruded by Tier have a bit of vertical integration. We it onto spools.” The company offers
1 weatherseal manufacturers inside can keep our inventory low by buy- returnable and disposable spools.

Arrowhead Industries Corp. Northeast
Single-minded Dedication have been here longer than 20 years, from within. “Several of our manag-
Scovil emphasizes that Arrowhead and lots of our improvements have ers started on the production floor
Industries specializes in a single type come from their experience and the and now are managers in our front
of product. “Where we differentiate suggestions of those employees.” office,” Scovil says.
ourselves from our competitors is The company believes in promoting Because Arrowhead Industries
that we service our ccustomers and
react more rapidly than our compet-
itors do,” Scovill asserts. “A big rea-
son for that is we are the only one of
our competitors that concentrates
strictly on these metal inserts or car-
riers, while for our competitors, that
is one of the several product lines
they have. Our entire company is fo-
cused on making sure that we react
quickly and get high-quality product
to our customer on time.”
Sometimes employees of Arrow-
head Industries Corp. provide de-
sign-for-manufacturability input.
“We get the designs from our cus-
tomers, but they work hand-in-hand
with us as they look for new and bet-
ter ways to do things,” Scovil says.
“The final design comes from the
customer. We advise them on what
we think the design should be like
and how it will best work in their spe-
cific application.”
Scovil emphasizes that the exper-
tise in product design and manu-
facturing of Arrowhead Industries
comes from its employees. “Our ex-
pertise comes from experience,” he
stresses. “We’re not inventing the
design. We tweak existing designs in
order to improve their performance
in specific applications.”
Arrowhead Industries’ engineer-
ing manager is in charge of the com-
pany’s tool room. “Another part of
our competitive advantage is our
employees,” Scovil continues. “Sev-
eral operators and set-up people
Metal Koting is a proud supply partner to Arrowhead

Industries. Our success in the marketplace is driven by
a shared vision of innovative products and responsive
customer service.

Northeast Arrowhead Industries Corp.
use up to 50 percent less raw material.

Arrowhead Industries has a
70,000-square foot plant with two
slitting lines, nine stamping lines,
11 lance and stretch lines and a tool-
room and warehouse at its headquar-
ters in Cleveland. That plant is ISO/
TS 16949:2009-certified. Its plant in
Mexico, which has three lance lines,
measures 26,000 square feet and is
ISO 9001:2008-certified. By the end
of this year, Scovil anticipates having
a manufacturing facility in the Shang-
hai, China area.
He estimates approximately 75
percent of the company’s business is
in the United Staes and Canada and
most of the rest in Mexico, although
the company also ships to customer
the company says it produces
locations in Brazil and China. Approx-
hundreds of millions of feet imately 95 percent of its business is
of carriers every year.
for the automotive industry.
manufactures its tools in-house, Arrowhead Industries’ annual pro- For the future, Arrowhead Indus-
it can offer its customers several ad- duction is in the hundreds of millions tries plans to diversify its product
vantages. “We have much shorter of feet of carriers. “Our lines can pro- lines and customers, especially since
lead times than our competitors do,” duce product at up to 750 feet per its move of many of its products to
Scovil declares. “We can react quickly minute,” Scovil asserts. Each spool lancing has freed up the company’s
and shift around priorities in our tool- typically holds approximately 20,000 stamping lines. “We have experience
room. If something is urgent, we can feet of product. “We sell by the foot – using high-speed presses and carbide
make it immediately. Because we have different designs use different quanti- dies and maintaining them, which
some flexibility – we have nine stamp- ties to fill out a spool,” he says. is something that a lot of stampers
ing lines, 11 lancing lines and two slit- might not have,” Alex Scovil points
ters at our Cleveland facility – we can Production Line out. “We will be looking to find a mar-
slit the material that day and produce Metal that was slit to width in-house ket that can use that type of capability.
the product and have material ready in is sent through lancing equipment, It would be outside the weatherseal
one shift because we have such verti- where it goes through rotary-style market and possibly outside the auto-
cal integration.” cutters and is pulled through coin- motive market.”
Lead times vary based on whether a ing and/or flat rollers to produce its Alec Scovil emphasizes the family
product requires new tooling or unusu- design. Then it is oscillate-wound di- culture of Arrowhead, which is family
al raw materials. “If we get a drawing rectly onto spools. Stamping presses owned and managed and also employs
that needs 100 percent new tooling but also can be used to produce the carri- several groups of family members.
uses standard raw material, we say two ers, but it is a slower process, running “We’re a customer-centric business,”
to five weeks delivery to the customer from 50 to 100 feet per minute. Arrow- he emphasizes. “We have long and
for sample quantities, but typically, we head Industries offers stamping for strong relationships with our cus-
can deliver it before that,” Scovil says. carrier designs that cannot be lanced, tomers and suppliers. We’ll bend over
“If the customer specifies non-stan- but it has been able to convert most backwards to make sure we get our
dard raw materials, lead times can in- carriers that previously were stamped customers whatever they need when
crease to 12 weeks or more.” into lanced ones. Lanced designs also they need it.” mt

Pernix Therapeutics
www.pernixtx.com / Revenue: $120 million / Headquarters: Morristown, N.J. /
Northeast
Employees: 250 / Specialty: Pharmaceuticals
Acquiring Assets
pernix therapeutics has implemented a number of
improvements to focus on growth. by janice hoppe
pernix therapeutics has a

About the only thing that has not strong portfolio of primary
care, specialty and generic
changed at Pernix Therapeutics ver- medications.
sus a year ago is its name. “Under the
new leadership, we radically changed
the company and brought in a very ex-
perienced management team to take
it to the next level,” COO Terry Novak
says. “Silenor was the hidden gem in
sleep medicine and was just the be-
ginning in building a central nervous
system company.”
Pernix Therapeutics’ portfolio of
specialty, primary care and gener-
ic medicines drives its overarching
strategy to maximize value for its
key stakeholders. The Morristown,
N.J.-based company employs a lean
operating model with focused and
disciplined execution that allows it to
pursue growth opportunities both or-
ganically and through selective acqui-
sitions. Pernix Therapeutics’ mission
is to identify, develop and commer-
cialize specialty products that exceed
the expectations of patients, custom-
ers and shareholders.
Over the past year, Pernix Thera-
peutics has realigned its salesforce,
added sales representatives and built
first-class marketing and supply chain
teams. “Focus is the reason for our
success,” according to Novak.
“We eliminated a lot of distractions
in the company,” he adds. “Originally,
it was four different companies with
different product lines and the sales-
force wasn’t cross-trained to sell all
the branded products. So we got to
work to quickly focus the salesforce
on key products while our operations
team took a razor sharp focus on

Northeast Pernix Therapeutics
the company says it has

realigned its internal
structure to ready itself
for growth in the future.
streamlining processes and opti-

mizing resources.”
Focusing on Supply
Two of Pernix Therapeutics’ biggest
challenges over the past year have
been getting the right contracts in
place with adequate coverage to en-
sure patient access and transitioning
the supply chain to ensure security of
supply for all of its products.
One of the first initiatives at Pernix
Therapeutics was to identify and pri-
oritize the core products to focus on
and to develop exemplary operational
standards not only for Pernix, but also
for its suppliers. “I am a big believer in
scorecards to measure performance,”
Novak adds. “Now we have a number
of quality and supply metrics stan-
dards in place to measure our success
and the success of our partners.”

Pernix Therapeutics Northeast
“we will continue to strive

to maximize the utility of our
existing products for appropriate
patients and acquire new
products.” - Terry Novak
Prior to the new management team taking control of
Pernix Therapeutics in February 2013, there was no con-
nection between sales and the supply chain. The compa-
ny quickly implemented an inclusive sales and operations
planning process with monthly meetings that involve
all areas of senior management. “There is a connection
now across sales, operations, supply chain and so on.
Transparency is imperative in ensuring the successful
execution of any product delivery,” Novak adds. “We put its safety profile, that could be approved and launched as
short- and long-term visibility into our forecast, greatly early as 2019. ”We will continue to strive to maximize the
improving efficiency, cost and product supply.” utility of our existing products for appropriate patients
Every product supply is different based on any number and acquire new products, adding value for our share-
of factors, but the company provides its suppliers with holders and customers,” Novak says. mt
thorough and accurate forecasts with enough lead-time
to ensure it will have the right amount of product when
it is needed. Treximet, for example, has a higher level of
stock on-hand because it is made in the United Kingdom,
requiring greater lead-times and preparation for contin-
gencies such as customs delays.
Future Focus
Pernix Therapeutics recently acquired the Zohydro ER,
an extended-release opioid agonist indicated for the
management of chronic severe pain. Pernix recently
launched the second generation of the Zohydro ER with
BeadTek and is in the research and development stage of
a third generation expected to be available in 2019. “The
business development team is looking at other pain as-
sets to acquire, as well as products in adjacent therapeu-
tic areas that are a strategic fit with our current portfo-
lio,” Novak notes.
Pernix Therapeutics is focusing on the continued in-
crease in sales of the core promoted brands: Treximet,
Zohydro ER with BeadTek and Silenor. “We are eager to
show our shareholders and investors that we can success-
fully acquire and grow specialty products,” Novak says.
Moving forward, Pernix Therapeutics will increase its
R&D spend in areas focused on lifecycle management.
With Silenor, for example, Pernix is working with the
FDA to solidify a development path to take Silenor from
a prescription to an over-the-counter medication, due to

Weiler Corp
Chris Weiler, CEO and President: “Innovation is not only about product, it’s also about the process.” Northeast
weiler corp. is recognized as 26 years ago, bringing the first flap disc
a leader in metal finishing
solutions for a variety of to the North American market with the
markets.
Tiger Disc, a product that grinds and
blends metal. Weiler’s products, which
are used to clean, grind, and finish
welds, now mainly serve the industrial
production and welding and fabrica-
tion markets. The constant challenge
is to help customers improve their own
product quality and productivity, CEO
and President Chris Weiler says.
Involving Customers
To meet those customer needs, Weiler
is soon launching its newest version of
the Tiger Disc, called the Tiger X. The
high performance flap disc features
industry-first X3 technology that com-
bines an advanced anchoring system,
dual flap design and engineered back-
ing, which provides a more aggressive
cut rate and lasts 50 percent longer
than the previous model.
“Weiler takes pride in involving
end users in product development,”
Modern
Chris Weiler says. “Innovation is not
only about product, it’s also about
the process.”
Manufacturer
weiler corp. is transforming its headquarters to
The company dedicates time to in-
terviewing customers and end users
to learn how they use products and
what challenges they experience.
Weiler then marries those needs with
foster collaboration. by tim o’connor the latest technology and produc-
tion experience to drive new prod-
For much of its history, Weiler will soon look more the part of a ma- uct solutions. Tiger Paw itself was a
Corp. has been viewed as a tradi- jor tech player. “It’s something you result of this process, Chris Weiler
tional manufacturing company. The would expect when you walk into the says, as Weiler engineers designed
description wasn’t so far off. After Google headquarters, as opposed to the flap discs after watching other
moving from New York’s Long Island a manufacturing company in the Po- discs grind edges and rip cloth while
in 1957, Weiler’s operation has been cono Mountains of Pennsylvania,” end users worked. The company also
nestled in rural eastern Pennsylvania, says Bill Dwyre, vice president of stra- partners side-by-side at the user lev-
where the company has built a highly tegic marketing. el to ensure the right products are
regarded reputation for power brush- Since being incorporated in 1944, the used on the right job.
es and abrasives. But with a recent company has become a leader in metal
rebranding and a multi-million dollar finishing solutions for a variety of mar- Global Expansion
investment in expanding its Cresco, kets. Weiler began with power brushes Weiler has worked with distributors
Penn., Headquarters, the company before expanding into abrasives about like Grainger and Affiliated Distrib-

Weiler Corp Northeast
utors to deliver products across the United States, but “we all get stuck on what we need to
now the company is entering the international market.
Weiler opened a manufacturing facility in Suzhou, Chi-
do every day. when we focus on the
na, in 2001 and has expanded its sales team with an office future, it gets everybody engaged.”
into Mexico. In 2013, the company purchased a bonded - Chris Weiler
abrasive business in Vinhedo, Brazil. The most recent ac-
quisition was part of a market entry strategy for Brazil, ongoing, several of those features are now in place and
as the country enforces large import duties and tariffs Chris Weiler says he has already noticed faster decision
on foreign companies. Now that Weiler has a footprint making among Weiler staff.
in the South American country, it can sell its full range of “I’m amazed at how this space has helped us to change
products to Brazilians. our behavior,” he adds.
The global strategy coincided with a rebranding effort The shift to a global company has made it an exciting
Weiler undertook last year. time to be around Weiler as the company sets aside its
“We were a little timid to talk about who we were and sleepy small-town image.
how we create value,” Chris Weiler said of the company’s “We’re lucky,” Chris Weiler says. “Not many compa-
prior message. nies go through a process of reinventing who they are or
Weiler now has its first new logo in 20 years and has looking at who they need to be moving forward.
renewed efforts to teach potential customers about its We all get stuck on what we need to do every day,” Wei-
products and range of services. The refresh has given ler continues. “When we focus on our future, it gets ev-
Weiler a more progressive look to match all of the other erybody engaged.” mt
advancements going on at the company.
Perhaps no change is more significant than the one go-
ing on inside Weiler’s headquarters. The first phase of a
facility expansion has increased factory floor space by 25
percent, which will allow Weiler to add more machines
to support future growth. The next step is underway and
aims to overhaul the building’s office space. Once the
renovations are complete in October, Weiler’s headquar-
ters will match a new corporate philosophy to encourage
discussion and innovation.
“We wanted to create an environment that helped to
facilitate collaboration,” Chris Weiler says.
The high cubicle walls and heads-down work Weiler val-
ued in the past don’t foster the creative environment the
company wants to build. The renovation will significantly
change the atmosphere, as departments that were once
separated – including information technology, human re-
sources, accounting and sales – will be mingled in one con-
tiguous space. Chris Weiler believes the seating shift will
allow employees to react faster to customer needs without
needing to bounce between distant departments.
Further, meeting rooms will be coated in a white
board-like paint, allowing workers to write ideas and
sketch plans on the walls. An in-house café also promises
to create more opportunities for employees to naturally
collaborate while a grandstand in front of a video wall
will be used for company presentations.
Although the expansion project at its headquarters is

Bliley Technologies
www.bliley.com / Projected 2015 revenue: $20 million / Headquarters: Erie, Pa. /
Northeast
Employees: 75 / Specialty: Low noise and low G-sensitivity frequency control products
If quartz is stimulated with an elec-

trical signal, it physically moves or
oscillates at a specific frequency de-
pending on its thickness, such as 100
million times per second or at 100
megahertz. Such frequencies are used
to set the timing for sophisticated
electronic devices and instruments.
Quartz Crystal Production

Producing quartz crystals requires
high levels of accuracy and cleanli-
ness. Bliley used to grow the synthetic
quartz stone itself but now purchases
it from a supplier. The quartz stone is
sliced into wafers on a slurry saw or
wire saw.
“When we get a stone, we have to
cut the stone up into wafers at a spe-
cific angle in reference to the seed in
bliley technologies the center of the stone,” Curtis ex-
manufactures cultured
quartz crystals and crystal plains. “Then you’re going to shape,
oscillators.
grind and polish them using special
Quartz Crystals lapping and polishing machines, mea-

suring their frequency the whole time
and looking for individual defects on
them. The thicker the quartz is, the
bliley applies the unique qualities of quartz to lower the frequency. The thinner the
aerospace and communications. by russ gager quartz, the higher the frequency.”
The crystal blanks are taken into
Cultured quartz crystals truly are to gravitational forces, such as are felt a clean room where the appropriate
the hearbeat of technology. Without in airplanes, rockets and missiles. plating mask is placed over them and
high-quality quartz crystals and the One use of Bliley’s product is to they are loaded into a vapor deposi-
crystal oscillators that utilize them, provide reliable Wi-Fi in airplanes. tion plater. It deposits gold or silver
all kinds of technology – GPS sat- “If a lot of people on a plane use Wi- onto the crystal’s blank surface under
ellites, television signals, magnetic Fi, it could be miserably slow because high vacuum. This process changes
resonance imaging machines, smart that plane is vibrating so badly, which the thickness of the crystal and thus
phones and even spacecraft headed to can cause a noisy timing signal,” Pres- its frequency. The crystals are then
Mars – would not function reliably. ident and CEO Dave Curtis explains. mounted on a base, after which a cold
Bliley Technologies designs and “The data packets have to have a per- weld process is used to hermetically
manufactures the cultured quartz fectly pure timing signal or they have seal the cap to the crystal base while
crystals and crystal oscillators used in errors and have to be retransmitted. If again under a high vacuum.
low noise frequency control devices. you test our oscillators in an aircraft, “This entire process takes six to
Its products are used in telecommu- they are so low-noise under vibration eight weeks from start to finish,” Cur-
nications, military radar and satellite that they can open up that bandwidth tis says. “You’ve probably got 50 steps.
and microwave communications. Bli- on the plane and provide a Wi-Fi con- If you don’t repeat those 50 steps exact-
ley’s expertise is in low phase noise nection that is much faster than the ly for that particular crystal you’re try-
under vibration and in low sensitivity plane had before.” ing to build every time, you’re going to

Bliley Technologies Northeast
have a quality issue. It’s like a chemical recipe. If you miss ask any electronics engineer how much of their curricu-
one step – if you don’t repeat the process exactly through- lum was based on crystal oscillators, you’re lucky if they
out that six weeks – you will have a failed unit. You’ll have had a chapter on it, and crystals would be nothing at all.
planned scrap depending on the part. You could have So what you’re looking for is an outstanding electronics
planned yields from 85 percent to 20 percent depending engineer who will welcome the challenge of complex RF
on the desired performance of the crystal you’re trying to and quartz crystal design.”
make. It wouldn’t be unusual to have 80 percent planned Although hundreds of companies manufacture some
scrap if you’re talking about a very precision unit.” Add- sort of crystal oscillator, only approximately 20 are di-
ing to the challenge is the fact that some portions of the rect competitors in Bliley’s niche. Curtis stresses that
process are done by hand, such as mounting a blank to its relationships with customers, vendors and employees
holder with tweezers under a microscope. are most important, along with flexibility. “The reason
I think Bliley has been around for 85 years is that we’ve
Oscillator Production been able to adapt to change,” Curtis says. “We used to
To build the oscillator, pick-and-place robots place hun- build a product here eight years ago that we would have
dreds of miniature components onto a printed circuit sold for $150. It’s built in China today for $30. So you’ve
board masked with solder paste. The board is then placed got to evolve and stay in contact with the customer. You
in a reflow oven that liquefies the paste and solders the need to determine what cutting-edge product they will
components to the board. The crystal is then hand- need in the future, and then win the race to deliver that
placed and soldered, after which the board is mounted in product. You have to be the one they look to first to satis-
hardware. Skilled technicians then fine-tune each unit, fy their requirement.” mt
utilizing high-tech test equipment that measures the
phase noise performance as well as many other electrical
parameters in the oscillators.
Improving yields and reducing scrap are the best way
to reduce crystal production costs. Bliley Technologies
emphasizes continuous improvement. Initiatives are un-
derway to improve blank cleanliness prior to plating as
well as improved angle control when cutting the quartz.
Innovative circuit design is the key to reducing labor
and lowering cost in the oscillator assembly and test
area. Bliley’s R&D efforts are continuing to innovate.
“You always want to make the oscillators lower-power,
smaller in size, with improved low G-sensitivity and low
phase noise performance, and, of course, all at a compet-
itive price,” Curtis emphasizes.
He estimates that the company produces on aggregate
approximately 20,000 crystals and oscillators monthly.
They are all custom-ordered. “We have standard prod-
ucts, but typically something is a little different on every
one,” Curtis says.
The average employee’s length of employment with
Bliley Technologies is 20 years, and the company ex-
periences little turnover except when employees re-
tire. “That is good, because both the crystal production
workers and our engineers are hard to replace,” Curtis
stresses. “This technology is not being taught in the uni-
versities or trade schools. This is learn-on-the-job. Our
crystal and oscillator engineers are very valuable. If you

Masline Electronics Inc.
www.masline.com / Headquarters: Rochester, N.Y. / Employees: 32 / Specialty: Electronic
Northeast
components / Jim Gerling, sales manager and co-owner: “We’re willing to invest into inventory.”
masline electronics has

been providing electrical
components for more than
80 years.
Family Business minal boxes, circuit breakers and re-

lays, capacitors and wire.
“Our strength is in stocking our
masline electronics plans to continue its legacy products,” Jim Gerling explains.
with e-commerce initiatives. by alan dorich “We’re willing to invest into inventory
for our customers.”
Its client base includes several
After more than 80 years, fami- ing radios and television sets. When Fortune 500 companies. “It’s anyone
ly owned Masline Electronics Inc. Masline died in 1964, his wife, Winona doing manufacturing of electrical
thrives by focusing on ethics and in- Masline, took leadership of the com- components,” he says, naming Xerox
tegrity, Sales Manager and co-owner pany and transitioned it into OEM Corp. and Welch Allyn as examples.
Jim Gerling says. “At the end of the electronic component sales in 1990. Masline Electronics also has grown
day, we may take a little longer to Masline passed away in 2011. “She by helping its customers through ven-
make a decision, but we make sure it’s worked until she was 98,” Gerling re- dor reduction and logistics programs.
a sound decision,” he asserts. calls, noting that he shares ownership “Our customers are trying to reduce
Based in Rochester, N.Y., the com- with his mother, Sheila Gerling, and their supplier base,” Gerling explains.
pany provides electronic compo- his uncle, Glenn Masline. “We’re doing a lot of sourcing of
nents, including custom assemblies. products to help them meet their fi-
Gerling’s grandfather, Ed Masline, Customer Focused nancial objectives,” he continues,
started Masline Electronics in 1932. Masline Electronics continues to sell adding that Masline Electronics looks
At first, it specialized in repair- components, including resistors, ter- at its clients’ buying programs to get

Masline Electronics Inc. Northeast
them products at better prices. “That’s been a huge area “when we learn something new
of growth for us since 2000.”
from a company, then we continually
Online Initiatives educate each other.” - Jim Gerling
Like many companies, Masline Electronics’ business
has been impacted by the Internet and the rise of e-com- “When one team wins, then the whole team wins,” he
merce. “People are doing more with less people,” Gerling says, noting that its workers do a great job educating each
says. “[Buyers also] want to buy online and don’t want to other. “When we learn something new from a company,
interface with people. then we continually educate each other and use those
“It’s really tough for a small company to invest into wins to go approach other customers.”
e-commerce and websites,” he says, adding that Masline Gerling predicts that more changes are ahead for
Electronics plans to have its own e-commerce presence Masline Electronics’ industry. “Regional distributors will
soon. “It should be done by the start of the third quarter. have to expand into different marketplaces to survive,
We have to adjust the final logistics of it.” even though they may not want to,” he states. “I see a lot
The company has upgraded its infrastructure so that of regional distributors dying by acquisition and some
its employees can work from home. This also serves as a larger distributors trying to get into specific markets.”
way to attract top talent, Gerling says. But e-commerce will continue to be strong, as it gives
For example, if an Iowa-based job candidate with in- customers the ability to receive products in 24 to 48
dustry contacts wanted to work from home, New York- hours. “Our customers will want to have [this] resource
based Masline Electronics could accommodate his or her of product at their fingertips,” Gerling says. mt
request. “I could figure out a way for him to work remote-
ly,” Gerling states.
Coping with Costs

Gas prices have dropped, but transportation costs still
represent one of Masline Electronics’ largest expenses as
a company. “It’s one of the biggest challenges we have,”
Gerling admits.
The company copes by buying smarter and in larger
volumes. “We’re consolidating our shipments,” he says.
“We used to have lines that were shipped to us every day.
Now we have them shipped three times a week.”
This is similar to the services Masline Electronics pro-
vides to its own clients. “It lowers transaction costs and
give us a larger volume so I don’t have to buy them so
often,” Gerling says, noting that the company also tries
to buy from one manufacturer when it can “so we have
more buying power.”
The company also looks at long-term projections. “If
our customers are looking at six-month windows, we
look at 12-month windows,” he says.
Win Wins
Gerling joined Masline Electronics in 1990 after working
for a manufacturing rep firm for three years. “I wanted
to understand the industry before I came into distribu-
tion,” he says, noting that he considers the company’s
staff to be family.

Rowley Spring & Stamping Co.
www.rowleyspring.com / Revenues: $12 million / Headquarters: Bristol, Conn. /
Northeast
Employees: 100 / Specialty: Wire and metal products
Springing into Action

rowley spring & stamping co. offers its diverse customer base a single
source for design and product manufacturing. by jim harris
rowley’s diversity has

helped it maintain steady
business over the years, the
company says.
You don’t have to look very far to and sights and grenade pull pins. The products are manufactured to cus-
find a product manufactured by Row- company is also a supplier of the parts tomer specifications.
ley Spring & Stamping Co. “We make used in the spring mechanisms of the Rowley staff can design tools based
springs and stampings for a number “popper” in Hasbro’s classic board on customer blueprints or sample
of different industries including mil- game Trouble. parts, then design and fabricate a part.
itary and defense, automotive, ap- This diversity has helped the com- The company also conceives quality
pliances and residential,” says John pany maintain steady business even and production plans. “There are doz-
Dellalana, president of the Bristol, during economic downturns. “We ens of metal manufacturing compa-
Conn.-based manufacturer. “You try to position ourselves as being as nies here in central Connecticut that
probably have a Rowley part in your recession-proof as possible,” Dellala- can make springs and stampings, but
car, home or business.” na says. “If there’s a downturn in de- what differentiates us is we’re like a
Rowley springs and stampings can fense, as there has been over the past one-stop shop: We not only can fabri-
be found in applications as diverse year, we have other markets that have cate parts, but also have a fully staffed
as car window mechanisms, electri- potential to backfill.” and fully equipped design team,” Del-
cal outlet contacts, firearm triggers The majority of the company’s lalana adds.

Rowley Spring & Stamping Co. Northeast
Above and Beyond The company also recently added upgraded its CNC wire
Rowley designs and fabricates products in a forming capabilities and is investing in high-speed spring
150,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that in- machines and inspection equipment including a new vi-
cludes more than 500 pieces of machinery including coil- sual scanner that can measure parts in just seconds.
ing machines, CNC machines, torsion machines, power The company’s family ownership and internal culture
presses and four-slide machines. The company also oper- have earned it the loyalty of employees, many of whom
ates small presses for secondary and finishing operations have been with the company for over 25 years. The aver-
including contouring and bending. age seniority is roughly 15 years. “I’m most proud of the
Lean manufacturing principles play a large role in the people here,” Dellalana says. “When I came here, I found
company’s operations, particularly where quality is con- it to be filled with people who know what they’re doing
cerned. “Companies typically gauge quality by defective and who have tons of manufacturing experience not only
parts per million, but it goes beyond that for us,” Dellala- across the industry, but here at the company.”
na says. “Our customers expect us to work with them if Rowley employees extend the company’s positive cul-
issues arise.” ture outward by participating in community training and
All of the company’s departments, and the manufac- employment programs. This includes a joint program
turing facility as a whole, measure a number of key per- with the Bristol Adult Board of Education which provides
formance indicators based around the metrics of quali- classroom training and hands-on experience in Rowley’s
ty, cost, delivery and safety. “We set aggressive goals for quality, four-slide and spring departments, taught by ex-
those and measure them constantly,” he adds. perienced Rowley experts. Each student graduates with
Dellalana has helped the company improve on its lean more than 70 hours of manufacturing experience. mt
methods since joining it in 2013. Before arriving at Row-
ley, he worked in engineering, operations and continuous
improvement positions for companies including Allied
Signal, BAE Systems and DRS technologies. Dellalana
has applied many of the things he learned from those
roles to his current position, and also partners with a
leading lean consultant, Leanovations, with whom he has
worked previously. The consultant conducts week-long
lean certification programs at Rowley’s manufacturing
facility, drawing people from throughout the Northeast.
Rowley is ISO 9001 certified and is pursuing AS9100
certification for aerospace-related products. The compa-
ny next year intends to pursue a certification for its work
in medical manufacturing.
Positive Teamwork
Quality has been a hallmark of the company since 1954,
when founder Stanley Bitel started the business in his
garage with a spring grinder, two coiler machines, four
torsion machines and 12 bench presses. Rowley relocated
its operations twice; first in 1960 and again in 1994 to its
current location. The company remains owned by Bitel’s
family. Bitel passed away May 22 at the age of 93.
“One of the nice things about this company is that it
is family owned, and the family is willing to invest in it,”
Dellalana says. Most recently, this included purchasing
new power press machines that are dedicated to tool de-
sign and development, freeing up production machinery.

lenox, a newell rubbermaid inc. brand
www.lenoxtools.com / Headquarters: East Longmeadow, Mass. / Employees: 900+ / Specialty:
Northeast
Saw blades and hand tools / Matthew Lacroix: “[We] make sure we’re helping the customers.”
and a strong desire to add value to

customers’ operations, Rooke says.
During both world wars, “They en-
dured shortages of critical raw materi-
als that made just getting through the
week a challenge,” he says. “Every step
of the way, they added waves of innova-
tion and expanded their product line to
better serve our customers.”
These included a line of hole saws in
1959. In 1965, American Saw purchased
an electron beam welder, enabling
them to be the first to produce Amer-
ican-made bi-metal band saw blades
in high volume production. LENOX
now offers the broadest portfolio of
bi-metal band saws, which comprise
the majority of the band saw market.
The offering further evolved to include
carbide tipped blades in 1985, which
lenox operates a 600,000-square-
are still growing at elevated rates.
foot, iso 9001-certified facility in Although the Davis family no longer
east longmeadow, mass. .
owns LENOX, the company employs
Best Saw Blades a number of families whose members

have long worked for it. “My own fam-
ily – between my siblings, my father,
lenox celebrates a 100-year legacy of helping cousins and extended relatives – have
130 years of service and counting,”
customers be more productive. by alan dorich Rooke says.
For more than a century, LENOX can Saw & Manufacturing Company The Right Combination
has set itself apart through innova- and marketed products under the LENOX has more than a 30 percent
tion and by doing more than merely trade name LENOX. share of its market, Lacroix says. “The
selling a product. “When we’re talking “They identified that the world way we’ve gotten there has really been
to plant managers and operations needed a good supply of high quality a combination of high-performance
managers, we try to deliver a solution hacksaw blades,” Senior National Ac- products and industry-leading ser-
that’s going to help them be more pro- count Manager Brian Rooke explains. vice,” he says.
ductive and increase the efficiency of “In a small, industrial building in Typically, LENOX’s sales team will
their sawing department,” Director of downtown Springfield, [Mass.], they consult with end-users and develop
Marketing Matthew Lacroix explains. began production.” an understanding of their applica-
Based in East Longmeadow, Mass., The company’s first product was tions and goals. “Some people want
LENOX designs, tests and manufac- a hand hacksaw blade that a century to cut longer or faster. Others want
tures industrial band and circular later, remains an integral part of LE- better part finish, so they require
saw blades, power tool accessories NOX’s product line. Eventually, own- less downstream processing on more
and hand tools. The company started ership of the firm was fully assumed costly operations,” he says.
operations in 1915, when entrepre- by the Davis family, which grew it LENOX then creates products for
neurs John Swanson, Carl Ericson through decades of investment, prod- that particular application. “Once the
and Carl Davis founded the Ameri- uct and manufacturing innovation, consultation is done, we have a Saw-

lenox, a newell rubbermaid inc. brand Northeast
ing Solutions Group that will come

into their facility, tune up their saw
and make sure that saw is in top work-
ing order so you can get the most out
of our tooling,” Lacroix says.
The company’s associates help in-
stall the blade, adjust sawing param-
eters, like the band speed and feed
rate, and walk through proper sawing
techniques, like blade break-in pro-
cedure. “[We] make sure we’re help-
ing the customers find the best per-
formance and achieve their cutting
goals,” Lacroix says.
This allows LENOX to provide an
“umbrella of selling solutions,” Vice
President of Sales Craig Vogel says.
“We think we’ve found something the
whole marketplace is calling for.”
the lenox max ct™ is a new product
in the company’s carbide band saw
Pushing Improvements blade category, suited for harder-
to-cut metals.
LENOX has invested strongly in its
capacity, productivity, quality and good news is we’re down that much, are harder, tougher and more durable
safety, Director of Operations Dave which helps us reinvest in other areas than a bi-metal blade.”
Robinson says. With more manufac- of the business,” Robinson says. LENOX offers the MAX CT carbide
turing operations requiring more LENOX is also coming off its best band saw blade, which has “ launched
products, “We’re getting pushed for year ever in terms of safety. “Last and is doing very well,” he reports.
time,” he admits. “The current man- year, we made nearly 10 billion tooth “We’re also launching Cast Master XL
ufacturing methodologies aren’t new tips,” Robinson says. “All it takes is this month, which will deliver superi-
to us, but the time frames we’re push- one to catch somebody. In 2007, we or performance in high-speed alumi-
ing to deliver at are. We’re pushing had 40 OSHA recordable accidents. num cutting applications.”
what we know and continue to get Last year, we had three.” LENOX also invested in technolo-
better at it.” gy to make these products, including
LENOX has gotten better by in- A Growing Segment a Vision System, which looks at every
vesting more than $100 million in LENOX recently invested $12.5 mil- carbide blade that leaves the facility,
its Massachusetts-based opera- lion in carbide band sawing technolo- Robinson says. “It tells us how we’re
tions and creating a strategic plan gy. “We’ve come out with several new doing, tooth by tooth,” he states.
to establish where it should be in products over the past year that are “We’ve also focused our product
the next three years. “[We broke] it really changing what we deliver to our engineers on the development of new
down into bite-sized chunks, main- customers,” Robinson says. “It bodes carbide products as well,” Lacroix adds.
ly focused on lean manufacturing well for everyone involved.” “Because of the aircraft being produced,
techniques,” he says. The company’s investment was we’re seeing more need for products
The company’s lean journey has driven by the carbide band segment’s like MAX CT, [with] more aggressive
enabled it to identify critical pieces of growth, Lacroix says. “They’re very tooth geometry and sharper teeth. The
equipment. By focusing on these bot- well suited for the harder-to-cut met- team at LENOX is laser focused on de-
tlenecks, LENOX has been able to in- als,” he says, noting that this trait livering products and services that help
crease throughput and drive invento- makes them ideal for aerospace and our end users increase the productivity
ry down in excess of 30 percent. “The automotive applications. “Carbides of their sawing operations.” mt

GTI Spindle Technology
www.gtispindle.com / Revenues: $11 million / Headquarters: Manchester, N.H. / Employees: 52 / Northeast
Specialty: Spindle repair, predictive technology
“We had to convert the analog sig-

nal from the sensor to digital in order
to interpret the data,” Hoenig says.
“We designed a data-acquisition de-
vice to do this. It worked through the
USB port of a computer, and we were
able to also use the dock port of the iP-
hone. Once we designed the data-ac-
quisition box, we were able to input
this data to any computer device.”
The company experimented with
the iPhone and liked the touch inter-
face and Internet connectivity, “but
our feelings were a phone would not
be taken seriously in the market,”
Hoenig says.
“The iPhone’s small screen made
it difficult to navigate complicated
data,” Hoenig adds. “Four years later,
gti spindle technology is
leveraging new technology people may have a different opinion.
to provide more responsive
service to its customers. But at the time, we just felt a phone
connected to a precision accelerome-
Timing is Key ter would not be taken seriously.”

Instead, GTI decided to move for-
ward using a small laptop computer, a
the launch of an ipad-based predictive technology decision it abandoned the following day
tool leads to a company’s evolution. by bob rakow when the iPad’s launch was announced.
“That evening, we all saw the news of
Timing can be everything when it pany had an immediate need for new Steve Jobs introducing the new iPad,”
comes to a company’s success. GTI Spin- equipment at its rebuild facilities as Hoenig recalls. “It hit us like a brick
dle Technology is one such example. well as for onsite customers. wall. We all talked the next day and de-
The 18-year-old company got its “Everything that we tried to pur- cided to move ahead full force with Ap-
start repairing and rebuilding spin- chase at that time was in excess of ple’s new invention.”
dles for the machine tool industry at $30,000 and extremely complicated The application was called Signal
three locations in the United States to use,” says Tom Hoenig, co-owner Scope Pro. It later was customized
and remains active in that market. and president. “The equipment also and named VibePro.
But nearly five years ago, the company was burdened with extremely expen-
launched a new division, GTI Predic- sive annual software licensing and Full Solutions
tive Technology, which focuses on de- updates. Our disappointment with Choosing the iPad as a platform for
livering predictive maintenance tech- the selection and cost of new analyz- GTI’s predictive technology solution
nology tools to a variety of industries, er equipment led us to write our own helped define GTI Predictive Technol-
including manufacturing, construc- software and build our own device on ogy. “It’s what makes us unique,” Hoe-
tion, healthcare and agriculture. a laptop computer.” nig says. “It’s what makes us different.
The new division was born out of The company’s first step was find- We’re not just another rebuilder of
GTI’s desire to eliminate the heavy ing a way to get precision sensors spindles – we’re a solutions company.”
cost and complexity of vibration anal- to communicate with a computer. Indeed, the company’s solution
ysis and balancing equipment and Achieving that goal was a big step in brings together the simplicity of an
technology. Additionally, the com- the company’s future. iPad and the power of custom-built

GTI Spindle Technology Northeast
accessories and applications, transform- The advantages of using an iPad rather with unplanned downtime, particularly
ing the tablet into the first wirless vibra- than a dedicated electronic measuring during critical times of high production.
tion analyzer and balancer. The program device are significant as well. They in- The program also helps reduce repair
can predict when a machine tool spindle clude ease of use, a common operating costs on a spindle that breaks without
might fail or deviate from set tolerances. system, multiple sensors and applica- warning. That’s a huge benefit for large
Additionally, GTI’s extensive application tions on a single device, portability and organizations that previously had to
library extends beyond what typical pre- durability and wireless connectivity. have a data analyst at every location.
dictive maintenance systems offer, Hoe- These advantages offer significant ben- Now, a single analyst can review data
nig says. efits to maintenance professionals who from all sites remotely.
The benefits of GTI’s predictive main- discover an asset that requires attention. Hoenig says the system is easy to use,
tenance program are numerous and For example, data is no longer uploaded and GTI provides in-person or video
include decreased downtown, higher to a computer. Rather, the information training. “We’ve only the chance to dip
production rates, maintaining closer tol- is collected on the Internet-connect- our toe in the water,” he says. mt
erances, avoiding unneeded repairs and ed device and sent to the cloud so that
cost savings, Hoenig says. The iPad sys- appropriate individuals will receive it. Suprock Technologies, LLC provides advanced
engineering solutions for technology companies like GTI
tem is designed to work with a wide array Information also can be emailed or text- Predictive Technology, Inc. Their expertise includes sensor
of applications, including a vibration an- ed. “We’re the first company to launch a systems, electrical and mechanical design, specializing in
dynamics monitoring solutions. With extensive applications
alyzer, a machine certification and condi- wireless application,” Hoenig says. experience, Suprock Tech can build reliable custom sensor
tion tool, a balancing assistant and a shaft Knowing when a spindle requires re- systems for the most brutal environments. Please visit www.
suprocktech.com or call 207-200-7193 for more information.
alignment interface in a 3-D environment. pair is a preferred alternative to dealing

Global Precision Parts Inc.
www.globalprecisionparts.com / Revenues: $35 million / Headquarters: Van Wert, Ohio /
Northeast
Employees: 185 / Specialty: Custom-machined parts
global precision parts is

preparing to grow organically
and through acquisition in the
coming years.
Staying Together helps assure the quality of the compa-

ny’s parts.
Global Precision Parts’ quality pro-
global precision parts relies on quality processes cesses have earned it an ISO 9001 cer-
to provide custom-made products. by jim harris tification, with a TS 16949 certifica-
tion anticipated before the end of the
year. The company produces custom
Global Precision Parts’ products from the moment they hit the dock, and standard machine parts such as
may be small, but they play a big role with no need for our customers to in- quick-disconnect couplers, steering
in securing the critical components of spect them,” he adds. shafts and plugs used by manufactur-
cars, agricultural equipment and oth- The company uses sorting ma- ers serving the automotive, fluid pow-
er large pieces of equipment. Because chines manufactured by Mectron to er, HVAC, industrial equipment and
of this, the company’s customers ex- visually inspect most of the parts that other markets.
pect its products to be of a high qual- leave its three manufacturing facili- The company operates three man-
ity and ready to use from the moment ties. Statistical process control soft- ufacturing facilities. Plants in Otto-
they are received. ware manufactured by Altegra also ville, Ohio, and East Liberty, Ohio,
“Our customers expect zero defec- allows Global Precision Parts to mea- manufacture parts to specific custom-
tive parts per million and 100 percent sure and verify quality at each of its er blueprints. A plant in Wabash, Ind.,
on-time delivery,” according to Randy production machines. “We can catch a manufactures standard products
Mueller, president of the Van Wert, variation in a part before it happens,” used in the tube fabricating industry
Ohio-headquartered company. Mueller says. A quality laboratory such as standard cap nuts, tube nuts
“Our products go right to stock with gauges and other equipment also and tube sleeves. Global Precision

Global Precision Parts Inc. Northeast
Parts also has joint venture facilities in Asia where parts Aggressive Expansion
are made based on the same policies and procedures that The company remains family owned and managed. “Be-
the company uses in its domestic facilities. ing a family owned business is very important to us, and
we really promote a family culture across the organiza-
Manufacturing Capabilities tion,” Mueller says.
Quality has long been a focus for the company, which Expansion is a high priority for the family and compa-
dates its origins back to the early 1980s. The Ottoville fa- ny. Global Precision Parts employs an aggressive sales
cility – which was formerly a machining company, Acme strategy that has seen the company take on 150 to 300
Machine Automatics – was purchased in 1993. The Wa- new parts per year for the past several years. The compa-
bash facility was acquired in 2000. The company used ny’s sales strategy will bring it to the FABTECH confer-
the Acme Machine Automatics name until 2006, when it ence in Chicago in November. “We go out there looking
acquired the East Liberty facility and began serving the for customers,” he adds, noting the munitions market as
global marketplace. one target industry.
The company uses a variety of CNC and other ma- Growth through acquisition also remains a goal for
chines to manufacture parts. The manufacturing process the company. In addition to the Wabash and East Liberty
begins with Global Precision Parts’ Advanced Quality facility acquisitions, the company has made roughly five
Product Planning team, which conducts a comprehen- acquisitions within the past 10 years that have increased
sive planning and design process upon receipt of each its market and product reach.
new part order. “We are not afraid to invest and grow that way,” Muel-
Global Precision Parts designs the majority of the tool- ler notes. mt
ing used for its parts, and uses high-speed tooling in man-
ufacturing. “We make 70 percent of our own tooling rath-
er than purchasing it from the outside,” Mueller says.
The company is capable of manufacturing 2,500 differ-
ent SKUs, making quick changeovers a necessity. Rough-
ly 70 different manufacturing line set-ups are performed
each week in Global Precision Parts’ facilities.
Global Precision Parts works closely with its custom-
ers as well as its suppliers to ensure rapid turnaround of
inventory. Some parts are inventoried based on demand,
while others are produced on a daily basis for certain cus-
tomers based on forecasts. The company also receives
raw materials on a just-in-time basis based on need. In-
ventory is turned over between nine to 10 times annually.
All of the company’s manufacturing, inventory and
procurement processes are heavily influenced by lean
methodologies. A lean coordinator regularly leads
lean-related projects and initiatives.
Global Precision Parts’ focus on lean manufacturing
and overall manufacturing efficiency allow it to quick-
ly respond to customers’ needs. The company is often
called upon to provide additional parts to customers who
have delivery difficulties with offshore or other suppli-
ers. “We’ve tooled up quickly, brought in materials and
worked around the clock and helped our customers’ lines
not go down when that’s happened,” Mueller adds. “We
will burn the midnight oil to help our customers meet
their customer requirements.”

LAST PAGE | JULY/AUGUST 2015
Strength in Numbers
dewys manufacturing began as a one-man operation out of a red barn in
western michigan and is now one of the leading sheet metal fabricators in
the midwest. see page 108 for more information.
B UY AMERICAN
SILVEX INC.
M ANAGEMENT
T ECHNOLOGY
A CCOUNTING
M ARKETING
C ONTENTS
L AST PAGE
E CONOMY
D IALOGUE
EASTEC
N EWS

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S PACE TECH EXPO 2015

PHOENIX MEDIA CORPORATION

JULY/AUGUST 2015 manufacturing-today.com 1

Space Tech Expo

On The Cover > Northeast

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profiles > 70. Detroit Chassis LLC

72. AMI Manchester

74. Katecho Inc.

78. ZTECH Precision

ZTECH Precision provides a variety of ma-

80. their entire component manufactured in

West 44. Reuland Electric 80. Trinity Products

29. Micro Metals Inc. Midwest 84. Rembrandt Foods

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100. Lacks Enterprises

102. Hawker Well Works

108. DeWys Manufacturing

117. Advanced Control Systems

120. Honda of South Carolina Mfg. Inc.

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180. Arrowhead Industries Corp. 190. Masline Electronics Inc.

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category by stating that it is most

Category: Clothing concerned about fishing weights _________

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Why Operational Excellence

Even after 25 years of Lean discus-

sions and efforts to implement it,

there is no industry wide standard of

measuring and comparing excellence

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ternational decathlon champion, you turnover gets at launch)

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More With Less And while the thought of identifying

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business owners need to take into

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redundancies will pay off 10-fold in

Gain insight from

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Patriot Games: Getting

Spending millions on lobbyists is

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even to government staffers. That for getting action on their political

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quirement trends. There were more

NASA and its partners on the status

that the Commercial Crew program

sion from Boeing. SpaceX, which suc-

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