Within its first year, with this advanced equipment, the company went from offering only nonstructural framing products across two gauges to offering nonstructural, structural, and accessory framing products across eight gauges at speeds of three hundred feet per minute. It also expanded to a second location, allowing space for its first truck in what would become a formidable fleet.

Eventually, the company strategically moved from its initial location in Bensenville, Illinois, due to expansion by the nearby O’Hare Airport, in favor of a location in Gary, Indiana next to the owners’ toll processing company. This move gave MRI more space at a lower cost and greater proximity to its partner organization. In the past few years, with the support of the founders and, beginning in 2019, two private equity firms, the company grew even further, by adding considerable resources that fueled its expansion to this day.

Over the years, MRI has grown by purchasing more trucks and more machinery and increasing its product range. Its products are used in the construction of multi-family housing, data centers, hospitals, and warehouses.General Manager and Vice President Mark Krzyszton observes that there are many booming sub-industries within the construction space, and the company still has a good amount of commercial housing projects, as well as partnerships with various customer types in different regions. The company has strategic alliances with large contractors and sells products to nationwide distribution yards, panelizers, and even other framing manufacturers in the country.

What matters to MRI are the people who will end up working with the products. “If the end user is happy with the product and the service, then everybody is happy. We strive to go the extra mile with our order accuracy, product packaging, and quality. We want to solve problems and manufacture products that are easy and efficient to work with,” Krzyszton says.

The flexibility of its machinery and how it goes to market is what makes MRI stand out in a field as dense as construction. Vice President of Sales Larry Hybert asserts that all the company’s equipment is high-speed and technologically outperforms anything else on the market. The flexibility of these pieces allows for quick reaction to the custom orders called in by its customers, and MRI’s proximity to its sister company that processes steel coil makes it much more efficient than other manufacturers with practically no transportation time.

“We can go from product to product within fifteen seconds,” Hybert explains. All the equipment can adjust automatically with very little need for tooling change outs.

MRI also sports its fleet of trucks, which has allowed it to offer optimized service. Krzyszton estimates that 85 percent of the company’s deliveries are made on its fleet, which is a competitive advantage. Punctuality in logistics and delivery is paramount in the projects with which the company involves itself, and late delivery can cost the end user a fortune in labor and equipment costs. It even offers smaller trucks outfitted with Moffett portable forklifts for more specialized deliveries. Combined with its regular fleet, this provides a definite advantage in serving customers.

Internal developments in company software have also spurred development. Krzyszton mentions that a new enterprise resource planning software implemented in late 2017 has allowed better tracking of inbound material as well as greater flexibility in production scheduling, effectively streamlining the entire business. Within only a month of implementation Krzyszton recalls MRI having its biggest shipping sales period and the massive operational benefits provided by the new ERP software.

Around the same time, MRI added another new roll-former to its repertoire that was the first of its kind in North America to be able to roll form four-inch flanges. Although products like this are uncommon, purchases like the roll-former allow for production flexibility and keep customers happy and bring the business closer to its goal of becoming a one-stop shop for its clientele.

Equivalent nonstructural framing products, or EQ products, have become a rising material in the areas of construction within which MRI does business. EQ framing products are designed to meet the same performance metrics as traditional framing products but are manufactured with lighter and stronger steel. The company has recently introduced two 20-gauge EQ products to its lineup to offer customers purchasing flexibility. Hybert describes EQ as a game-changer for the company as the material has become roughly around 90 percent of the nonstructural framing marketplace today.

Although initially a niche product, EQ has since opened a massive new customer base for MRI. The important thing in marketing these new solutions was to educate customers on both their proper use and application. EQ is not suitable for every job but has a definite use in steel construction, which has led to its misuse in certain applications. Currently, the company sells two types of 20-gauge EQ framing products, which gives the customer even more options for whatever needs they have, something that has helped both sides tremendously so far.

The construction industry is undergoing its fair share of ups and downs in 2022. Currently, issues with labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and inflation are making the construction process more difficult. Krzyszton and Hybert note that 2021 was a chaotic year filled with uncertainty due to domestic steel shortages and rapidly rising steel prices.

Although the industry seemed to be closer to settling down this year, recent turmoil in Europe has created more uncertainty in the steel industry and has made chaos linger. Despite this, MRI leadership observes that construction is in a strong position for the year.

The company is in the middle of moving its operations into a new and larger facility to open more options for additional roll forming equipment and production automation. The new production facility will allow for an estimated 25 percent greater output and will increase efficiencies by moving work to one location instead of spreading it across two. With a compressing workforce, MRI looks to set itself up more efficiently soon to retain employees with a nicer, new space while building its automation solutions.

MRI will continue to serve customer needs; chiefly, by holding its prices as solidly as possible, which will allow for a greater comfort level for the customer base. “If we can take metal framing off their plate as a worry, that’s a big plus for us,” Hybert remarks. As steel is one of the most in-demand materials for construction projects, taking care of every aspect of it on a project helps clients and the business in a mutually beneficial cycle.

The focus remains on the move, improving efficiencies, and an expected twenty percent growth for the remainder of the year – goals that are certainly within the wheelhouse of the company that has been a go-to steel framing supplier for nearly twenty years.

The post Leveraging New Products and Software to Remain at the Top<p class="company">MRI Steel Framing </p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems (Kongsberg PCS) acquired MultiCam in August 2021. The acquisition came shortly after Kongsberg PCS became a standalone business, bought by private equity company OpenGate Capital on April 1, 2021. “We really wanted to quickly expand the Kongsberg PCS business and the significant adjacent markets where Kongsberg doesn’t operate—where MultiCam does operate,” says Kongsberg PCS CEO Stuart Fox.

MultiCam specializes in industrial cutting solutions including Computer Numerical Control (CNC) router, laser, plasma, waterjet, and knife cutting machines, “whereas Kongsberg PCS has really been focused in the graphic arts, sign display, printed media, commercial print,” Fox explains. “So the attractiveness of MultiCam was its complementary nature of the business they are in.” In addition, MultiCam operates a manufacturing facility in Dallas, Texas that will benefit Kongsberg PCS. “Really there are some great opportunities and synergies,” Fox says.

By combining both companies’ strengths, the team will “develop a product roadmap that is absolutely second to none in the industry today,” says MultiCam Digital Finishing Product Manager, Mark Packman. “Kongsberg was actually the leader in the packaging industry and MultiCam was one of the leaders in the print service provider market space. Now we can merge not only the technologies into each of our systems, but now take on a much broader scope of the marketplace.”

The team has taken the time to ensure a smooth transition for all parties, carefully managing “how we will take two companies’ technologies, knowledge, skills, and manufacturing base and really leverage our journey going forward,” Fox explains. Merging talent and technology is not simple or straightforward, but the payoff will be well worth the effort. “Really, that’s what the customer is going to benefit from, [the] combination of two technologies from two companies with many, many years in business and knowledge within the teams,” Fox says. “It’s a bag of opportunities.”

“One of the great things about coming together as one company is we have a vast level of expertise in all sides of our digital finishing, our routing, as well as our fabrication,” Packman adds.

Router Product Manager, Russell Boudria, says that the last year “has been a whirlwind, a very exciting time for MultiCam to join strengths with Kongsberg, [which] is a world-class manufacturer with strength in the European market. Combining our strengths in the Americas is an excellent tag team. It was very interesting during our collaborations; there was very little product overlap at all.”

The Celero 4 Series Flatbed Cutter and Router is an excellent example of how Kongsberg PCS and MultiCam have come together to produce a product that draws from the best of both companies. “That’s our latest innovation,” Packman says. Manufactured in MultiCam’s Dallas facility and specially engineered for today’s fast-paced printing industry, the Celero Series is composed of advanced flatbed cutting systems with cutting capabilities for both rigid and flexible substrates, as well as roll media. This series is known for its accurate, smooth motion and ease of use, making it ideal for both large and small businesses, and is customizable to fit specific needs.

Released in 2021, Celero 4—the latest in the series—boasts the capabilities of previous Celero models while adding additional advantages to meet customers’ latest needs. The Celero 4 “maintains our auto knife changing capabilities which nobody else in the marketplace has,” Packman says, while simultaneously reducing labor cost and waste. The new model is specially designed to accommodate wider materials to meet the demands of the market, particularly in Europe. And, the Celero 4 “fits a price for performance that allows it to compete against lower priced units that are much less productive [as well as] much higher priced units, which are at the same performance level,” Packman says.

“It really is a collection of some of the great technologies that MultiCam has been developing over the previous years,” Fox adds. “We have a very sharply focused product for the customers and that’s something that I think also echoes the two businesses—the MultiCam and the Kongsberg businesses—coming together, that we really are customer-focused. We want to bring solutions that answer customer needs or problems and not just technology solutions… They really have to answer a customer need.”

The Apex5R is another innovative, newly available product. “That’s the next step forward in the Apex family of routers,” Fox says. “[It’s] really exciting if you look at the very broad portfolio that MultiCam has in routers, from entry-level, classic machines through to the latest and greatest in the 5R.” Introduced in 2021, the 5R is “going to be shipping its first units this year and so we are really excited about some of its capabilities,” Boudria adds.

The Apex5R builds on MultiCam’s popular APEX router product line. Designed with the production environment in mind, the latest model delivers remarkable speed, market-leading precision, powerful spindle options, and reliability. The most advanced router the team has built so far, it is able to significantly raise productivity for increased efficiency and higher profits, Boudria explains. Speeds exceed 4,500 inches per minute (IPM) with a 200 percent increase in acceleration over its predecessors. The Apex5R also boasts an ergonomic workstation paired with a generous 24” screen and comes fully integrated with productivity features, from surface probe and auto calibration sensor to motorized auto-height dust boot. The product can take on tough materials including thick aluminum plate and extrusion, industrial plastics, and even advanced materials such as fiberglass and carbon fiber—without lowering productivity or quality. “5R has the most expanded capabilities for multiple materials,” Boudria summarizes.

Company leadership is excited to continue to bring together the strengths of Kongsberg PCS and MultiCam to create the best possible products for the market. In fact, at the time of this interview, the R&D teams of both businesses were slated to get together the following week—one of many meetings where they will combine approximately 80 years of engineering experience. “MultiCam has great knowledge and great skills—how to manufacture components, steel assemblies, design them in-house,” Fox says. “Kongsberg has a different philosophy when it comes to tooling. They’re different designs, they look different. Bringing the teams together is really going to be an enjoyable but big task, to really then take the best technologies and make them address customer needs. So one of the big goals going forward is to really bring the two technologies together.”

The company’s focus will extend to customers in addition to product development. “As a team we want to really put the customer front and center and focus on improving service, extending the range of training that can be offered to customers, and [providing] training as well for the Kongsberg and MultiCam teams in both sales and IT,” Fox says. “We really want to grow the business and actually have a new culture for both businesses as they come together… It means we are going to have better products going forward, more innovation, newer technologies.”

The team has already started development on the next generation of products. “We have on both sides some really nice work going on today on some technologies that we’ll bring in the future,” Fox says. “So we’ve already started projects where we can drive businesses going forward with newer and more customer-focused machines for the future.”

The post Merging Talent and Technology<p class="company">MultiCam</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

In December 2014, Hydra Dyne Tech became a sole proprietorship, more than doubling sales over the next five years. As Hydra Dyne Tech doubled in size, the controlling shares of the company were eventually sold to the Italian multinational “Interpump Group” in 2019. Interpump Group is a world leader in the hydraulic components sector, as well as the water jetting sector.

After finding success in hydraulic cylinder production, Hydra Dyne Tech’s product range gradually grew over the decades before spreading further into control and rotary manifolds. Today, the company is heavily involved in cylinders, rotaries, manifolds, and electrical slip rings with position sensing. Hydra Dyne Tech has built a proprietary cylinder positioning system that can be adapted to any conventional cylinder construction. Additionally, a new product release is scheduled for late 2022, which includes a full CRN certified accumulator product line.

Hydra Dyne Tech’s goal is to build reliable, long-term systems to continue to serve its customer base of global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

President Steve Bohner observes that multi-national corporations in the industry typically build large volumes of the same product, a practice with which Hydra Dyne Tech does not identify. Instead, the company has found its niche in building for two hundred to five hundred machines per year, carving its name and know-how into sectors that include engineering, parts, and forestry.

The hydraulics and services provided by the company are largely for extremely demanding applications belonging to heavy-duty and intensive cycles like forestry. For example, an excavator will usually travel for around seven percent of a construction cycle whereas a forestry vehicle will travel around 85 percent of its life, especially across rough terrain and steep slopes.

These machines will generally operate constantly so they must be designed differently than equipment used less often, which is where Hydra Dyne Tech’s niche within manufacturing comes into play. General Manager Rick De Jong adds that the company’s solutions have specific designs, and its market has been in both designing and manufacturing parts exactly to any customer’s specification. This is something that is missing from larger firms.

Along with its reputation for adhering to specific customer designs, Hydra Dyne Tech has also become known for several innovative technologies that have improved many aspects of the company. One of these is LocSeal™, a sealing component developed in the mid-1990s for rotary manifolds. The company originally tried to find a manufacturer that would make a seal to its specifications, which was an industry rarity some three decades ago. It instead opted to purchase a machine to make its own seals. The process involved working with material compound manufacturers.

Bohner mentions that there is a lot involved to make a rubber or urethane component, and working in this arena is another example of the company’s intensive and involved processes. Since its development, LocSeal™ has set Hydra Dyne Tech apart from its competitors and helped put it into a league all its own.

Another great aid to Hydra Dyne Tech has been Invaware, a sister company founded around 2015. The new business endeavour came about as company heads realized the requirements needed for their shop floor are inherently difficult to document, as the jobs are generally quite technical and machine setups must be accurate, quick, and cost-effective. At the time, Hydra Dyne Tech wanted to save and retain its shop floor knowledge for its next generation of workers, ensuring new hires could become productive in the shortest time possible. To their disappointment, Hydra Dyne Tech found systems that existed in the market were not conducive to a shop environment.

The team recognized this was also a challenge for their industry, especially as forward-thinking operations sought to push their critical information online. Bohner led the development of a digital document and knowledge sharing platform, now known as DropDoc. This web-based solution was enlisted to provide access to documents quickly in the shop setting, capture tribal knowledge in real time, and exponentially decrease the amount of time it takes for Hydra Dyne Tech’s new hires to come onboard.

“In our business, we sell time,” he says. “We have to make something in a certain amount of time.” Human Resources Director John Magee agrees that if the knowledge of the current and past generations of Hydra Dyne Tech workers are not retained in some way, it is in danger of disappearing so information must be pulled from all generations, and Invaware is a great help in this.

In very recent years, DropDoc is also responsible for digitizing safety checklists. The system notifies supervisors immediately of anything incorrect and avoids checks that are not as thorough as they could be. Another added bonus of DropDoc is the fact that it provides an easy way to record “how to” instructions and store machine manuals—keeping all maintenance records handy for future reference to all of those with a license to DropDoc’s basic setup.

DropDoc also represents a more organic way to gather intellectual property. As De Jong explains, in a transient environment like today’s marketplace, a business must capture the knowledge of its most veteran workers and talents, for fear that it be lost forever to a younger workforce that needs it. This way, learning can continue thanks to the compiled information from people no longer in the industry. De Jong classifies DropDoc as nothing short of a digital revolution.

These new technologies have helped Hydra Dyne Tech stand out in the marketplace, allowing it to pursue personal relationships with its customers. An important part of these relationships is that the company knows what the customer is looking for in any job. Bohner expresses that it is important to him that Hydra Dyne Tech understands what piece of equipment is needed and how long it will last, as well as the customer’s expectations.

“Every part that you manufacture must be perfect,” he says. “You have someone’s livelihood in your hands when the customer purchases [that part].” Personal effort is put into the components manufactured, so the company must be nimble and flexible in its manufacturing process to account for this, as well as clever in the light of the industry’s post-COVID environment.

Bohner sees the industry as in a bit of a tumultuous state currently, as people in the industry rarely stay past the five-year mark. New onboarding processes provided by systems like DropDoc are a tremendous help, as it can otherwise take more than a year for workers to become truly productive. A person’s information and talent must be harnessed as quickly as possible because, as Bohner stresses, “We can buy machinery [and] design things, but if we can’t make it, it’s all useless.”

There is also less skilled labour entering the workforce as even community colleges are struggling to put financial support into courses needed for machining and metalworking. There is a need to make the environment understandable because, if an organization is too difficult to manoeuvre, the ability to gain workers is severely hampered.

Hydra Dyne Tech will be spending the next year dealing with the lack of components and materials resulting from pandemic-related logistics issues. Bohner feels that the market will eventually settle but will not lead to huge, immediate growth as seen before; as every manufacturer is facing issues in labour and the supply chain, and these will take time to fix. Having come out the other end of a tumultuous pandemic period for all industries, the outlook is measured but positive for Hydra Dyne Technology as it continues to establish and improve on the personal relationships that have allowed it to continue excelling in manufacturing since 1992.

The post In the Midst of a Digital Revolution<p class="company">Hydra Dyne Technology </p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

“2022 is starting like gangbusters,” says CEO Michel Dubuc. He observes that customers like to work with Firing Industries for its turnkey systems and one-stop-shop. “We do everything,” he says.

From conveyors to blenders, centrifuges, and pulverisers, Firing Industries’ team of experts provides essential equipment with a professional, knowledgeable, and consultative approach.

Founded in 1973, the company’s continual growth has come from its focus on providing a rising volume of supply to leading North American enterprises in the chemical, pharmaceutical, food, mining and minerals, foundry, and steel industries – and many other similar processing industries.

The pandemic has thrown up numerous challenges, of course, but Firing Industries has been determined to keep both its staff and business safe and profitable. That determination paid off.

“Michel was adamant. When there were insecurities and challenges abounding, he said that we’re not cutting staff, we’re not cutting hours or reducing wages, none of that, we’re keeping our teams as is,” says Danielle Dubuc, Business Development & Marketing. “He said, ‘we’ll work together as a team,’ and I think that’s a huge thing that should be talked about positively.”

Firing Industries has done more than just stay open and stand by its employees – it has had to actually increase staffing during the pandemic’s progression.

This ability to persevere regardless, coupled with the resources and skills of its own team of experts and the leading manufacturers it represents, not only enables Firing Industries to always be present and ready to assist its clients with their requirements – it’s at the core of the company’s mandate.

“At the beginning of COVID some orders were put on hold for customers,” says Michel. “It was hard, but within a month or so we needed manpower and everyone on board.”

The company’s products are unusually focused; closely related to each other in such a way that they often come up sequentially in a process. Along with Firing’s wide-ranging selection of equipment and an ability to provide complete planning for projects, this drives a synergistic and solutions-oriented relationship with clients and prospects.

So much so that it has permeated the company’s culture, leading to an attitude that encourages all the right questions to be asked.

“We have the resources, we have a lot of support from our contractors, and we’re able to face the music,” says Michel.

While he doesn’t want to reveal all, Michel says there are several projects on the go at the moment, including a tire recycling plant that’s been started up in eastern Ontario.

“We began that project with a customer in 2017. We did some pretesting on various feedstocks, and the plant has finally started, which is good,” says Michel. “We’re also looking at another facility, by the end of the year, with three times the capacity. Another good project, and multi-million dollars each time.”

There is also a deal in the works within the concrete sector involving special types of panels and compounds. “We’ve got two planned so far, and we have the possibility of delivering another three next year,” Michel says. “These large projects are keeping us quite busy.”

Although the company primarily distributes equipment such as metering systems and conveyors, Firing Industries still takes on new and major projects. Two large clients are currently involved in projects, and the company is looking to develop another two projects this year in totally different fields. Michel says Firing Industries will probably be adding more staff before long.

“I want to do a duplicate of a project I put together in 2020 and we want three more of these plants, hopefully in the next year,” says Michel. “We have the capability, but manpower is key. If you don’t have people today, you can’t move forward. There are always subcontractors, but they’re not part of your team. We have multiple subcontractors, though, and that’s very helpful.”

The truth is, whether it’s process development or installation services that customers want, Firing can source them from a number of leading long-term suppliers in North America and beyond, such as Hosokawa, Piab, Auburn Inc., NSEP, WAM, and Union Process Inc.

Michel says that Firing Industries draws clients because it has something special to provide. “The products we represent set us apart. Our suppliers are number one and two in their field worldwide, and the quality of the product we distribute is good. When we integrate into a system, we know it’s going to work.”

Companies they might be competing with have won’t have that advantage, he adds.

“The lines we distribute and put into our systems are top-notch. That’s the key thing. Also, we have long-term relationships with these suppliers – decades, and in some cases, multiple decades.”

These relationships make the company almost like a family affair, he says. Although its head office is now in Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON, Lars Firing actually founded Firing Industries in Montreal, in 1973, moving to St. Catharines in 1976. Some of the products Firing represents today they represented at that time.

One of the decades-long supplier relationships is with Union Process of Akron, OH.

“That’s ongoing and it’s going to stay,” says Michel. “When you talk to various members of that team it’s like they’re indirectly part of your team. It’s a very friendly discussion. We understand their product line and they understand exactly where we’re going.”

Similarly, the company has a 17- year relationship with Hosokawa, a billion-dollar worldwide company.

“Every time we position a system from Hosokawa, there’s going to be an auxiliary system we might already have from other principals that we can apply to that project,” says Michel. “It’s a good relationship to have with a group, and we’ll add equipment from other principals through that project. It’s a multiplying effect.”

This family attitude is strong within the company itself, a tight-knit group that’s successfully pulled together over the past few years to deal with COVID, moving the teamwork online when in-person wasn’t possible, and keeping sales up.

While many people may work three months at one job or a year at another, Firing Industries is proud of the number of its employees with more than ten years under their belts. “It’s a really good thing to have people who want to be at one company,” Danielle says. “Our employees are sticking around!”

Those long-time, dedicated employees are also part of the drive to provide customers with the best possible service. “We ensure customers out there know what we can accomplish, from ordering parts to turnkey systems to everything in between,” says Danielle.

“We’re lean and mean,” adds Michel. “We’re not big, but we try to react fast and pounce on every opportunity we can. There are a lot of balls in the air sometimes, but you assign the right responsibility and the right priority.”

For customers asking for spare parts, for example, it’s a pretty straightforward process, he says. “We go to our spare parts department, where we have two people dedicated to spare parts.” Customer satisfaction, and dedication to it, are not only paramount, but they can also have great financial results, particularly when it comes to all-important repeat business.

“If you’re looking at duplicating a project and the customer is satisfied with how you handled the first project, or the last 10 projects, then they’re not going anywhere else than us,” says Michel. “They’ll say, let’s do a duplicate of this, one phone call, update quote, and there you go.”

The level of satisfaction is the key, he adds, and while over the years there have been a few projects that could have been better, the majority have been exceptionally successful, even when pandemic supply-chain issues have seriously hindered progress.

One ongoing project right now, for example, is waiting on components delayed for more than two years.

“The supplier really suffered during the pandemic,” says Michel. “The customer knows we’re trying, but we have to face the music and the buck stops with us. We have to find solutions. That’s basically the motto of Firing – finding solutions since 1973.”

The post Meeting Needs and Finding Solutions<p class="company">Firing Industries Ltd.</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Initially a supplier of replacement parts to door-service companies, this homegrown Canadian success story provides a host of door and gate automation products, including rolling steel doors, sectional doors, residential doors, automated products, safety accessories, parts and more.

Before taking over the reins from Thompson and Payne when they retired five years ago, CEO John Hart spent years in the door industry. Soon after graduating with a degree in psychology, Hart worked for a small installation company in Mississauga, Ontario, on the dealer network/installation side before joining SDI.

Working his way from product manager to general manager and CEO, Hart was brought into SDI to develop the company’s imported product from Italy and create a platform for selling across Canada. This involved many aspects, from ensuring the regulatory legality of these products in Canada to educating customers, technical support, and even packaging.

“I believe my education prepared me for the CEO role, because I think psychology has a great impact on how you run an organization, and communicate with your team members,” says Hart, who took continuing education courses on financial management.

Strong company culture

Growing to a staff of about 70, privately-held Service Door Industries has a team of experts in door mechanical assembly, which requires cutting, grinding, drilling and riveting work; the services of technical welding pros; and an in-house professional engineer to work on engineered solutions, often highly technical.

Setting up its own information technology system, the company’s IT staff created proprietary software that renders all production completely paperless. “Every door that we build, we build without paper,” says Hart. “I joke that we have more computers than people.”

Known for its technical expertise, SDI is also recognized for its formidable company culture, which benefits from a management team that grew up together in the business. Supporting each other’s perspectives on how to achieve goals, the team at SDI explicitly believes in openness and honesty, an attitude that has spread throughout the organization and empowers the entire staff.

“This transparency is really important to our team members,” says Hart. “As a collective group, what we have as a goal is providing our customers with the right solution, not just a sale. We’re looking at working with our dealers, and our clients and partners. By doing that, they become part of our team. And that culture goes outside our walls.”

Connecting with technology

As a B2B company, Service Door has built a solid customer base over the years. Many distribution centers choose SDI for its quality perimeter doors.

“But we don’t provide just the door anymore,” Hart says, “we provide technology solutions – that’s the real difference. Distribution centers are becoming more fully automated, and we have the ability with our doors to interconnect to automation systems. So now, the door is talking to the owner/operator so they know status or if there’s a truck in the bay, and you’re getting more of a fully connected solution.”

Hart says that another strong area for SDI is the automotive industry, where SDI provides aesthetically pleasing door solutions to dealerships or carwashes. “Clients are getting doors that are high speed, but low on maintenance, and a really unique solution for their business needs. Automotive has really changed, and our solutions are part of that change.”

Service Door’s customers deal at the site level, taking down all the information they need for an opening and providing SDI the details so they can build the door for them. “We are strictly focused on our manufacturing and the support of those products, providing those complete solutions and more importantly, having the distribution facilities across Canada where customers can pick up the components that may be needed for future service, as well as accessories around the doors,” says Hart.

Focused on the Canadian market, Service Door has value-added distribution services in Vancouver, Calgary, and at its Mississauga head office. Even during COVID, the company opened in Calgary, and aims to have a Montréal location this year.

After 34 years, the company has gained much of its business through word-of-mouth, but in the past few years, SDI has amped up its online presence through social media, revamping its website and adding online shopping carts for its dealer network. “The benefit of being a B2B company is that we are behind our dealers, and we work with our dealer network to make sure they are in front of the end user with our technology and with our experience.”

Made to last

Manufacturing doors ranging from small fire separation doors about three feet by three feet (0.91 m by 0.91 m) used in condominiums when windows are on property lines, SDI has also made massive doors used in nuclear power plants for fuel containment storage. One of the largest to date — a fire separation door — measured almost 200 feet (61 m) in length. Required in a shopping mall because interconnected floor space needed to be separated due to fire regulations, the specialized rectangular curtain had a drop height of about 14 feet (4.2 m).

Another innovative product from SDI is its line of springless door solutions. Released to the market about a decade ago, the product has seen demand increase in the past two to three years as customers accept the need for more environmentally sound products. Designed for exterior applications and also used for interior separations, the door moves at two feet per second, with no counterbalance springs. “Our clients really like this solution, because not only are we operating a door fast, we are operating it safely, and with minimal maintenance over the life expectancy of the product.” Designed in Canada for Canadian operations, the door is aesthetically pleasing and energy-efficient.

Since doors can vary in width, height, material and configuration variances, all SDI products are custom made to order. Depending on the application, doors are manufactured differently for indoor or outdoor use, where they face Canada’s brutally cold weather, snow, ice, and negative and positive pressure. “With larger buildings you have wind loads, but then you also have negative and positive pressure and have to deal with that,” says Hart, adding, “The other challenge in Canada is our power grid and getting solutions that work properly with our power requirements, because we are unique with the 600-volt power that we have.”

Recognizing that doors must not only be functional but attractive, they are available in a variety of finishes. Some customers are happy with the standard galvanized finish of rolling steel doors, while others want a distinctive powder coat finish or different accessories to complement the look and functionality, such as automated products, gate hardware, activation devices and safety accessories.

Standing apart from the competition, SDI is proud to be the only rolling steel manufacturer in Canada. “That ability gives us a niche,” states Hart. “We are not only providing and building products for the local market; we are also building a product line that is somewhat unique to the Canadian market.”

No matter the size or type of product, Service Door Industries will be there, supporting customers for the long term, ready and able to assist and educate clients on the company’s many products and solutions. “How can they reduce their inventory levels? How can they improve their lead times? How can they reduce the time on site? And more importantly, how do we bring the right value to the user of that door?” asks Hart. “Our doors can be simple galvanized steel rolling doors, or they can be very complex moving machinery. Our team is here to help these dealers gain knowledge on finding that right solution, with the right Canadian-built door.”

The post Creating Partnerships<p class="company">Service Door Industries</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Most people understand the definition of culture in the broadest sense of its term. But when one speaks about positive company culture, that definition can take on a whole spectrum of meaning. A company’s culture encompasses its philosophies, values and practices which in turn affirm a company’s social and psychological environment.

A thirteen-month survey of over 1,400 North American CEOs and CFOs discovered that at least ninety percent believed that culture was a crucial component of their business. The study was conducted by an accounting professor at Columbia Business School, Shiva Rajgopal, and three finance professors from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and completed in October 2015.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing industry start their businesses with innate beliefs and values. The foundation of any SME has to be affirmed and rooted in a sense of purpose, inspiration, and motivation, the core building blocks of turning a company brand into a cause.

During the COVID pandemic, the manufacturing industry has experienced a high employee turnover. According to a Deloitte March 30, 2022 press release, “84 percent of manufacturing jobs lost during 2020 were added back to payrolls.”

It is estimated that by 2025, 3.5 million manufacturing jobs will become available with two million expected to be unfilled, according to National Association of Manufacturers Executive Director Carolyn Lee.

Manufacturers are in desperate need to fill vacancies to attract and retain new talent. This is where an established strong company culture will play a crucial role in attracting the right people with the right attitude to drive company performance.

The goal of any SME manufacturing company leader is to set his or her company apart from the rest, to let employees know that engaging with the company will be their best decision. After all, the competition has to be considered when continuously striving for greater market share. Established company culture will lure the best team in and keep them engaged and supportive of a company’s vision.

Research from the Journal of Organizational Behavior indicates that no matter the industry, a solid company culture fosters and impacts future growth potential, and companies with highly adaptive cultures have the competitive edge against competition with intransigent cultures.

Keep in mind that currently, those seeking employment have more options available to them. As a leader, you want to be committed to recruiting and retaining the right employees – those who are in sync with your culture.

There must be a continual assessment of employee needs for complete employee satisfaction, commitment and a sense of purpose. With this, a diligent leader can rest assured that employee recruitment, retention, and dedication will not be an issue, given that these are the backbone of any successful SME.

A resilient company culture transmits its core values throughout the business. Values such as being open, supportive, honest, possessing integrity as well as being passionate about your business are all positive factors. Yet there must be some room left for a favourable life-work balance of fun and a desire to serve customers. Securing strong partnerships will also prove to be beneficial.

The most effective means of establishing a great company culture is to consistently monitor that culture and seek out areas that need improvement. An impressive culture will affect growth, profit, and revenue in the long term.

“The most important thing is to approach company culture collaboratively,” Alessandro Valentini, Marketing Director at Grant Tree told Real Business magazine’s initiative, ‘SME Culture Leaders’ in 2019. “Culture is also about bringing different walks of life together… You have so many different people with different perspectives and needs that then translate into values.”

Michael Monteiro, Chief Executive Officer of Buildium, a Boston-based property management software company from Boston talked to Ed Nathanson for his LinkedIn article: Building Company Culture: 7 Steps for Every Small Business. Monteiro said that a successful culture requires that a company must know the reason it exists, its vision, and its values.

These questions need to be answered. If not, it is more difficult to create a clear company culture. “In the absence of answers to these most basic questions, we didn’t know whether we were really aligned,” said Monteiro. “But as time went on, our employees increasingly wanted to know where we were going as a company,” he added.

“Focus on your culture as early as you can,” he encouraged small businesses, adding, “Without a defined culture, employees get disenchanted; they move on. And without those guardrails, it makes it hard to make decisions as an owner.”

Establishing and maintaining a happy healthy company environment and culture not only affords all employees a favourable work-life balance and a sense of purpose and enthusiasm for their daily roles, but it will also undoubtedly foster both productivity and secure a company’s bottom line. For job seekers, finding such a company does take some effort, especially when considering that fifty-seven percent of jobseekers view company culture as an important factor when applying for a position according to Hinge Research Institute’s Employer Branding Study of July 2020. This appears to be especially true of millennials and the younger job seekers who seem to prioritize a positive company culture over salary.

Manufacturing industry leaders must realize that elevated employee motivation, health, and happiness aid in cost reductions associated with lower levels of absenteeism, job turnover, and compensation payouts. With increased efficiency and lower costs, a company’s healthy culture can be seen as a satisfying long-term predictor of a company’s capacity to grow and continue to thrive.

There are a few simple things that can be done to achieve this. Company leaders should acknowledge and reward employee contributions, act as mentors while encouraging employees to offer input, provide flexibility where possible, and provide opportunities for learning and advancement.

The idea of a four-day workweek is also gaining attention, and a shorter workweek would prove advantageous to SMEs in that it would aid in mitigating the current labour shortage. And for some SMEs, this arrangement can prove easier to adopt than for the larger competition because they tend to have more flexibility.

New Zealand company Perpetual Guardian adopted the four-day workweek and found that a shorter workweek fosters productivity and morale. It is an effective recruiting tool and a means to retain the most valued employees.

SME company leaders in the manufacturing industry play an instrumental role in developing a strong company culture essential in today’s hyper-competitive arena. A company’s culture defines its business performance, core values, and behaviour, and shapes how others view the company. Employees expect much more from the companies for which they work and want company values to closely align with their own. Companies that can deliver will have a positive return in terms of productive and loyal employees’ translating into improved company growth.

The post The Changing Workplace<p class="company">Company Culture Drives SMEs Forward</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Inteplast Group produces a wide range of items such as plastic bags, stretch films, BOPP films, and PVC sheets. The company, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, continues to balance its role as a leading manufacturer while maintaining high standards for innovation, safety, and commitment to sustainability, natural resource conservation, and materials management.

Established in Texas in 1991 with now more than 50 locations across North America, Inteplast Group fully appreciates the importance of practicing environmental responsibility in all aspects of plastic production, including continually evolving its pledge to enact efficient recycling and reusability of industrial materials along with its products.

“We are very concerned about the environment,” says General Manager Andy Chen. “It’s the same philosophy at every one of our plants.”

Unexpected truth

Plastic, Chen says, has always been perceived negatively when compared to paper – that it’s not environmentally friendly – when, if we take a closer look at the carbon footprint and processes for plastics and paper, we could learn a lot more about the pros and cons for each material.

“When you try to recycle paper, the recycling process for paper involves a greater carbon footprint than many people realize,” he says. “The chemicals used create a significant environmental impact. So in our company we try always to re-educate the customer or the industry. If you are using and producing plastics responsibly, it supports environmentally friendly initiatives. Recycle, reuse, reprocess – we spend a lot of time focusing on these areas – from product development to production.”

Inteplast’s commitment to protecting natural resources has been a key initiative since its inception in 1991. Part of this requires that the company educate its customers and communities-at-large about plastic recycling and the benefits of a circular economy. That mission, of course, extends to the creation of the company’s numerous products, including its newest, the remarkable IntePro® TITAN.

New innovations

IntePro® TITAN is a unique multilayer panel that’s not only lightweight, but extremely rigid and impact resistant. Made from 100 percent polypropylene, it’s easily constructed on traditional fluted plastic converting equipment, and can be die-cut, creased, sonic welded, and heat bonded for pallet sleeves, architectural panels, and plywood and pressed fiberboard replacement.

IntePro® TITAN is puncture and impact resistant, best in class for strength-to-weight ratio, sustainable, with a low-impact manufacturing process and is 100 percent recyclable at end-of-use cycle.

“This process is very popular in Europe where they’ve been using this product for more than 20 years, but for some reason it’s not popular in the United States,” says Chen. “It can be used 100 times, but we’re still helping people see the value in reusing material. We’re trying to change the concept. A lot of European companies are using the process already, and we’re trying to adopt the same process in the States,” he shares.

“It is stronger than the double or triple wall corrugated paper, with superior water and chemical resistance. It is also much lighter than plywood and wont shatter. It’s been proven in the material handling industry, and we should be able to prove it here.”

A more sustainable industry

Indeed, Inteplast Group plays a significant role in helping its distributors and end-consumers learn more about how plastics are manufactured responsibly as well as recycled for a more impactful contribution to a global economy, says Marketing Director Karen Dicang. And that’s done through education.

“The more that people understand plastics and their recyclability, the more the story will change,” she says. “That’s what we want to resonate with people. What we’re trying to get across, specifically, is that our product is 100 percent recyclable. It doesn’t need to go into a landfill.”

Are plastic companies as a whole ready to embrace sustainability? Chen thinks the financial aspects might be what’s holding them back, despite the positive future outcomes.

“This is a much better way to do things,” he says. “When you try to bring a financial standpoint to something, you need to invest; nothing is free. After you invest, you will see the result in a couple of years. This is the most challenging part. When you ask people who are only concerned about finances to invest in sustainable processes, some of them say, ‘This isn’t worth it. Why are you investing ten times more money than the budget?’ But here at Inteplast we want to show that when customers return and reuse materials, they will see results. It’s always a challenge to help people see the bigger picture.” As always, education is key when making any big changes that cost money.

Inteplast’s 4Rs program (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose) heightens customers’ awareness of their options for post-consumer resin use in their products, and as production capabilities expand, companies like Inteplast can continue to minimize their carbon footprint by embracing the mindset of lean manufacturing.

“This has always been more of a low-key objective for us, but we’re going to highlight it more in 2022,” says Dicang. This will include bolstering recyclability and putting programs together with customers that show the ways that Inteplast can help return their leftover plastic. “We actually will then use it internally in our recycling process and reuse it again.”

The recycle and reuse incentive helps Inteplast attract customers who understand the bottom line is cost.

“A lot of our customers in the United States have confided in us that it appears more cost- and time-effective to just discard their plastics into a dumpster. Finding the time to locate a recycler, get the containers to their facilities, and to actually sort substrates they are using, just isn’t part of a program they’ve committed to yet. That’s what a lot of customers have been telling me recently,” says Dicang.

“But there’s a financial benefit they can gain for that recycled plastic, and we’re willing to pay back our customers for it. It gives them a little more incentive when they hear that they can get paid for this,” she adds. “That’s something that we’ve been communicating now.”

Much of the initiative behind recycling product has arisen due to ongoing supply issues with polypropylene resin and plastics in general this year, says Dicang. Prices have skyrocketed, plus there’s a shortage of a number of types of plastics, which has hampered the output of many plastic companies.

“Our product is more of a commodity item. It’s not a long-term use product – it’s used maybe for three or four months and then discarded,” says Dicang. “So we’re telling customers, ‘we’ll buy it.’ We want them to use it, print on it, whatever they need to do, and then we’ll take it back. Then we’ll recycle and reuse it. Now is the perfect time to offer this program because of the situation with plastics in the market.”

The ability to recycle both post-consumer and post-industrial resin is another way Inteplast supports sustainability. Each of the company’s reclaim/reprocessing centers captures and recycles start-up film, edge trim, off-grade material, and other non-prime grade material, which immediately reintroduces recovered plastic – post-industrial resin – into the extrusion process.

This results in utilizing 100 percent of the materials. By doing so, Inteplast has reduced electricity demand by more than 670 million kW-hours, saved more than 90 million gallons of water, eliminated the need for 1.4 million barrels of oil, and kept 2.6 million cubic yards of waste out of landfills.

Making an impact

As for the company’s recycling programs, Inteplast’s Lolita manufacturing facility – which recycles plastic, metal, paper and pulp, and electronics, among other materials – has also made a positive environmental impact with nearly 22,000 trees saved and more than 8,900 barrels of oil not used. It has also eliminated the need for nine million gallons of water, saved 7,600,000 kW-hours of electricity not taken from the power grid, and kept 17,000 cubic yards of waste out of landfills.

“There are a lot of initiatives,” says Dicang. “We’re taking an active stance to reinforce environmentally sound practices. We make plastic and we also have programs in place that allow reusability within our facilities.”

Inteplast aims to continually develop its sustainability programs through recycle-and-reuse in the present and for the future. It helps that the company’s products are 100 percent recyclable (some plastics aren’t).

Part of what makes these programs successful is Inteplast’s consideration of its employees, who are “first priority,” says Chen. “We’re not concerned with numbers. Our concern is the employees – they’re always first, before profit and loss,” he says, referring to Inteplast’s adherence to safety requirements. “That’s how we do it, and employees stay longer and stick with the company because of it.”

Dicang adds that the commitment employees show is an organic part of Inteplast’s business, which includes longtime tenure.

“It speaks volumes for the number of people who have been with the company for more than 20 years already,” she says of the many employees who joined right out of high school or college and are still there.

“Speaking for myself, this was pretty much my first job out of college too, and you’ll hear those same stories with most employees you talk to. It also speaks volumes for how the company treats employees. They stay for a reason. The company is extremely committed and loyal to the employee and vice versa.”

It’s those professionals who will help Inteplast uphold its impressive dedication to sustainable practices going forward.

Looking ahead

Despite the challenges the pandemic has created with regard to labor and the supply chain over the past year and a half, Chen anticipates continued success in maintaining the company’s dedication to environmental issues, keeping the carbon footprint low, educating consumers and protecting natural resources.

Inteplast aims to continue minimizing its carbon footprint by educating staff and customers about why its products have sustainable value through reusability.

“We want to compete with our corrugated plastic,” says Chen. “How many corrugated plastic boxes do we use every day? How many and what kind? And how many go to the landfill? How many things are we using one time? If everyone can put the effort into using corrugated plastic boxes and reusing them, that would have a great impact on the environment.”

The post Difference Makers<p class="company">Inteplast Group</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Supply and demand

With numerous production options available such as laser cutting, 3D printing, and machining, choosing the most efficient methods to ensure the greatest possible results is paramount. To that end, before designing a new product, ensuring there is sufficient demand is vital. Understanding your target demographic’s needs, finding pain points, and developing products to address difficulties is always a good place to start, along with conducting thorough market research to help your firm stand out.

New products as start-ups means trial and error before achieving desired results, and before moving to full-scale manufacturing, creating a prototype is essential to both obtain feedback and test your new product. Taking the required time to obtain feedback on each prototype iteration during every stage of the development process will help produce a customer-pleasing product. You want to perfect the product before going into mass production, and working on a prototype allows you to go through numerous phases to get to the final shape.

The importance of designing for manufacturability in the product development process can’t be overstated. A brilliant and novel mechanism that promises to perform better in your end product is not necessarily viable if it drives manufacturing costs through the roof. Considering how something is built during the design process can save a lot of time and money, and it will affect the machining tools or manufacturing procedures required when it comes to production.

Most businesses complete prototyping and testing before assigning designers to make each component simple and cost effective to manufacture. A product’s bill of materials is typically made up of dozens of distinct components, many of which will come from multiple sources, which is why hiring a strong supply chain management is crucial. A knowledgeable supply chain professional can connect your team with relevant manufacturers and guide you through any potential snags or delays.

Trusting suppliers is an important part of the production process, and having a robust supply chain will help meet goals. Ask for references and conduct interviews with suppliers to find out if they’ll meet deadlines and be held financially liable for any delays, if they stand behind their products, if they have a project manager assigned to them, and their method of communication.

Building strong partnerships from the start can substantially assist your company’s entrepreneurial path and route to success.

Show me the money

Of course, you can’t forget about funding, which is a common stumbling block when attempting to bring any business idea to fruition.

Family and friends can be a good place to start as they might be more likely to believe in your goal than investors or banks. Banks that specialize in lending to small firms are an option, but they’re also generally wary of lending to small enterprises and it can be tough to meet requirements. Alternative loan businesses, on the other hand, may be better suited to helping get a business off the ground.

Trading equity, or paying for services or with shares of the business rather than cash, can be an effective funding alternative, but it has its risks – both financially and operationally in the long term. On the other hand, bootstrapping with personal funds can get the start-up moving, but that money typically must come from personal savings, low-interest or no-interest credit cards, or home mortgages and lines of credit – all which carry personal risks as well.

Entrepreneurial accelerators and incubators involve part shared workstation, part mentorship development center, combining the best of both worlds where young firms can get a solid start while collaborating with some knowledgeable people.

Alternatively, if you have a brilliant concept and are good with social media, crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter might be a viable option, while small businesses established by women, minorities, or veterans may be eligible for grants from Small Business Administration and other organizations.

Maintaining your day job might also be a viable – and wise – decision. If you currently have work that pays your bills, it might be smart to keep it instead of rushing to pursue risky entrepreneurial goals. It might take a bit more time to get your business off the ground, but growing slowly through the early, precarious stages might allow you to start with fewer compromises and remain true to your vision without succumbing to early financial pressures.

Of course, developing a rock-solid business plan is key, no matter what product you’re creating. Some manufacturing start-ups have a lot of potential to evolve into successful businesses, but chances are slim without a good strategy. Writing a comprehensive business plan will lead you through the process of starting and maintaining the business, as well as its planned growth and other goals.

A long-term plan should include information on product forecasts, material suppliers, marketing tactics, and the company’s ethical position. It will also detail your intentions for collaborating with other manufacturers and companies in your field, as well as your estimated workforce and how you want to treat them and your customers or clients.

With a plan in place, you’ll need to figure out how to obtain the required resources. One of the best methods to ensure your company stands out from the competition is to use ethical sourcing, with an emphasis on lean manufacturing and lean business principles. By utilizing high-quality industrial equipment and prioritizing environmental sustainability in all operations, as well as social justice for employees and customers, your company will stand out and rise above.

Businesses and employers who care about their employees, clients/customers, and the environment will be noticed for treating resources well, earning you a well-deserved reputation, and putting your manufacturing firm on the road to success.

Seeking support

When in doubt, it never hurts to ask for help, especially from those with experience. While independence is admirable, learning the ins and outs, and more importantly, the pitfalls of all things involved in start-ups can save a lot of heartache (and money) down the road.

Find a friend, colleague or expert who either has start-up experience or works in manufacturing or logistics to discuss plans and be sure to listen to constructive feedback to help you see the big picture.

Finding a manufacturer that meets all of your requirements is a time-consuming and difficult task, but it’s worth the extra effort to ensure a good fit. Essentials often include one that is fully authorized with a positive reputation; has a good legal track record; offers an effective price-point with a line of production that’s dependable; creates good product quality on a regular basis; will meet needs by a minimal order, and if necessary, is able to scale up output as your start-up grows.

It can be difficult to know whether to hunt for a manufacturer in your own country or elsewhere, but be sure to consider local options. Offshoring was the only way to compete for a long time in the manufacturing industry, but that is changing in North America, and one should not only consider cost per unit. Keep in mind deliver costs and potential delays, versus dependability and the value of local support.

Many businesses are founded by people who have a true passion for something in life, and capitalizing on that enthusiasm allows them to make money doing what they enjoy. In the end, the possibilities for start-ups to manufacture products are limited only by imagination, willingness to learn, and the ability to use the correct technologies to create the finest product possible. A solid business plan, advice from those who have succeeded (and even those who failed) can help new companies stand out and impress customers, giving your new business the best chance of success.

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