real world RETAIL
It’s All Part of the Process Mobile Toys, Inc. continues to experience rapid growth year over year, attributed to its application of manufacturing processes and procedures on every aspect of the business. WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA
Mobile Toys in College Station, Texas currently has two locations—a traditional brick-and-mortar store and a full-fledged production facility that houses the manufacturing side, MTI Acoustics. The company approaches everything they do with a manufacturing mindset, according to owner Christerfer Pate. “The people who work here helped grow the business,” Pate said. “At any one point, there are 10 different big custom jobs in line, waiting to be worked on, and our retail side is constantly booked out two to three weeks. From the production standpoint, there are always 100 to 150 enclosures waiting to be built and shipped.” The speed at which things have to happen, he explained, makes this an unusual workplace. “Everything here is approached as a manufacturing process. How can this be done faster? How can we do this better, so it’s more profitable?” Mobile Toys Inc. isn’t run like an ordinary installation bay. “We understand that and we want guys to adjust to it and get better, so we push them to be better,” Pate added. “We want them to grow. We’re training all the time.”
Manufacturing Mindset Leads to Rapid Company-Wide Growth The shop began as a subsidiary of Audio Video in College Station, according to Pate. “It has been in business for over 40 years,” he said, adding that the
24 Mobile Electronics June 2019
