Manufacturing Today Issue 205, October 2022

CEO Andrew Schofield

Group COO Joe Woolsgrove

Creative

Data

Tom Vince

Insights

Editor Libbie Hammond

Assistant

Jaione Soga

Mary Floate

Daniel Baksi, Alex Caesari, Danielle Champ

Content

Editorial Administrator Amy Gilks

Managing Art

Fleur Daniels

Art Editors Paul Gillings, David Howard, Charlie Protheroe, Lee Protheroe

Artwork

Rochelle Broderick-White

Alasdair Gamble

Project

Philip Monument, Joy Francesconi

of Content Management Adam Blanch

Head of

Mark Cawston

Project Managers Lewis Bush, Natalie Griffiths, Jo-Ann Jeffery, Ben Richell, Laura Thompson

Content Managers Johanna Bailey, Mark Cowles, James Fuller, Jeff Goldenberg, Melanie Joyce, James Page, Wendy Russell, Richard Saunders

Hello and welcome to the October issue of Manufacturing Today. Do you like our freshly updated look? The magazine has been through various evolutions over the course of its history and it is always exciting to enter a new era and see what the readers think!

The design may have changed but the quality content remains and this month we are looking at interactive technology, strategy and digital transformation. I was also fortunate enough to speak to Julie Schertell, the CEO of premium specialty materials manufacturer Mativ, and she shared her insights into not just taking the business to new levels of success, but also her own personal journey to CEO and her belief in stepping out of your comfort zone. Read more on page 6.

Libbie Hammond Editor

Media

Executives Mike Berger, Jessica Eglington, Will Gwyther, Reid Lingle, Sam Surrell

Ryan Finn

Matt Bone

Co-ordinator Rosie Clegg

Iain Kidd

Natalie Fletcher, Rory Gallacher, Ibby Mundhir

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Hepner, Director of Global Vehicle Logistics and Customs at Mercedes-Benz USA.

to page 26 to learn more.

Follow

Julie Schertell, CEO of Mativ

USA

story

Channellock

Mitsubishi Chemical UK

Moonpig Group

Schertell,

of Mativ, thinks

AND

RISKS

The result of a $3 billion merger between Schweitzer-Mauduit International (SWM) and Neenah, Inc. in July this year, Mativ should be considered a young company. However, given the fact these two players were both powerhouses in their segments, it’s clear to see why their fusion has already created a formidable business.

The Mativ of today is a manufacturer of premium specialty materials that are made from fibers and films. With approximately 7500 employees around the world, and 48 plants across North America, South America, Europe and Asia, the business has two segments - Advanced Technical Materials, which includes the business units of filtration, protective films, release liners, health care solutions and industrial products, and Fiber-Based Solutions – which includes packaging, specialty papers and engineered papers.

Steering this new entity through the merger process and beyond requires the vision of a strong and experienced leader and this role has been taken by Julie Schertell, the former CEO of Neenah, now CEO of Mativ. She sees the merger as a ‘unique opportunity to boldly reimagine our future as a stronger and fastergrowing global enterprise.’

“It’s important to recognize that both SWM and Neenah were very successful as standalone companies,” she begins. “They had solid positions in common categories so the industrial logic behind the merger was strong and combining the business has created $65 million of synergies that we will accomplish in the next three years. It has also given us scale – as a larger company we can make different decisions, move at a different pace, and develop different capital structures.”

Finally, the two companies had a great cultural fit, which is important to Julie. Keen to ensure that the transition was successful, Mativ embraced the workforce at all levels, with Julie and her team creating a transformation office to lead the integration efforts. “We were clear from the very beginning that this is probably the most value-creating opportunity we will have in our careers and we cannot treat it as a hobby. The transformation office features our top talents, and they are ensuring we are making progress and holding us accountable for results.”

A communication team is also helping to ensure a smooth assimilation and Julie is delighted with the level of messaging that has been put in place, in a short time frame. “We do a podcast with our leadership team and ‘get to know’ videos, townhalls, and global team calls. But on top of that, I am a big believer in the value of face-to-face interaction,” she added. “One of my favorite parts of my job is being out in the plants, spending time with employees, learning from those that are closest to our manufacturing process, looking for opportunities, and getting to know the team better.” Demonstrating her dedication to this approach, when we spoke

to Julie, she was about to embark on a tour of nine of Mativ’s plants on the East Coast of the US, before visiting several of its European facilities as well in the coming months.

Clearly on the cusp of an exciting growth journey, Mativ is benefiting from Julie’s experience across multiple sectors and her confidence to take bold steps when required.

Her own career path, which she describes as ‘non-linear’, offers the ideal foundation from which to direct this newly combined enterprise. Her first role as a cost analyst at a Georgia-Pacific paper mill sparked a passion for manufacturing that still burns as bright today. She then got involved in process improvement programs, moved from finance into operations and then supply chain, and eventually became leader of a large customer service group and a sales and marketing team. “I wanted to get closer to customers and better understand the marketplace and how we could meet their needs. The role included logistics, sales technical support and packaging engineering, so it was a great experience from the standpoint of learning to lead. There was an amazing infrastructure around me, which ensured I couldn’t fall down - to some degree!”

Speed with purpose

Having learned so many valuable skills at Georgia-Pacific, Julie was recruited by Neenah to lead the supply chain for fine paper and packaging – its largest segment. “From there, I moved into sales and marketing and then held a general manager role with full P&L responsibility and decisions rights.” Leading that group for several years, Julie brought all her experience to bear and was able to find ways to grow the division for seven consecutive years.

One of my favorite parts of my job is being out in the plants, spending time with employees, learning from those that are closest to our manufacturing process “ “

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Remaining hungry for challenges and new experiences, she moved over to lead Neenah’s Technical Products division, before becoming COO and ultimately CEO, at around the same time as the pandemic struck. “It was a trial by fire so to speak; but it really helped us gel as a team and work together on how we were going to offset some of the headwinds we were facing,” she says of this time. Finally, following the merger, Julie became Mativ’s President and CEO.

“Taking on all these different roles and challenges has given me every opportunity to grow and learn,” she emphasizes. Believing that ‘the rewards are in the risks,’ this approach does require energy and determination (a quality that Julie celebrates is ‘grit’) and she admits that she is known for her ‘bias for action’ or simply, getting things done. “Internally, we call this ‘speed with purpose,’ and I am a firm believer that speed matters, particularly in the current business environment, which is very fluid, with strong competition. What’s important

is understanding that, when you are moving quickly, you are going to make mistakes. That is OK if you learn from them, move on and continue your forward momentum.”

Julie went on to highlight some further values that are prized at Mativ. “We value safety above all, and that isn’t just in our sites, but covers everything, from sales staff driving to an appointment to our operators on the floor. It’s important to us that everyone understands that safety is THE priority at Mativ,” she stated. “We also talk about ‘confident humility’, which requires the confidence to move forward and take a little bit of risk, while remaining humble enough to know we all still have a lot to learn.

“This ties into ‘actively experimenting’ – encouraging everyone to try something different across the organization, so that we are always creatively deconstructing what we do to make it better, faster, safer and more effective.

“We also believe in ‘assuming positive intent’. If you think a fellow employee is not moving in the same direction as you, the chances are they are just coming at it from a

different perspective. It’s better to assume that everyone has a ‘positive intent’ behind their actions and if you discuss it with them, you will find ultimately you are trying to achieve the same goals. Of course, our values evolve all the time, but these ones are key.”

These principles tie into the overall ambition of Mativ, which is, of course, to delight the customer and act as a trustworthy and reliable partner. Thanks to her sales and customer service experience, Julie prioritizes creating ‘customer intimacy’. “We win when our customers win, so we must stay in tune with that vision throughout our entire organization and keep customers at the center of our strategy.

“This results in some of our products being co-developed with our clients, including working very closely across different touch points, not just research and development, but also marketing, communication, operations, customer service and sales.”

This holistic approach helps to drive Mativ’s purpose of finding the ‘potential in the impossible’ – Julie and her team always strive to create products that solve problems in the future. “We identify opportunities by understanding the markets in which we compete and how our customers win in those markets. Often, we address those unmet needs before the customer has even articulated a requirement for a product. Those are important parts of our strategy, unlocking growth with our with our customers enabling them to win in the marketplace is the only way we will continue to grow.”

Sharing information, customer feedback, staff insights and the different approaches taken across global sites can yield valuable results; and to that end, Julie and her team are keen to embrace digital solutions that connect

not just its own operations but also extend out to customers. “It’s important to have real time visibility to performance, so having processes digitalized and the data instantly available increases our learning speed and improves how we communicate. Furthermore, our customers expect an efficient digital solution for how we engage and interact, and as a B2B company we mustn’t lose sight of that. The customer experience continues to evolve, and technology is a key part of maintaining and improving the relationship with our customers.

Exciting possibilities

“From a manufacturing standpoint, customers are looking for a global supply chain with local supply because of the fluidity of today’s supply chain challenges. That is a trend that has reversed from what we have seen historically. Mativ has global supply chain strength, as well as availability locally, and that latter factor also addresses the increasing importance of sustainable operations.” When Julie took the helm as Mativ CEO, her message to the combined workforce was that this was a fresh start. With plans now announced for a new, combined HQ in Alpharetta, Georgia, which will bring teams together in a space designed especially for them, the next few years look full of exciting possibilities. “I couldn’t be prouder and more honored to be part of this merger,” Julie ended. “I am thrilled with the opportunities we have in front of us, the strength of the team we have put together and the progress we are making. Everyone is extremely focused and aligned and I am excited to see what we will do in the marketplace in the next 12 months.” ■ www.mativ.com

Sharing information, customer feedback, staff insights and the different approaches taken across global sites can yield valuable results...

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PRODUCTIVITY REVOLUTION

When it comes to digital manufacturing, what’s really at the heart of the conversation is data.

Without the collection of information from smart machinery, manufacturers would simply not be agile, resilient and adaptable to modern challenges. It’s the ability to access and analyze this data that is critical for smart factories be successful and productive.

Over the past two years, modern businesses have been inundated with disruption around every corner. This ranges from supply chain struggles and the ongoing war in Ukraine, to a significant skills shortage and huge inflation increases. With competition more fierce than ever, and consumers demanding more than they ever have before, businesses have needed to work smarter and with far greater efficiency. The organizations that have done this best, have been those who have embraced information and data. For many, harnessing data has not only helped them to stay afloat, but grow and thrive.

In some areas, the uptake of technology and smart machinery has been slow. In fact, for many, there was

a reluctance to move away from the traditional way of doing things, where pen and paper and phone calls were the only way to identify how successfully a manufacturing line was operating. But, as it became increasingly clear that information held the key to unlocking productivity, and as more competition started to adopt smart machinery, almost all have been forced to evolve their processes.

Delivering Industry 4.0

At the heart of this change is Industry 4.0. Since its onset, organizations have continued to drive advancements, and have found themselves in an overall enhanced state of productivity. For instance, the speed at which the mRNA vaccines were developed during the pandemic is a case in point. Not only were they incredibly fast to be approved, but they were manufactured in a way that the industry had never seen before. Manufacturers had to leverage a data-led approach to keep up with the huge global demand, cope with ongoing social distancing requirements and reduce the costs involved with creating a totally new vaccine.

Digital manufacturing solutions are defining the future of productivity and output says Greg Moyle

The beauty of smart manufacturing, where data is at its center and productivity is its result, is that it doesn’t require lots of investment. In previous revolutions, organizations have had to completely rearrange their operations, purchasing entirely new equipment, installing new utilities and sometimes tearing down factory buildings in favor of something much bigger. But with Industry 4.0, it’s all about smartening up existing factories, step by step, and augmenting them with digital manufacturing tools and solutions to help reach their desired goals more efficiently and effectively.

This level of efficiency is going to be critical when it comes to ongoing success. Currently, the manufacturing industry is, like many others, experiencing a drastic talent shortage which is seeing it’s productivity dip. Recent research from Nineteen Group found that 78 percent of UK industrial companies are struggling to find the employees with the skills they need to assist in their productivity.

Failure to fill these roles is ultimately going to lead to downfall, but if manufacturers can find ways of identifying where automated technologies can assist in certain parts of the chain and redistribute resources elsewhere.

Bringing in autonomous operations

Automated manufacturing is nothing new. In fact, we’ve been using smart, robotic devices that feed on data for far longer than we think we have, whether it’s conveyor belt systems or automated packaging. Having robotics running the show is, in fact, saving manufacturers vast amounts of time and money. More often than not, the repetitive tasks which are now being completed by automated machinery occur in conjunction with other machines and humans in an environment such as an assembly line. Automation is essential in delivering the speed, accuracy and productivity needed for large scale and effective manufacturing.

Autonomous manufacturing is an intelligent and enhanced version of automated manufacturing. Embedding Industry 4.0 technologies like AI and machine learning into a smart manufacturing system that is already capturing data on consumer feedback, supply and demand, and machine capacity, will have a huge impact on the success of the production line. By being able to read, digest and implement changes automatically based on the data collected, managers can ensure a more efficient and optimized workflows is achieved.

Final thoughts

Making manufacturing operations ‘smart’ with new digital technologies is no doubt changing the industry’s productivity levels. Whether it’s a manufacturer who has already fully upgraded its operations, or one who is planning to do so in the near future, it’s evident that without digital, manufacturers will quickly lose their competitive edge, and resilience against future challenges.

The long standing benefits to output, productivity and success are already being noted by many and with the introduction of autonomous manufacturing and the recognition of the importance of data, the industry is set for an even bigger productivity revolution. ■

For a list of the sources used in this article, please contact the editor.

Greg Moyle www.sap.com

Greg Moyle is Head of Energy & Discrete Manufacturing for SAP UKI. SAP’s strategy is to help every business run as an intelligent enterprise. As a market leader in enterprise application software, it helps companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: SAP customers generate 87 percent of total global commerce.

Modern manufacturing

Four trends driving the new inter-connected workplace

By Kevin Tucker

At the onset of the pandemic, a monumental shift occurred, and the manufacturing industry found itself at a crossroads. Many companies had been focusing on support for legacy systems while trying to retain talent as many employees moved into retirement. There was a widening gap between those gaining benefits from digital transformation, and those negatively impacted by Covid-19 because they were behind on the maturity curve.

Although these challenges were felt universally across all industries, the manufacturing world has a unique set of problems that add additional volatility for CIOs to contend with, making the job both scary and appealing. Manufacturing organizations were unprepared for the shift to remote work, the need to produce goods with fewer people due to illness, and solving supply chain uncertainties.

In order to be successful in a new workplace dependent on interactive tech and collaborative solutions, there are four trends that manufacturing executives and IT leaders need to be on top of.

Modernization and Industry 4.0 Historically, manufacturing has carried a stigma of being a harsh work environment, including technology stacks that have lagged behind other industries, constrained IT budgets, and a slow recovery from the pandemic. The typical manufacturing business is cost-conscious and lacks advanced IT skills, with weak IT/OT convergence. The new generations of workers expect automation, which can’t be delivered without a sound strategic modernization plan.

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Currently though, many manufacturing operations still require high numbers of staff to be physically on location

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Currently though, many manufacturing operations still require high numbers of staff to be physically on location, even though they may be able to leverage technology to offer more employees the ability to work remotely. This starkly contrasts with other industries where employees traditionally needed to work from the office but have now developed methods for ensuring quality production while offering hybrid work.

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For manufacturers to thrive in the Industry 4.0 age will mean melding together the old and the new: an inperson environment with more integrated automation and IT solutions. Not only will this allow the organization as a whole to keep up with the pace of innovation, but the day-to-day lives of employees will be greatly improved by giving them more flexibility.

Disruption and rapidly capturing market share

Manufacturing businesses are traditionally slow to adopt new technology, but the industry’s technology adoption rate has increased rapidly since the onset of the pandemic. As the number of connected devices is projected to grow exponentially in the near future, manufacturing businesses can no longer afford to be complacent and need to shift from slow today to fast tomorrow.

Manufacturing CIOs need to investigate strategic foresight, a methodology that clarifies what is happening in the organization’s external environment and guides them toward meaningful solutions. This methodology identifies signals that enable the organization to identify market shifts and attach themselves to the waves of change with specific strategic initiatives and the context that will lead them toward success.

Resiliency and a continuous supply chain

Micro-factories and intelligent systems enable new and niche players to become relevant and disrupt incumbents rapidly. The story of the software company in a garage is now a manufacturing startup in a garage, which is close to the customer and highly technology-centric.

The pandemic has taught an important lesson: the importance of a diverse and blended supply chain, combining on-shore and off-shore capabilities. During these times, buffers and safety stock planning become vital.

The pandemic has caused a significant change in the roles of manufacturing executives, which are now in a state of turmoil as markets have become increasingly more volatile. An IT leader in the manufacturing space needs to be a technology thought leader and a master communicator, ensuring that the business clearly understands the importance of a business-wide technology transformation. Focusing on keeping the lights on with 20–30-year-old applications and equipment leaves the door wide open for them to be disrupted by the competition. ■

Kevin Tucker is Principal Research Director and the Manufacturing and Supply Chain Industry Lead in the Industry Practice at Info-Tech Research Group, one of the world’s leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and wellinformed decisions. For 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

Kevin Tucker www.infotech.com

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Micro-factories and intelligent systems enable new and niche players to become relevant...

Challenge or opportunity?

A playbook for Agile in Manufacturing

By Steve Martin

The concept of Agile, its systems and project management methodologies, is widely recognized across the manufacturing industry and so are its benefits. Since Japanese industrial engineer and businessman Ohno Taiichi introduced the ‘Kanban’ system in Toyota in the 1950s, the industry has kept an open mind to lean manufacturing processes that can help identify waste areas, improve output and yield higher profits. Even though Agile has been around for a while and has infiltrated other industries evolving along the way, the manufacturing industry often still associates it with tech processes and improvements, focusing only on the operational side of things.

Agile teams over Agile systems

It’s true that Agile processes and transformation can help companies develop a competitive advantage in today’s fast-moving marketplace. After all, it was Toyota’s Production System that laid the foundation for modern management techniques and transformed the company, which at the time was operating at a loss, into the global competitor it is today. However, these historical benefits are perhaps what can hold the industry back from looking at how far Agile has come and how it’s embedded itself as a philosophy in many successful organizations. One of the biggest breakthroughs for Agile

has come from the software industry, which as part of its Agile Manifesto states that individuals and interactions are prioritized over processes and tools.

Having systems in place which ensure the ongoing efficient and smooth running of the overall operation is great, but Agile is much more than that. Agile is the overarching mindset which can become the backbone of the entire organization. It builds a culture where your teams can find it easier to pivot and try different approaches when it’s needed. It’s about getting rid of the ‘this is how we’ve always done it’ mentality and empowering employees to become true system thinkers who can visualize both the individual areas of the operation and the bigger picture. Knowing that it’s OK to shift towards a new way of doing things when they don’t get the key results and quality they want, is what can help your teams to create fluid work systems to get the maximum value out of the minimum steps possible.

Top-down and bottom-up innovation for success Innovation has always played a vital role in manufacturing but for it to be truly transformative it requires the right organizational environment and culture. That’s where Agile comes in, as its values support having a welldefined innovation process.

Adopting Agile is about being innovative right across the organization, not only in the areas traditionally associated with new ideas. This means that your innovation department isn’t siloed and that adopting new ways of thinking and experimenting becomes the new norm across the organization. The Agile systems ensure that everything is within one stream, so the strategic objectives and vision is set at the top and any ideas and opportunities that originate from teams across the organization feed into those. Freeing up innovation and letting it flow increases the likelihood of new ideas being implemented and increases the chances of them adding value to the business.

An opportunity for leadership

For Agile to deliver results, senior leadership cannot simply set the vision then walk away from it. There needs to be continuous dialogue between people on the ground and middle management and making sure that there is that alignment at the top. A common blocker for developing a truly Agile culture is the fear which comes from change. Employees with a deep knowledge of their department may feel threatened because of Agile’s philosophy to assess everything on an ongoing basis. An Agile culture is laid upon transparency and flexibility and it’s up to the leadership to help teams feel at ease with this new way of working by building trust, developing clear boundaries, and encouraging teams to work together to deliver the best possible value. By doing this you can help your people to work collaboratively without letting fear get in their way.

As in every sector, the manufacturing industry is faced with increasing pressure to accommodate changes in customer behavior and embrace new technologies and ways of doing things while operating under turbulent global economics. It’s up to leaders to look at Agile either as a challenge or as an opportunity that can be seized to shape the future of the manufacturing industry. ■

Steve Martin is the CEO of Agilistic, which simplifies transformation for businesses. He has worked with organizations including BT, Vodafone, HM Revenue & Customs, William Hill and The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Steve Martin www.agilistic.co.uk/what-we-do/

European Manufacturing Strategies Summit

Industry experts to gather in Berlin for the 18th annual European Manufacturing Strategies Summit. Delegates can anticipate a packed program of industry insights

The 18th annual European Manufacturing Strategies (EMS) Summit will take place on 7th to 9th November at the Maritim proArte Hotel in Berlin. Situated on one of Berlin’s main shopping streets, this central location ensures a short walk from the sights and sounds of Berlin’s tourist hotspots.

EMS is the only strategic manufacturing conference and networking event to reveal best practice and highlight the latest solutions in preparing for an upturn over the next 12 months. Manufacturers in the industry will be sharing case studies and insights on how the world has irrevocably changed in the aftermath of recent and ongoing geopolitical events. The annual EMS Summit provides an international forum for manufacturing leaders to share and discuss strategies for the best way forward in this new world.

Boasting a packed three-day, threestreamed schedule of 51 engaging and informative sessions, attendees can expect

a wealth of industry experience and expertise. Delegates can anticipate workable and relatable case studies from the past couple of years, presentations from active senior industry professionals and plenty of networking opportunities.

The EMS Summit is now a CPD-accredited event. This means attendees can expand their knowledge and gain a certificate of attendance that counts towards professional development. The lessons learned at the summit can be applied in the workplace.

The summit’s key themes will explore maintaining an effective and functional workforce, highlighting the key parameters in switching to Net Zero, and transferring digital thread and technology capabilities.

There will be several keynote presentations from notable heads of industry. Marc Winkelman, Global Director of Manufacturing Innovation Capability at Proctor & Gamble will discuss the seven actions leadership needs to accelerate the operational excellence

journey and deliver its results. Widelyregarded as an industry leader, Marc will extrapolate the capabilities that have helped P&G to experience a year-on-year program of cost-saving, inventory reduction, service improvements and employee satisfaction.

In another exciting scheduled keynote presentation, Frank Polky, Head of OT Security at Mars will discuss finding the balance between trust and zero trust. Having experienced a cyber-attack five years ago, Frank will talk through the Mars journey from onboarding stakeholders to staff training in their global defense and its impact on productivity.

Delegates can also attend a range of panel discussions. Topics are scheduled to include a framework for smarter manufacturing, growth pressure points and tailoring the customer experience to create a customercentric supply chain.

Case studies will cover a range of industry insights. From the Internet of Things (IoT)

and technology to advanced production and strategic operations, heads of industry will explore subject matter pertinent to modern manufacturing.

Delegates can enhance their learning by attending networking brunches, one-to-one meetings and solution spotlight sessions. The summit is delighted to welcome heads of business from industry leaders, such as Staedtler, Electrolux and MTU Aero Engines, alongside esteemed academics from the University of Warwick, UK and the Institute of Mechanical Engineering of the School of Engineering of EPFL, Switzerland to this year’s advisory board. ■

European Manufacturing Strategies Summit

Dates: 7th to 9th November 2022

Location: Maritim proArte Berlin, Friedrichstraße 151, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Website: www.ems-summit.com

on the move

Founded in 1926, the MercedesBenz brand traces its roots all the way back to 1885, when Karl Benz first constructed the Benz PatentMotorwagen. Widely regarded as the first practical automobile, the self-propelled vehicle resembled a motor tricycle, fixed with a rear-mounted engine. Close to a century later, the Mercedes-Benz Group AG (MBAG) is one of the globe’s leading suppliers of premium and luxury cars, and an independent manufacturer of commercial vehicles. Headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, within the state of BadenWürttemberg, the group achieved revenues of 169 billion euros in 2021.

It was thanks to the work of Max Hoffman, an Austrian-born, New York-based importer of luxury European automobiles, that importation of Mercedes-Benz vehicles to the US began in 1952. Hoffman recognized a growing demand for existing and new models in the post-war American market, one on which he sought to capitalize. Among the cars brought across the Atlantic was the iconic Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, introduced at the 1954 International Motor Sports Show

in New York City. More than 80 percent of the 300SL’s total production of approximately 1400 units were sold in the US, making it the first Mercedes-Benz widely successful outside its home market. So significant was the Gullwing’s impact, the model is now credited with changing the image of MercedesBenz in the US from a manufacturer

of solid but staid luxury automobiles, to one capable of producing highperformance sports cars.

Unique position

Buoyed by the success of the Gullwing, by 1957, Mercedes-Benz was in a position to expand its reach across the US. The company entered into an initial distribution agreement with Studebaker-Packard Corporation, before striking out on its own eight years later, with the formation of Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA). Now a wholly owned subsidiary of MBAG, MBUSA is a nationwide organization, responsible for the distribution, marketing, and customer service for all MercedesBenz passenger and commercial van products in the US.

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For all the plants, there’s a central MBAG sales team that moves all the cars built in Europe to markets throughout the world

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“We occupy a unique position within MBAG,” explains Rory Anne Hepner, Director of Global Vehicle Logistics and Customs at MBUSA. “For all the plants, there’s a central MBAG sales team that moves all the cars built in Europe to markets throughout the world.

Diversified Automotive

Diversified Automotive has been a premier service provider for Mercedes Benz since 2005. Our team of professional car haul drivers achieved the prestigious Mercedes Benz 2017 ‘Best of the Best Carrier Recognition Award’. Delivery of the Mercedes Benz vehicle to the company’s retailer begins and ends with the professional handling of our team of drivers. We could not achieve all that we do without these true professionals.

Leadership takes many forms, and presents itself not only when times are good, but, most importantly, when our industry is faced with challenges. Rory Hepner and

MBUSA is not only a market that receives those cars, but we also act on behalf of MBAG, moving cars out of the USA.”

Both a customer and a vendor of MBAG, MBUSA employs approximately 1,600 people across the United States. The company also

the Mercedes Benz logistics team were first in our industry to recognize the challenges of the last two years, and the needs of their business partners. Mercedes Benz took immediate action to ensure that their partners remain in a position to succeed. No one can do it alone. A successful 17-year business partnership with any company can only be achieved when a respectful understanding of each partner’s goal is commonly shared. We are proud to share a common vision with Mercedes Benz, and we are very fortunate to have them as a true business partner in all respects. Thank you, Mercedes Benz.

has 383 associated dealership partners and offers a diverse line-up of models, from the sporty A-Class sedan to the flagship S-Class and the all-electric EQS. In the US, one type of vehicle stands apart: the SUV, or Sports Utility Vehicle.

Virginia Transportation Corp

Virginia Transportation Corp (VTC) is a worldclass auto-hauling company based in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The company’s operational footprint spans North America, including all 48 contiguous States and Canada, with the majority of its operational activity occurring in the eastern half of the US.

Founded in 1994 with a single truck, VTC has grown to nearly 500 power units, and is one of the largest suppliers of finished vehicle logistics for all the major automobile manufacturers. The growth of VTC’s asset base has been accompanied by a corresponding growth in human capital, and VTC has assembled a phenomenal team of

As the name suggests, SUVs’ combination of utility, luxury, and reliability makes them a popular choice for families, while appealing to a particularly American appetite for adventure. It follows, then, that Mercedes-Benz large SUVs

leaders and problem solvers at all levels of the organization that enable it to serve both its people and its customers.

On the customer side, VTC has become known for its unconventional and agile approach, with a focus on being a true business partner by way of collaborative problem solving and expedited response to customer needs. As an employer, VTC puts its people first by providing best-in-class pay and benefits, equipment, tools, training, and support for its workforce. Prioritizing both customers and employees has resulted in VTC both setting and operating to the highest standards in the industry.

are manufactured exclusively in the US, at the Mercedes-Benz US International (MBUSI) plant in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Working with MUBSI, MBUSA will collect the finished vehicles for distribution, including the GLE, GLS,GLE Coupe and Maybach GLS. There is more to come, too. The company started production of the EQS SUV in August 2022 and is set to roll out its electric EQE SUV later this year, with MBUSA already gearing up to distribute the vehicles across the US and beyond.

“If you talk to any company that’s involved with the moving of finished electric vehicles, there’s a whole new abundance of learning curves to process,” Rory indicates. “For instance, there are limits to the allowed level of charge for vehicles that travel across the ocean, on trains, or via trucks. The heaviness of the vehicles also impacts our load factor, which in turn challenges our ability to safely load vehicles while still supporting our carriers

with fair rates for moving such vehicles.”

“As sustainability becomes an ever more important factor across the sector, and particularly for MBAG, we need to do our best to help the Mercedes EQ family,” she goes on. “We launched the first EQS last year. Now, with other EQ models to follow, we are witnessing the beginning of what is the biggest innovation currently being undertaken across the brand. At the same time, we need to continue to provide our customers with the most luxurious experience possible, and to define what that experience looks like in the context of an electric vehicle.”

Operational efficiencies

As it pivots towards electric vehicles, MBUSA is also investing heavily in the installation of charging infrastructure at its key facilities, including at its Vehicle Preparation Center (VPC), located in Brunswick, Georgia. The site

Mercedes-Benz USA

is one of five VPC facilities in the US that serve as the first stop, after US Customs, for new Mercedes-Benz vehicles destined for Mercedes-Benz dealerships throughout the country, while also serving as the company’s largest port for exports.

“We’re also heavily investing in providing our people with the necessary training to move electric vehicles safely,” Rory continues.

“Electric vehicles pose different challenges to internal combustion cars; for the company, it’s like starting again after 130 years, and for our employees, that means being careful, and being confident in what you’re doing. As the Tuscaloosa plant rolls out a greater number of electric vehicles,

we need to take things one step at a time to ensure that we’re able to fulfill our responsibility safely and efficiently.” These investments sit within broader efforts at MBUSA to streamline its port operations. “It’s our responsibility to get MercedesBenz cars to the ports, and then out of the country to their destination markets,” Rory reiterates. “When finished vehicles wait at a port, they aren’t getting any prettier – we need to keep them moving. With that in mind, we have recently launched a focus on operational efficiencies. We’ve improved how long we hold the cars at port, both through engaging directly with the shipping lines, and through the launch of a dedicated team to handle our finished vehicles exports.”

Since taking these steps, MBUSA is already reaping the rewards. Rory reveals that operations at both the Tuscaloosa facility and the Brunswick port have become more cost and time efficient – an impressive feat, given the ongoing delays influencing shipping routes around the globe. “We’ve been tracking our progress since taking over these responsibilities in August of 2020,” she notes. “Our inventories at the Brunswick port have fallen by around 50 percent, simply because we’re singularly focused on moving vehicles at the port as quickly as possible.

“With ownership and control, it also allows us to be more disciplined,” Rory adds. “From a quality standpoint, we’ve worked closely with MBUSI to develop our own inspection procedures, which take place at the last gate before the vehicles leave the US. For MBAG, meanwhile, they no longer have to concern themselves with the movement of vehicles, because that responsibility falls to us,

We’re also heavily investing in providing our people with the necessary training to move electric vehicles safely

““ ““

and it represents our number one priority. Overall, it’s been a very positive development both for MBUSA, and for the MBAG enterprise worldwide.”

All of MBUSA’s efforts over the last two years have taken place against the backdrop of uncertainty, as the initial arrival of the Covid-19

USAL Solutions

Established in 2021 and headquartered in Houston, TX, USAL Solutions is a vehicle transportation broker and logistics provider. Our organization arranges for the safe, high-quality transport of vehicles by pairing available freight with our team of professional, USAL-certified carriers.

We differentiate ourselves from other auto brokerage services, by offering greater customer care, and flexibility for our partners.

“Good business starts with being respectful, trustworthy, and accountable. While we offer

pandemic gave way to months of supply chain volatility, with shortages, increased lead times, and delays posing fresh challenges to companies across the manufacturing and distribution sectors. The shortage of semiconductor chips has proved a particular obstacle for the automotive sector, combined

very competitive rates and high-quality freight to our carriers, we take great pride in building relationships by establishing trust and providing timely communication about our operational goals,” says Doug Bennett, president of USAL Solutions. “And, our robust back-end support resources allow us to provide payment terms that best meet our carriers’ needs.

USAL Solutions and its sister company, US AutoLogistics, a regional interstate carrier, make up the USAL brand of companies and are part of The Friedkin Group.

Norfolk Southern Corporation

Since 1827, Norfolk Southern Corporation (Norfolk Southern) (NYSE: NSC) and its predecessor companies have safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today, it operates a customer-centric and operationsdriven freight transportation network. Committed to furthering sustainability, Norfolk Southern helps its customers avoid 15 million tons of yearly carbon emissions by shipping via rail. Its dedicated team members deliver more than seven million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods, and is the largest rail shipper of auto products and metals in North America. Norfolk Southern is the number-one originator of finished vehicles, with 61 automotive facilities served and 35 destination ramps. It also has the most extensive intermodal network in the eastern US, serving a majority of the country’s population and manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port on the Atlantic coast, as well as the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes. Learn more by visiting www.NorfolkSouthern.com

with an exodus of workers from the rail and trucking industries that constitute the vehicle supply chain.

“Every single mode of transportation has been impacted by the pandemic,” Rory reflects. “Moving finished vehicles is complicated enough, but we’ve nevertheless had to do our best to diversify. If at one point transportation via rail was proving to be challenge, we had to shift our emphasis to trucks. That in turn will then throw up its difficulties, and we will have to shift once again.

“We’re fortunate to have launched a brand-new SAP-based system, VOIS, in 2019, which has given us the agility to be able to alternate how we move our vehicles with relative speed,” she continues. “We’re able to put in new rail routes fairly easily, add truck routes on a daily basis, and the system gives us the

transparency to know at exactly which point in our supply chain vehicles are located, and to keep them moving accordingly.”

Managing relationships

VOIS isn’t the only software that MBUSA has onboarded. The company has also adopted Cognosos, a cloud-based inventory management software, providing instantaneous access to real-time location information across the company’s yard at the MBUSI Alabama facility. “As chip or part shortages have become more frequent, we’ve encountered situations where we’ve had cars waiting in the yard that weren’t ready to distribute to market,” Rory explains. “Cognosos gives us the ability to conduct tracking far more efficiently, combining data from our yard with data from MBUSI. As vehicles are moved throughout the site, their locations are updated automatically on the system. We’re

therefore able to keep much better track of the vehicles, and find them more efficiently.”

Moving into the latter half of 2022, the automotive industry continues to grapple with a number of supply chain disruptions. For MBUSA, it’s a period that’s underlined the importance of a robust network of suppliers – or “partners”, as Rory is keen to emphasize. “Throughout the supply chain, we’re all under stress: from production, through to your carriers, and 3PL, as we try to navigate current challenges,” she confirms. “We’re all working with limited resources, and some days you won’t be their number one priority. However, it’s important to recognize that no one is purposely trying to make your job difficult.

“Instead, it’s about how you manage that relationship with respect, trust, and transparency,” she continues. “If your partners inform you that they have an issue, and let you know when they’ll have it fixed, there’s no

benefit to be had from beating them up if they fail to meet that deadline. Rather, you’ve got to work together to find new solutions. It’s the same when we’re working to get cars to our dealers: yes, we want everyone to be our priority, but we have to be realistic. If you offer your partners that transparency, they’ll give it back to you.”

Not to be forgotten, underpinning MBUSA’s hard work are the company’s employees. “In the Finished Vehicle Logistics team, we’re a group of 33 corporate office employees, and just over 140 individuals total, moving close to 500,000 vehicles in the USA; all with the goal to make a difference and get stuff done,” Rory

We love what we do at MBUSA, and take great pride in the vehicles that we produce and distribute throughout the US and the world

“ “ “ “

insists. “They’re the hardest-working people I’ve seen in logistics. When you’re moving cars, you’ve consistently got to bring your A-game to the table and execute every day. If not, there will be consequences in the months to follow.

“Our team embraces this challenge,” Rory continues. “At the same time, we’re

supportive of each other, and we make sure to keep things fun. Every day, I remind my team of the need to put our work in perspective. What we do is important, but ultimately, we are just moving luxury products around the world – we are not conducting brain or heart surgery. Developing that culture has been a key component of the work we have done over the last couple of years, and it goes hand in hand with our efforts to improve and streamline our operations.

“We love what we do at MBUSA, and take great pride in the vehicles that we produce and distribute throughout the US and the world,” Rory concludes. “Through an everchanging environment, we continue to work hard every day to meet the demands of our customers.”

www.mbusa.com/en/home

INDUSTRY LEADING RAIL,

RECKONED WITH TO BE

One of the world’s largest chemical producers, Mitsubishi Chemical UK (Mitsubishi Chemical), is taking to greater heights as the company pushes to expand its capabilities. Motivated by the mantra, ‘one company, one team’, the Mitsubishi Chemical Group has shifted from its previous structure, in which the holding company and each operating business were managed individually, to one in which the entire group is operated in an integrated manner. This strategy will serve as a catalyst for greater potential for Mitsubishi Chemical’s future.

“ “

Motivated by the mantra ‘one company, one team’

The removal of these organizational barriers between each of the operating and affiliated companies to realign them based on corporate functions and business units, has enabled the organization to respond quickly to a range of market changes and demands. As a result, the group can now maximize the power of its resources, technologies, and human resources, thereby forging the future.

“ “

How KAITEKI is pushing Mitsubishi Chemical UK’s success and motivating its sustainability efforts

Mitsubishi

Expanding offering

The business was formed in April 2021 by the consolidation of the separate Mitsubishi Chemical subsidiaries in the UK. These were Lucite International UK Ltd, Lucite International Speciality Polymers and Resins Ltd, MC Ionic Solutions and Nippon Gohsei UK Ltd. Taking a leap further back, in 2004, the Nippon Gohsei UK site re-branded to Mitsubishi Chemical UK Ltd, which birthed the SoarnoL Division, and led to the development of the Saltend Chemicals Park in Hull.

Manufacturing Today learns from the company’s Managing Director, Peter des Forges, about new ventures that are taking place to expand Mitsubishi Chemical’s offering, particularly regarding the SoarnoL division, as well as the ways in which it is refining its capabilities to remain a leader in the manufacturing industry.

Honeywell

The pressure is real for industrial operators to minimize automation project costs and risks, which means making technology implementation easier and less disruptive.

There is a need for a more efficient approach to control system engineering, and one that can be adopted incrementally, and used interchangeably with existing systems and infrastructure.

By decoupling control software from hardware, new control engineering methodologies open a range of possibilities. This includes hosting control in a data center, dynamic controller loading on-process, and easier temporary implementations during expansion projects or plant turnarounds.

In addition to increasing project speed and efficiency, the latest control engineering and implementation approaches enable plant engineers to decouple assignment of I/O modules and control strategies from specific controllers, while focusing on an entire group of controllers. This technique eliminates complexity by shifting I/O to the field, making it fully accessible to any physical controller, taking individual controllers and distributing the load so they appear as a single controller. Industrial operators face critical transformational demands, and automation technology advancements provide real solutions to these challenges through flexible new functionalities that result in safe, efficient, and sustainable operations.

Mitsubishi

Growing demand

One of the most recent and exciting announcements is the new production line in support of SoarnoL, Mitsubishi Chemical’s gas barrier, which is used in high performance packaging. “Our SoarnoL division produces ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) under the brand name SoarnoL,” begins Peter. “EVOH has a high gas barrier property for oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen, which makes it suitable to extend the shelf life of food through multi-layered food packaging that utilizes one layer of EVOH.

“Other applications for the product can be seen in bottles, pipes and plastic fuel tanks, and, subsequently, we have pushed the company to specialize in high quality, high performance EVOH that matches

customer requirements,” he shares. From Peter’s observations, global demand for EVOH resin has been expanding. This has been as a result of growth in emerging markets, as well as an increasing use of individual packaging, owing to lifestyle changes in recent years and the rising calls to limit the use of preservatives and food additives. Due to these factors, Mitsubishi Chemical anticipates solid growth in demand for EVOH resin in the coming years.

Although the three SoarnoL EVOH resin production sites in Japan, Texas, and the UK are thriving, the British-based facility is set to undergo some impressive expansions.

RAS Ltd

RAS Ltd has worked with Mitsubishi Chemical UK Ltd SoarnoL Division consistently over the past decade, during which time a strong professional relationship was formed. We have supported the existing site, and the PUMA project team on a wide range of projects, providing expertise and support on all aspects of process safety and risk assessment, including COMAH report preparation, hazard study facilitation, layer of protection analysis, demonstration of ALARP, basis of safety development, permit applications and best available technique studies.

Due to the long-term and consistent support provided, there is an ease and efficiency with which work is carried out, and we are confident that our relationship in the process safety space will continue to be a healthy one for many years to come. We look forward to supporting Mitsubishi Chemical UK Ltd through the PUMA project, delivering line two at the Hull site.

“ “ This has led to the impressive expansion plans in Hull

“ “

RISK & HAZARD MANAGEMENT

and

covers the full range of

SAFETY

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Only when the risk facing an organisation is well understood can it be effectively managed. Key to the successful identification, assessment and management of risk is engagement with the right people, using the right processes at the right time. We believe we are different to many of our competitors and our approach is distinctive, we don’t always walk the well-trodden path but look at each client’s particular risk context and develop a tailored solution, working in partnership with our client.

We work across all aspects of risk, from Quantitative Risk Assessments and Predictive & Consequence modelling, through to the ‘softer’ risks which may affect an organisation’s reputation.

(PSMO)

Authorized distributor for Wolters Kluwer – BowTieXP software

the effective management of

is

and

The company will meet soaring demand for food packaging materials by increasing its annual production capacity and establishing a structure to grow the business. It will not only increase production capacity to capitalize on rising demand, but will also speed up development of the business by continually offering food packaging-related solutions, and making full use of Mitsubishi Group’s collective strength. This has led to the impressive expansion plans in Hull, which will focus on state-ofthe-art manufacturing facilities, equipment and technology. This operation, where more than 125 people are already employed, has seen a steady and significant increase in demand as food manufacturers have sought to lower their environmental footprints. The new plant will be constructed on land next to the current facility, and is expected to be completed by mid-2025. “The EVOH production facilities at Hull have a capacity of 18,000 tonnes per annum, and with this latest investment, we are expecting to see that double, making the production site the largest capacity in Europe.

As a Japanese company, Mitsubishi Chemical follows the mantra of continuous improvement in improving efficiencies and safety throughout the process, which is why the investment at Hull is set to push the existing capacity to over 36,000 tonnes. “Most of this will be for the export market. Overall, the market is growing at around five percent per year, so these investments are necessary to keep up with customer demand.”

“ “ “ “ Mitsubishi Chemical follows the mantra of continuous improvement

When it comes to product innovation of this scale, Mitsubishi Chemical draws its inspiration from its loyal and supportive clients. “New products are created to meet the ever-changing customer demands, and new grades are developed in Japan by utilizing the full research and development capabilities of Mitsubishi Chemical. The packaging industry, especially in Europe, is pushing recyclability, which is why EVOH has many advantages compared to other barrier material. This increases the demand for our product and will continue its growth in the future,” Peter explains.

Sustainability goals

Tying in with the environment focus that drives Mitsubishi Chemical’s product innovation, Peter goes on to discuss the second development that has been in motion for several years: sustainability. In line with the international Sustainable Development Goals, which highlight global targets from the UN’s Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015, Mitsubishi Chemical is on track to minimize its carbon footprint.

Goglio

Goglio is a family-owned company, headquartered in Italy, with a global presence of manufacturing sites and commercial branches to closely support our customers.

Active in the development and manufacturing of flexible packaging for more than 170 years, Goglio operates in multiple markets like coffee, food packaging and detergents for consumer goods, and in the B2B, with aseptic bags (from bag in box to 1.400lt bags) and industrial bags (25 kg bags, FFS and liners for octabins and big bags).

Over the years, a complete system - the Fres-co system® - has been developed to offer a complete range of solutions (flexible packaging, filling machines, degassing valves and service) to safely pack customers’ products. Whenever your product needs protection, Goglio is ready to support.

This vision comprises 17 goals and 169 targets for realizing a sustainable world, in which governments and civil society are expected to utilize their resources and coordinate efforts to help decrease the impact the manufacturing industry is having on global warming.

By working in accordance with its vision of realizing KAITEKI, the sustainable wellbeing of people, society and the planet, Mitsubishi Chemical adopted improving sustainability as one of its management axes in 2011. Since then, the business has worked tirelessly to ensure that each milestone of its overall success does not negatively impact the longevity of the environment in which it works. This is where the concept of KAITEKI comes into play.

Neill & Brown Global Logistics

Neill & Brown Global Logistics has been a supplier for Mitsubishi Chemical UK for almost 20 years. Originally, the business served as a supplier for UK and European transport, then evolved into warehouse and storage, worldwide deep-sea coverage, and customs clearances, giving it the full logistics package.

From day one, the services level requirements have been very high. Each day multiple updates are given, highlighting when shipments throughout Europe have been delivered. Ontime delivery and ensuring customers receive shipments in full is a standard that is helped by a fleet of Neill & Brown Global Logistics’ own vehicles and UK drivers in Europe.

As cooperation together continues to grow, Neill & Brown Global Logistics is very proud to be a supplier of Mitsubishi Chemicals UK.

“ “ This vision comprises 17 goals and 169 targets for realizing a sustainable world

“ “

The company aims to not only help solve environmental and social issues but contribute to the sustainable development of society and the planet. As such, it believes that many aspects of its vision of realizing KAITEKI run parallel to the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN. “Although we acknowledge numerous challenges lie ahead in this regard, considering the opportunities that come with it, every effort is important.

“We embrace these new challenges with optimism that we will overcome difficulties that once held us back, elevating the company to the next level. Through this, we remain fully committed to advancing our goals to achieve carbon neutrality, finding solutions to marine plastic pollution, and creating hope for the future. To that end, in December 2021, we announced our new management

policy, Forging the Future, which lays out a clear strategy to unlock the growth potential of our Group and drive operational excellence.

“In addition, as we mentioned earlier, in April 2021, we shifted to an integrated management structure, operating with greater efficiency as ‘one company, one team’. Under this new structure, Mitsubishi Chemical Group will take on the challenge of realizing a better future together with our shareholders, customers, employees, communities, and all other stakeholders,” Peter expresses.

This is why the SoarnoL division project is proving to be a major success for the business. Because sustainability is integral to the company’s success, the new development will contribute positively to Mitsubishi Chemical’s environmental goals, as well as its overall prosperity. “This is a fantastic benefit for SoarnoL, as it extends the shelf life of food, and ultimately minimizes food loss. There is

Wernick Hire

Wernick Hire (Wernick) provides specialist blast accommodation for Mitsubishi Chemical UK.

Wernick is proud to supply Mitsubishi Chemical UK with specialist blast resistant buildings and portable accommodation for its Saltend Chemicals Park project.

Established in 1934, Wernick is the largest independent hirer of portable and modular accommodation in Britain, with 28 hire depots strategically located throughout Britain. Wernick offers high quality products and a premium service to clients that include many of the top 100 UK contractors.

With the environment being a core value, Wernick is committed to being carbon zero by 2040. It also offers a range of eco-friendly accommodation to help clients reduce their carbon footprint.

There is minimal packaging waste as well, through reducing the plastic within the structure and through recycling. On the operations side, we are exploring the possibilities of receiving power, generated from blue hydrogen, thereby reducing our carbon footprint significantly. This would involve us linking in with the Hydrogen to Humber scheme, which our government is considering very seriously at the moment,” Peter divulges.

Optimistic outlook

While these developments do provide a positive outlook for the future, Peter is also aware that there are challenges that must still be

“ “ it aims to enhance the company’s approach to sustainability

“ “

tackled. One such challenge that Peter references was of course the pandemic. Although Covid-19 brought with it a few obstacles that impacted the business, Peter shares that he is proud of how the company was able to overcome these difficulties. “During the pandemic, we managed to keep the plant running to help fulfil our customer needs. In fact, customer demand rose during this period as there was an increase in people eating at home rather than at a restaurant, which results in more food packaging.

“As for supply chain challenges, we were holding high stocks of raw material as a contingency of Brexit. Fortunately, we have excellent relationships with our major suppliers and logistics providers who helped us

through the period without us having to stop production,” he explains. With these measures in place to see through the industry difficulties, Peter’s forecast for the future is optimistic. He is excited to see how the development of the SoarnoL division will continue to prosper, as it aims to enhance the company’s approach to sustainability, while further expanding its operation. “With the new line scheduled for completion in mid-2025, the company will see a larger critical mass, and further employment both directly or indirectly and the ability to satisfy our customers growing demand for top quality EVOH,” he concludes. ■

www.mitsubishichemical.co.uk

TURNING METALS INTO MOTION

Ijoined as CEO on 9th March 2020,” begins Mike Quinn, CEO at Doncasters, a leading international manufacturer of high-precision superalloy components that can withstand even the most demanding conditions. “Everything ground to a halt four days later when the pandemic swept through the UK and across the rest of the world.”

A trial by fire, indeed. As he goes on to explain, Mike went 18 months without visiting a single work site due to restrictions imposed by the brusque arrival of Covid-19. However, ultimately, he assures us at Manufacturing Today that the company has come through the whole ordeal as a more robust, resilient business.

“The pandemic forced us to address our material and non-labor cost base,” explains Mike. “Furthermore, in doing so, we improved our productivity, efficiency, and scrap rates; the company has truly gone from strength-to-strength since March 2020. Of course, the supply chain remains upside down – it has been a real

The latest on Doncasters: the superstar of superalloys and casting

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system, we will be

into the

of

and

“

challenge. But we have adjusted operations to mitigate external issues, including buying in and storing more stock to protect ourselves as well as investing in new working capital. As a result, we have managed to continue delivering products on-time to customers throughout the entire pandemic and supply chain turmoil.”

Major investments

Founded in 1778, Doncasters is one of the UK’s oldest manufacturing companies. With nearly 250 years of business under its belt, it is fair to say that the pandemic was not its first rodeo with adversity. Evolve, adapt, and overcome seems to be the mantra by which Doncasters operates.

The newly-launched Doncasters Production System represents another part of this commercial evolution. The Lean program is being rolled out across all of the company’s sites, meaning that no matter which Doncasters location one visits, they will all look the same and utilize the same metrics.

In addition, Mike reveals the team is currently busy setting up a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system – the first in the company’s history. Going forward, it will be applied to all sites within the next two years. “We are making some major investments and carrying out some mammoth undertakings across the company,” details Mike. “For instance, alongside the Doncasters Production System and our new ERP system, we will

ICD Europe

ICD Europe are experts in the procurement, processing and supply of a wide range of specialized metals and alloys. From our strategic global locations, we directly supply consumers in a wide variety of industrial sectors including the aerospace, medical, petrochemical, automotive,

electronics and industrial gas turbine industries.

As part of the ICD Group, we have an extensive global supply chain. Since its formation in 1952, the ICD Group has had a presence in over 50 countries dealing in a diverse range of commodities, including lumber, plastics, pigments, minerals, chemicals and metals.

be investing around £100 million into the renewal of our machinery and equipment. This period is really motivating for our staff; it shows commitment and they can see the investments materializing in the factories before them.”

Vertical integration

Working in superalloys and manufacturing complex casting products, Doncasters offers an unparalleled range of solutions for high-performance and specialist applications across myriad markets. It utilizes a 2800-strong workforce and 15 advanced production facilities to serve aerospace (airfoils, combustion components, heat shields), industrial gas turbines (cast structural components, seal segments), superalloys (both vacuum- and air-melted), and automotive (turbocharger components and study welding systems) sectors.

Doncasters also acquired Uni-Pol, a leading manufacturing company specializing in investment casting technology, earlier this year, acquiring four additional production facilities in China, India, Mexico, and the UK in the process. Through this work – by turning metals into motion, as the company tagline puts it – the firm has garnered clients like Siemens, GE, Rolls-Royce, and BorgWarner. “We have two main areas of focus: superalloys and precision castings,” explains Mike. “For the latter, we have two plants – one in Sheffield, UK and another in Los Angeles, California. We are the second largest seller of Nickel based superalloys in the world, and we benefit tremendously from having an internal supply chain because we do not have to rely on external vendors.

“Moreover, while we sell superalloys to a number of markets, we also utilize them in our casting facilities by vertically

integrating,” he goes on. “Casting makes up the largest portion of our business. Out of our 15 sites, 13 of them are dedicated to the manufacturing of complex precision casting components that will be used in, for example, an aircraft engine or industrial gas turbine.”

Focus on ESG

As our conversation has made clear, Doncasters might be in the business of turning metals into motion, but it is also in the process of getting its own ball rolling – and that means an ethos of continuous improvement.

“We are always looking at ways we can be better at what we do and how we do it,” says Mike. “It is a way of life at Doncasters; everyone – from myself as CEO to a team member at entry-level – knows that each and every day we must do better. We are always

looking out for our people and ways in which we can make their work lives better. In the end, the best endorsement a company can have is a workforce that would gladly recommend it to friends and family. Going forward, we want to work on creating an environment that fosters such a response.

“Another concept that we have launched, and look to expand on in the future, is Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reports,” he concludes. “We recently published our first one online, and it firmly lays out our ambition for the coming years. For instance, we have set ourselves a wealth of metrics: zero landfill, reducing our energy usage by ten percent, moving to a circular economy, and a more diverse and inclusive workforce – just to name a few. That is a big deal for us, and we look forward to making it become a reality.” ■

www.doncasters.com

Thesynergyo

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How development and design have catapulted AME Group’s long-term growth

Prototype development is a key part of the manufacturing process, and AME Group is determined to be the reason why companies utilize innovation, and push their businesses forward. Working for a variety of wellknown companies, such as B&Q, Smith & Nephew, Unilever, VAX and Hornby, AME Group has built its reputation as a leading prototype developer in the UK. The last 12 months have been especially exciting for the company with the installation of three new machines to handle the increase in business, about which Managing Director Rich Proctor shares more. He also discusses with Manufacturing Today the advancements taking place at AME Group, and how it is using the latest

the

and

side of the

was

in order to bring

to its

technology, including liquid resin and dry powder 3D-printing, to forward its operation.

Team investment

Rich kicks off the conversation with the news of a recent investment that saw an impressive £750,000 spend to increase capacity, diversify into wider markets, and broaden AME Group’s manufacturing capabilities.

“We make the best use of the space we have available,” he begins. “The investment enabled us to bring in three new machines, and strengthen our high-resolution operation. We were then able to increase the size of parts we can make in one piece; we went from 250 to 450mm cubes, and our standard resolution SLA capability grew from 350 to 800mm cubes.

As part of this investment, the 3D printing and production side of the

business was rebranded as AME-3D, in order to bring clarity to its offering.”

Rich then highlights that the business has also invested significantly in its most important asset: the health and safety of its team. With this, he shares that AME Group subsequently introduced extra extraction machines to ensure the staff have the best possible working environment, and, alongside structural refinement, the company is also expanding its team to grow its pool of talent. “We have done several hires in the business, taken on a couple of workshop staff, and added sales resources directed towards both the prototyping and the design side of the

business,” he shares, adding that this will be an area that the business continues to invest in.

“We have also brought on board a new sales director for our prototyping department, which will push forward the vision of AME Group. While technology serves as a critical aspect to our operation, we recognize that our team is just as important. Without their expertise and know-how, much of our machinery would be redundant.

So, I am pleased with the ways in which we work to grow our team, and further everyone’s career as much as possible. We have several staff who have spent over 20 years in the business, because the leadership team has worked hard to make this a great place to work. I think there are a few factors that play into that. One of them is the fact

that we give the folks here a huge amount of autonomy to get the job done. We do not support a culture of control; the guys are brought in because they are experts in their field, and the best thing I’ve found is to let them push on and do what they need to.

Optimistic outlook

“The team here is free to work its magic the best way possible, and we have managed to create a place where people want to work, because they get to witness their own victories first-hand, which comes with the level of autonomy we encourage. When we get great feedback from a customer, often the sales team receives that feedback, and the first thing they do is take a copy of the email or the conversation they had, to the workshop and let the team know that they’re doing an exemplary job. After that, we stick those emails up in the canteen as an added encouragement. This is an aspect that I really

love about how we support each other, because it creates a positive attitude that allows every member here to feel appreciated,” shares Rich.

Increasing demand

This level of morale proved invaluable during the pandemic. For Rich, AME Group was able to navigate the turbulence of the last two years only with the support of its dedicated team. From the onset, it became clear that the company was in a

relatively vulnerable position as much of its business depended on the operation of its clients. However, Rich highlights that the group was able to pivot quickly. “Covid-19 presented some initial challenges as clients withdrew from prototyping new products. However, they soon turned their operation around when different markets opened up with product requests, and over the last two years, we have picked up demand tremendously.”

Carrying his optimism forward, Rich is eager to see what the future holds for AME Group. As we bring the conversation to a close, he divulges the company’s plans for the next five years, each of which are aimed to increase the company’s capacity. “As we mentioned earlier, the investment we made was to grow our infrastructure, and now we are looking to fill that space. We will then continue to push investments into more machinery and technology, and expand our sales resources. I am also very aware that our design team, rebranded biild, is a

huge contributor to our success. We have a commercial manager who is growing that side of the business, and doing fantastically.

“From my perspective, our success really rests in strengthening and training the team by bringing in new and younger talent,” Rich concludes. “Part of our long-term strategy is to partner with people who have innovative ideas for their business, and support their journey. We have a couple of different businesses in very difficult sectors, and we’re looking at how we can help take them from concept through to market. As we go forward, while growing our own client-base of production, prototyping and design, we are also looking to partner with those creative entrepreneurs, and if we can find a way to work together, then there is no limit to what we can achieve.” ■

www.ame-group.co.uk

he beginning of the Channellock story goes all the way back to 1886, when George B. DeArment, a blacksmith from Evansburg, Pennsylvania, began hand-forging farrier’s tools in a small factory, travelling from town to town to sell the products out of the back of his wagon. The company eventually became known as the Champion Bolt & Clipper Company, before passing into the hands of George’s two sons, Almon W. and J. Howard DeArment. In 1923, the pair moved the company into a 33,000 square-foot facility on South Main Street in Meadville. It was there that the company, thanks to the hard work of Chief Engineer Howard Manning, developed the concept of multi-position, tongue and groove, slipjoint style pliers, sold under the name ‘Channellock’. The company took this as its name ten years later, in 1963, and has continued to deliver innovation upon innovation ever since.

Today, Channellock is run by the fifth generation of the DeArment family, which includes Bill, Jon and Ryan DeArment. Still located at its base in Meadville, the company’s two facilities total 260,000 square feet, and provide employment to more than 370 full-time associates, making it one of the largest employers in Pennsylvania’s Crawford County. The company manufactures more than 75 different sizes and types of pliers, all forged from steel made in the US. The products are made on site, before shipping to upwards of 4000 wholesale and retail customers throughout the US and beyond.

Skilled workforce

Bill Huff is the Director of Manufacturing at Channellock. Having been with the company for more than four years, he oversees the company’s production, scheduling, quality, and shipping operations. It’s a position that offers

a perfect insight into Channellock’s manufacturing cycle, from the procurement of raw materials, to the manning of machines, product checks, and delivery logistics. According to Bill, it’s been a challenging few years for the company as it, like many throughout a host of industries, has sought to overcome recent supply chain disruption. But perhaps the greatest difficulty has been managing a severe shortage of available labor, which is currently impacting key sectors across the US.

“We’ve been in business for more than 130 years, and some of our employees have been with us for three or four decades,” Bill reflects. “That gives us a wealth of knowledge, but when someone decides it’s time to leave, it’s difficult to replace them. When it comes to new hires, we’re not opposed to candidates without a background in manufacturing, and to help them, we’ve developed a training program that gives them the tools they need to be successful. Upon joining Channellock, new employees each receive a mentor in the shape of a veteran within the company who is able to share their knowledge about our products and operations, and answer any questions that the trainee might have. We want our people to be properly trained, and to feel comfortable in all aspects.

“With labor in short supply, we’re fortunate to have a workforce that’s crosstrained in a number of different machine functions,” he continues. “We’ve been able to alleviate the worst of the pressure by moving people around different machines according to demand in order to get product through.”

Since the launch of the first Channellock tool, the company has grown its product catalog considerably. Its present range encompasses not only a number of variations on those original pliers, but also screwdrivers, wrenches, and specialty tools and tool sets.

Now, Bill is focused on improving efficiency throughout the company’s machining operations to minimize unit costs and deliver greater value for Channellock’s customers. “We’re always looking at ways of making our products faster and more safely,” Bill confirms. “Our V.P. of Operations,

With labor in short supply, we’re fortunate to have a workforce that’s cross-trained in a number of different machine functions

“ “ “

Channellock

Marc Johnston, and I work hard to collect data on our operations, through which we’re able to identify bottleneck areas, or potential equipment upgrades. Once that’s done, we’re committed to making the capital investments required.

“The other side of that is quality,” he continues. “Channellock has built its reputation on quality. As we take steps to build our products quicker, we’re also looking to incorporate tighter tolerances in order to produce a better-quality product. It all goes hand-in-hand.”

As evidence of its success, Channellock has been the recipient of a number of awards over the

years. The 2008 ‘Governor’s Award for Safety Excellence’ underlined the company’s commitment to safety, and was followed by further accolades, including the 2013 ‘Pro Innovation Tool Award’ for Best Pliers, awarded to its E348 Combination Pliers. Similarly, the company’s 968 Pliers took ‘Best Wire Stripper of 2021’, courtesy of Popular Mechanics. Most recently, Channellock’s SpeedGrip™ Tongue & Groove Pliers were announced as Electrical Construction & Maintenance Magazine’s ‘Hand Tool of the Year’ for 2022. But instead of resting on its laurels, Channellock is now targeting novel ways to improve the sustainability credentials of its product line

Supplier relationships

“As part of our continued efforts to manufacture our pliers in the most efficient and responsible manner, we are instituting a major change to our waste collection process,” Bill reveals. “We are replacing disposable absorbent materials, which soak up oils from different production processes, with recyclable fabric alternatives. Instead of these fabrics going to permanent disposal facilities, they are laundered by a service provider who reclaims the oil and returns clean products for reuse in our operations.”

As talk turns to the company’s longterm future, Bill is keen to emphasize Channellock’s commitment to yet further

product innovations. “We’re continually looking to improve our product line,” he says. “Whether it’s a fresh design or a whole new product, our mission is to always advance our cutting-edge technology and apply it in new ways.

“As we look to achieve that, we’re fortunate to have positive relationships with a number of valuable suppliers,” he concludes. “They’ve been vital in our ability to navigate supply chain shortages, and they’ll continue to play an essential role when it comes to making great hand tools, and getting those tools to our customers. We’ve been around for more than 135 years; with their help, we can look forward to another 135 to come.” ■

www.channellock.com

A sustainable revolution: three ways Volution Group is ensuring it combats greenwashing

For Ronnie George, the CEO of Volution Group (Volution), the company is more than a provider of indoor air quality improvement solutions. “Our real core competence is innovation and product development, so all of these products that we talk about are proprietary to Volution.” Ronnie, who has served as the CEO for over ten years, joined Volution back in 2008, when the company was a provider of ventilation equipment exclusively for the UK. Back then, the business was focused on residential markets, and, as Manufacturing Today learns, Volution has grown organically each year. This, according to Ronnie, is owed to the business’s ‘three-P’ policy, which covers its products, people and planet.

“ “

Volution prides itself on excellent quality and reliability

Ve n tilationm a n ufactu r e r s “ “

an intensive manufacturer. When it comes to our UK facilities, we have one in Reading that manufactures our refurbishment products, and another in the West Midlands that specializes in system heat recovery products. If you were to walk around the factory floor, you would typically see individual components that we assemble many of which are our proprietary design and provided by third party suppliers,” Ronnie explains.

Volution prides itself on excellent quality and reliability as a market leader in ventilation manufacturing. “We are an assembler, rather than

However, when it comes to injection molded parts, these are completed entirely by Volution through its own manufacturing process. “For example, at the Reading facility, we assemble over two million discreet fan units of different shapes, sizes, and configurations annually. In the West Midlands, we have an operator colleague who assembles the whole heat recovery unit, so they put

together the shell, including the foams, the electronics, the heat exchanger, the controls, and so forth. Following that, everything we manufacture in our facilities is then 100 percent end-of-line tested.”

People first

Having covered the discussion of the company’s products, we then move on to the second ‘P’ that forms an equally pivotal role in the business. “People are absolutely at the center of what we do. For me, the most important aspect is authenticity, and remaining transparent with the work that we do. I am very fortunate to be supported by a senior leadership team that understands that vision. Our style is to be accessible, and as a result, we host many fun employee engagement sessions. Our management meetings are hosted around different sites. For example, we had an outdoor barbeque, and then, more recently, we had a pizza event,” he says.

“One of our biggest challenges during the pandemic was not being able to meet with our team face-to-face; we took for granted how important that is for a group that is so

closely tied. This proved particularly difficult when it came to finalizing some of our acquisitions because we couldn’t engage directly with colleagues to listen to any of their concerns or reservations. Having said that, we have a fantastic group of people here who were willing to show up for each other, and that comes back to establishing a genuine team,” he shares.

This approach of authenticity has subsequently led the business to remaining true to its third, and final ‘P’ – the planet. According to Ronnie, the Volution team is dedicated to ensuring that sustainability is deeply embedded within its operation. “Our employees are smart people, and so they would absolutely know if we were greenwashing.”

The term greenwashing alludes to conveying an impression that a company’s products are more environmentally friendly than they actually are. Ronnie and his team have worked hard to refine their operation to decrease the business’ carbon footprint. “We had a revolutionary change about three years ago, when we realized that we make products that are housed in plastic. We live in a country littered with plastic bags, and I wanted to find a way to decrease this reality. We have embarked on a mission to manufacture 90 percent of our injection molded plastic products from a recycled, sustainable, circular economy source by the end of 2025.”

Ronnie is happy to announce that there have been fantastic developments in this regard, and the company is on target to reach its sustainability goals. “We have been so successful with it. At the end of our last year, we achieved just under 70 percent of all our

production from recycled plastics, and we have partnered with some strategic partners like AO.com. When this company delivers a new refrigerator for a customer, for instance, they take away the old one, break it down, and then, with the help of an intermediary to process the plastics, we can utilize them in our own facilities. This then feeds back into the ways in which we are determined to maintain an authentic and honest practice within the business,” Ronnie explains.

Green goals

There is one aspect to Ronnie’s job, which truly inspires him to continue the work Volution is doing. “We have had employees on the shop floor come to us, and ask if they can take our products home to show their children, because they are really proud of the contribution they are making, and I think that is fantastic.

GalxC

Specializing in the design, installation, and maintenance of bespoke cooling solutions for the manufacturing sector, GalxC provides chillers and cooling equipment as individual units or complete systems to companies nationwide. With over 20 years of cooling expertise, the GalxC team take the time to fully understand each customer’s unique requirements, before utilizing their unparalleled technical knowledge to deliver a prompt, efficient, cost-effective service without compromising quality.

While many of GalxC’s customers require permanent installation, they also hire equipment for short or longerterm use, including lease deals of five years with inclusive warranty as an alternative to CAPEX investment.

“Volution is one of the few companies listed on the London Stock Exchange with a green economy mark; this is awarded due to the amount of revenue that is generated through low carbon technologies. We have a target to get 70 percent of our revenue from low carbon solutions, again, by the end of 2025. We are now in the 60 percent range. We have also set our target to be net zero carbon without offsetting by 2040, and at the rate we are going, I am confident that we are well on our way to achieving that.”

A breath of fresh air

Ronnie is also aware that reaching these goals requires commitment.

However, there is one motivation that keeps him optimistic about the direction in which Volution is heading. “We have made some huge investments over the last couple of years in more sustainable energy production for our own facilities, such as district heating schemes.

My daughter, who is doing her business degree now, continuously checks that we are doing right by our beliefs. Sustainability and greenwashing are very topical issues, and that is one of the reasons that always keeps me honest. We are on a journey; it will take time, but the trajectory is certainly moving ahead nicely,” Ronnie divulges.

Looking further ahead, the CEO is excited about the future of Volution.

He believes that the company has a winning formula, particularly considering how important clean, quality air has become over the last two years. “There is a huge need for energy efficient ventilation. One thing that the pandemic taught us was that we shouldn’t underestimate how important it is to have good indoor air quality. Although washing our hands was important to containing the spread, we forget that it was an air-borne virus. This means that it was more about wearing masks and being outside. While I hope the pandemic is in the rear-view mirror, I don’t think the lesson regarding the difference that good quality indoor air can make will be forgotten any time soon,” Ronnie concludes. ■

“

There is a huge need for energy efficient ventilation

“ “

Boxes and Packaging

Boxes and Packaging is one of the UK’s leading designers, manufacturers and suppliers of corrugated packaging.

From standard boxes to bespoke solutions, teams at its ten sites work with a wide range of clients from highend vineyards to global manufacturers and their global supply chains.

Adept at creating solutions that are 100 percent recyclable, sustainable packaging solutions have never been more important to businesses.

To get in touch with your local team visit www.boxesandpackaging.co.uk

and

MISUMI –read on as to why you should,

Established in Japan in 1963, MISUMI is focused on supporting manufacturers.

As a global manufacturer and distributor of configurable components and off-the-shelf products, one might assume that the company offers a range of individual parts. One might even assume that this range is vast.

But that does not quite capture the essence of what MISUMI offers. MISUMI has a selection of 80 sextillion configurable and standard components at its disposal, making it an unmatched and unrivalled onestop-shop for customer specifications and high-precision design and manufacturing standards.

It does not stop there. In fact, the global manufacturer stocks over 20 million engineered products, and considers technology titans like Tesla and Panasonic to be core customers.

Made-to-order mindset

Through its complete product solution, 24/7 engineering service team, system support network, and adept maintenance division, MISUMI is configured to save businesses time throughout a product lifecycle and, in the simplest of terms, make things

work. Automation, press die, plastic mold applications — all these and more fall under the company’s remit, making MISUMI one of the most preeminent and user-friendly engineering resources for various manufacturing and industrial automation organizations. Though it partners closely with external, third-party brands like Bosch, THK, and Mitsubishi, the Japanese company also has a keen focus on its own, MISUMI-branded products.

Sitting down with Manufacturing Today to highlight the company’s key

Mr Nobu Ashida

differentiators is Nobu Ashida, President at MISUMI USA.“Typically, our competitors will manufacture products similar to those that we handle,” he begins. “However, these will generally be linear shaft systems or bearings. What sets us apart is that we create whole systems that can be tailored to a desired size or set dimensions. While others might focus on the idea of a part, we focus on how components themselves can be configurable.

“It is this made-to-order mindset that makes us a truly unique business in our field,” Ashida goes on. “In our case, we offer customers engineering solutions including Computer-Aided Design (CAD) downloads, and sometimes, if a customer requests our engineering team, then they will go to their site to carry out extra services. Hence, our focus is not solely on designing equipment and configurable parts, but also on our customers and their needs.”

Close partnerships

Though Ashida points out that MISUMI covers all the core industries within industrial automation, he is keen to reveal that more recently the company has been focusing on the Electric Vehicle (EV) market. “Tesla is one of our biggest customers,” details Ashida. “The EV industry is important for MISUMI to grow, and to sustain that growth we are continuously looking at how we can better automate our warehouses. This includes Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs), systems, as well as conveyors. So far, we have invested around $20 million into building a brand-new

facility in Dayton, Ohio, near one of our US manufacturing locations, enabling us to carry ten times more inventory.

“This investment will help us to meet customer requirements, especially when it comes to short lead times, which is currently very important amid all the delays that we have seen since the pandemic,” he adds.

“The most recent addition to our automation and digitalization suite is called meviy, a new ondemand procurement software.”

The breakthrough service, which launched in October 2022 for the US market, enables customers to upload 3D models directly to the meviy platform. Users can then verify tolerances, receive a quote in relation to both pricing and lead times, and order their products online in a matter of minutes. Once custom parts are purchased, they are shipped within just a few weeks. The goal of this service is to provide a fast and affordable solution to component procurement.

Another area of interest for MISUMI is the semiconductor industry, which might sound familiar due to the headlines it has garnered because of the global shortages that have hampered technology giants like Samsung and Apple since the Covid-19 pandemic

▼ MISUMI USA Headquarters - moved into this location in Schaumburg, IL in 2020

began. “As a result of that shortage, the semiconductor market is really important to us,” admits Ashida. “The constraints imposed by the pandemic have affected the industry as a whole – not just us. One of the key lessons that we have learned is to focus more on the stock that customers need, which means investing more in our US locations and local companies in Europe, Asia, and Japan.

“Through those investments, which includes our new facility in Dayton, we have put ourselves in a better position to receive more customer requests and reduce lead times,” he continues. “Since the shortage, those elements have been a priority for our customers. One of our core strengths is our ability to meet such

requirements. If we have stock, then we can ship on the same day. Going forward, we will focus on shortening our lead times even further, while also increasing the number of SKUs we can hold, circumnavigating any supply chain constraints.”

Skills improvement and constant learning

As Ashida has suggested, the future of MISUMI is defined by continuous improvement and, as a natural corollary of that, organic growth. He expects the company’s various units, split across the US, Europe, Asia, and Japan, to grow by at least $10 billion in the next decade. However, as he quickly points out, that growth is predicated upon one thing – and it might not be what you expect.

“Growth comes from the development of employees and by keeping talented people in the company for a number of years to come,” he concludes. “Fortunately, MISUMI has been growing at more than ten percent compound annual growth rate over the last 20 years. MISUMI’s US branch has grown by at least 20 percent in the last year alone.

“But those figures do not come from our business model; instead, they are a product of

JW Winco

JW Winco is grateful for its partnership with Misumi, and honored to be a key brand partner sharing in the common goal to deliver standard parts in the shortest possible time. Thank you to President Nobu Ashida, Chris Blaszczyk, and many others for your collaboration over the years. JW Winco wishes you continued success and growth! JW Winco is a leading source for metric and

our employee development, a consequence of skills improvement and constant learning. I, for one, am taught something by my team every day, whether it concerns marketing, engineering, sales, or human resources. By having great people that can grow together, our business can also grow in tandem.” ■

https://us.misumi-ec.com

inch standard parts. The business offers an extensive selection of operating, clamping, and machine parts. For over 44 years, JW Winco has been known for high-quality, innovation, modern product designs, expert technical guidance, and fast, friendly, professional service. Find out more at www.jwwinco.com. Standard Parts. Easy. Essential. Winco.

Exceeding ambitions

How Schumacher Packaging is setting billion-euro goals – and smashing them

We last sat down with Björn Schumacher, CEO at Schumacher

Packaging, around 18 months ago. At the time, he told Manufacturing Today about his grand vision for the company going forward. By the end of 2022, he expected Schumacher Packaging, a market-leading German family-owned manufacturer of corrugated and cardboard packaging solutions, to turn over one billion euros.

Ambitious, yes. But far from insurmountable. We recently caught up once more to find out how the company is progressing towards that goal. “So far, it looks like we will reach or even exceed this target,” Björn reveals. “To what extent we might exceed it, however, still depends on the realization of some projects that are still in development but show no signs of termination thus far. Generally, we can say that, in the last 18 months, we have managed to stabilize our existing client base. Moreover, particularly in the second half of

last year, we won some interesting accounts that will surely bolster our portfolio.”

Impressive expansion

Serving e-commerce, food and beverage, slow- and fast-moving consumer goods, promotional products, logistics, and automotive and machinery markets since 1948, Schumacher Packaging has grown year-on-year to exceed original expectations.

What began as a fairly modest operation has transformed. Today, the company, which is itself headquartered in Ebersdorf bei Coburg, Upper Franconia, operates from 27 sites across the world, including facilities in the UK, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands. As Björn goes on to point out, since we last spoke the company’s focus has been zeroed in on proceeding with initializing its investment strategy, which aims to secure a safe supply chain for customers.

“In the last 18 months, we have expanded capacities at our Greven plant, which is located in northern Germany,” he details. “This has made the facility perhaps the largest plant in terms of capacity for packaging production in the world. On the other hand, we also had to think about the supply of paper for these new capacities and, consequently, prepare the expansion of our paper mill in southern Poland.”

To offer some perspective on the scale Björn is working at, for these two projects alone, Schumacher Packaging budgeted an investment volume of around 250 million euros. About 100 million euros will be ploughed into the company’s paper mills to facilitate further expansion.

Sustainable solutions

With that growth comes exciting new products to benefit customers and the planet

alike. “We are currently working on a new series of paper bags for the e-commerce industry that are produced from 100 percent recycled paper,” explains Björn. “These bags are also completely CO2 neutral; they are, as a result, much better for the environment.”

When it comes to product innovation such as this, Schumacher Packaging works very closely with its customers. The company aims to understand each business it collaborates with as best it can, which means addressing and understanding needs on a case-by-case basis. Though issues surrounding sustainability have influenced the process of new product development, Björn is keen to note that it is also a concern with regards to how the company runs its daily operations.

“For us, like most, to save energy is already an economical need,” he admits. “Therefore, we have an energy management system installed, and have reaped the benefits for a long time. It will detect any possibilities for saving energy across our plants and then

Papier- und Kartonfabrik Varel (PKV)

Schumacher Packaging and Papier- und Kartonfabrik Varel (PKV) have enjoyed a trusting partnership for many years, for which we are very grateful. PKV is a mediumsized family business with about 600 employees that produces cardboard and containerboard for the German and international packaging industry on the basis of recovered paper, thus following a sustainability vision since 1950. Our products are the heart of the packaging solutions of many well-known products. With an annual production capacity of over 930,000 tonnes on four production lines, we are one of the largest production sites in the European paper industry

implement the necessary processes to save resources. In addition, we are investing more than 50 million euros in green energy power plants.”

Waste reduction

Recently, Schumacher Packaging has made huge strides forward in the rapid digitalization of its manufacturing output. At the fore of that move is iPrep, a resource-efficient transportation and unwrapping system utilized at the company’s Greven production facility.

The only one of its kind in the world, Schumacher Packaging’s adoption of the ground-breaking iPrep system was aided by a grant from the environmental innovation programme run by the Federal Ministry for the Environment. “Normally, some layers of the paper rolls, which our packaging plants convert into corrugated sheets, are damaged during the transportation process,” explains Björn. “As a result, these damaged layers of paper have to be cut off. This is traditionally done by hand, and to be safe, the operator will cut off more paper than is necessary.

“With iPrep, however, in-house transportation is fully automated, and that means any damage is reduced significantly,” he goes on. “Furthermore, all rolls are scanned, and the system will precisely detect how many layers of paper are damaged, cutting away only what is absolutely necessary. Therefore, in each plant we should save around 1.5 million kilos of paper per year.”

By 2025, Schumacher Packaging will have set out its plans to invest 700 million euros into more environmentally friendly production methods. As he looks towards that future, Björn cannot help but reflect upon the devastating war in Europe.

“The conflict in Ukraine is causing problems for everyone; it is awful,” he comments. “Energy costs are exploding as a result, and the industry is being hit hard by inflation to a degree that we have not seen for decades. Costs are going up; people want to save money. It is a lose-lose scenario!

“However, we have identified various solutions to this problem for our plants, and we plan to become more independent from Russian energy,” he adds. “One way that we are doing so is through the construction of photovoltaic powerplants (two are located in Poland and another two are in Germany).

“We have also shifted some investments in response to the conflict,” he concludes. “That

means we are redirecting our focus to investments that, instead, secure raw materials and bolster production methods.

For the long-term, we are sticking to our plan of becoming the complete European supplier of paper and packaging. There are still some blind spots on the map but we will fill these out stepby-step. By the end of 2027, we plan to cover at least two more significant countries in Europe and achieve a turnover of 1.5 million euros.” ■

www.schumacher-packaging.com

“ “ we are investing more than 50 million euros in green energy power plants

“ “

NEXT GENERATION CONTAINMENT

Pharmaceutical manufacturing is a complex and rapidly evolving industry. Manufacturers have adapted their production lines, as they aim to speed up processes to meet increasing demands for the faster development of highly personalized treatments – such as Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs), targeted medicines that deliver chemotherapy agents directly to cancer cells.

Many of them are also working with Highly Potent Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (HPAPIs) which, when used in microscopic doses, enable a targeted approach to treatment.

These are life-changing developments, but their complex nature has also created challenges around manufacturing control – with cross-contamination risks and danger to operators who are handling these substances. Demand for clean air and containment solutions has therefore grown, as manufacturers look to ensure that their workers are protected during the drug production process.

Responding to this demand, Envair Technology was formed by uniting three businesses operating in the clean air and containment space – flexible

isolator specialist, ONFAB, rigid isolator manufacturer, Envair, and Total Containment Solutions (TCS), which is a leading supplier of fume cupboards. Each brand boasts its own unique heritage, with Envair celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

As a group, Envair Technology provides solutions at every stage of the value chain for pharmaceutical companies - covering the full lifecycle of drug manufacture, from research into candidate compounds for clinical trials through to manufacture, and dispensing within hospitals.

Following significant growth over the past two years, Envair Technology now employs 150 people. With a turnover in excess of £20 million, it offers the widest portfolio of clean air and containment solutions to facilitate drug development and manufacturing in the pharmaceutical sector.

Pooling resources to drive innovation

Much of Envair Technology’s success is a result of how it has harnessed skillsets from across the merged businesses and brought more of the group’s operations under one roof – increasing

How combined expertise is fueling Envair Technology’s international growth

its production capacity in the process.

In 2021, the company opened a new 63,000 square-foot world-class facility in Heywood, Greater Manchester.

“In the last 12 months, we have spent £1 million investing in new machinery at our Heywood site to improve manufacturing and cost efficiencies,” says Andrew Ellison, CEO of Envair Technology. “This has enabled us to bring previously outsourced production in house and gain better control of our supply chain, while also reducing lead times for our customers. We’ve seen a 150 percent

increase in fume cupboard production capacity and a 25 percent increase in isolator production capacity as a result.

“Previously, we were cutting metal on a guillotine. Now, we are using a laser machine. This has enhanced sheet utilization, our volume has increased, and we were able to reallocate three people. Investment needs to reap a return, and we always look for the pay-back in our processes. While we are obviously supporting customer demand, we also have to ensure we are investing in the right equipment – not only to meet that demand but to become more efficient and to meet our shareholders’ expectations,” explains Andrew.

The move to the new Heywood facility has enabled the company to continue adding to its product

We have a hugely talented engineering team here who are helping us to lead the way with product design and provide tailored solutions. . .

lines – with a rapid gassing isolator, potent dispensing isolator and antibody drug conjugate isolator all developed recently. New product development, faster lead times and the bespoke nature of the solutions it can deliver to customers set the company apart from its competitors.

“We have a hugely talented engineering team here who are helping us to lead the way with product design and provide tailored solutions that meet our customers’ needs, however complex they may be,” adds Andrew.

Firetrace Ltd

We are proud to supply and work alongside Envair Technology to provide individual protection for each cabinet or enclosure. With over 25 years’ experience in the manufacturing of fire suppression systems, and over 15 years of working with TCS, we have had countless documented cases where our fire suppression systems have

Expansion beyond the UK Andrew’s 20 years’ experience in finance and engineering business management has helped him to steer Envair Technology through a period of transition following the acquisitions, and enter its next phase of growth. He’s now looking at how the group can offer a global proposition to pharmaceutical manufacturers through its suite of containment products.

“We’ve brought three well-run, privatelyowned businesses together, and put processes

immediately detected and put out fires, especially in fume cabinets. Due to the critical nature of this work, our systems can be constantly monitored and interfaced with other services to achieve localised shut down or alarm activation. We look forward to continually expanding together, and stopping fires where they start.

and people in place to enable further expansion. Our ONFAB business has grown significantly in the US this year – we’ve seen a 154 percent rise in exports in the first quarter of 2022 alone. We know there is a real appetite for flexible containment products, so moving forward, I expect we will open a sales office and manufacturing facility in North America, not just for our ONFAB brand but for Envair Technology as a whole,” enthuses Andrew.

Part of the company’s strategy, which has helped it to reach new markets, is engaging with local distributors in each country. “The UK remains a prominent pharmaceutical country for us, but there are opportunities further afield that are not to be missed,” Andrew continues. “We’ve seen an 18 percent year-on-year increase in international sales, and 40 percent of all our revenues now come from overseas. ONFAB currently does 60 percent of its business in Europe and we’re seeing opportunities for the Envair brand to be pushed more into Europe and the US too.”

Culture of collaboration

While the individual businesses may boast significant heritage, as a group, its relative youth could present a challenge, particularly in terms of organizational culture. As Andrew explains: “To mold and support our culture, we are implementing a leadership development program to nurture professionalism and provide our people with the skills to lead and develop the business.

“We are equally proud to work collaboratively and closely with our suppliers. When engineering solutions for our customers, we call on our supply chain partners to support us.” Indeed, what sets the business apart from the competition is its ability to react to customer demand. Envair Technology prides itself on being able to engineer containment device solutions for its customers. “It’s not a case of boxshifting or grabbing something off-the-shelf,”

Andrew explains. “We go to customers with potential solutions, and work in collaboration to create the containment device they need. That is our unique selling point. We can set the margins, but we have to work with our customers to deliver a quality product, ontime, and at the right price.”

Looking ahead

In terms of the current economic climate, with inflation and energy rates rising, Andrew sees the business as defending itself, and its customers and suppliers, against those and other cost increases. “By investing in our inhouse capabilities, we can be more efficient and maintain our profit margins.

“Our goals for the remainder of 2022 are two-fold. We have a healthy order book that we need to deliver on over the next three-to-four months, but I have also put a three-year growth strategy in place which we will implement with our senior team and managers across the business. That strategy is about growth in the US and Europe, as well as developing new products and working more closely with the NHS in the UK. We now have the manufacturing capability, and we are building our sales and commercial teams, so they are in a prime position to respond and grow the company.”

Looking to the future, Andrew reiterates his hopes for sustained growth and the expansion of Envair Technology’s global reach. “We’re looking to penetrate new markets, in addition to the move Stateside. We already have a site in southern Spain, but a move into northern Europe could be a possibility, alongside penetrating the Asian market. We also haven’t ruled out the possibility of further acquisition.

“It’s an exciting time for us – we have a growing team and we’re seeing continued demand for our containment solutions. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved together so far, but there’s plenty more to come,” Andrew concludes. ■

Andrew Ellison - CEO

A global company, with a local presence

The hybrid supply chain is a term GPA Global established in order to strengthen relations between its partners and its team.

As a result, the business has successfully instilled a passion for relationships and unity across its operation and vendor network. The international packaging expert has built its name on greener practices in the manufacturing industry, as well as durable and dependable packaging, as we hear from Adam Melton, the Group CEO. “We have a broad network of suppliers, and acquired a number of factories, which subsequently led to the creation of our hybrid model, of which we are so proud.”

How supply chain and sustainability became the cornerstones of GPA Global’s success

The hybrid model is a strategy that has allowed the company to incorporate a unit of businesses to fulfil its packaging operation. According to Adam, this approach has proven to be globally robust, and also allows the company to expand its reach even further.

GPA Global, also known as Green Packaging Asia, began in 2007 with a vision to remove clamshell packaging and toxic plastics from

the waste stream. Over the years, the company acquired a handful of businesses to help expand its packaging and printing solutions. “Now, we are strategically placed across the world to mitigate supply chain issues, and to fulfil customer needs as quickly and efficiently as possible, while minimizing our carbon manufacturing footprint.

“In Europe, for example, we introduced folding cartons and specialty rigid packaging to our catalog, and so we started to acquire more asset heavy businesses, while still building our vendor network. Our mission is to be nimble for our clients so that as we design our sustainable solutions, we can provide them with an accessible transition from less sustainable materials, such as thermo-form plastic clamshell usage to molded paper pulp, which is more environmentally friendly.”

Sustainability goals

The goal to be the number-one sustainable packaging provider is the driving force behind GPA Global’s purpose, and it has also served as the motivation for the company’s expansion. “We have already acquired seven businesses in the last five years, and those businesses are hybrid in nature. Some of them are design entities that design and develop packaging, and then outsource the manufacturing in different regions, and some of them are manufacturers who retain the manufacturing capabilities in the specific regions. This model of connectivity is what we strive for. We keep a very delicate balance of our assets because it affects our ability to grow, which is why we invest strategically in

“Now, we are strategically placed across the world to mitigate supply chain issues, and to fulfil customer needs as quickly and efficiently as possible, while minimizing our carbon manufacturing footprint

acquisitions.” The reason why GPA Global is determined to expand its operation is simple: client support. “We have no limit to what we can design for our customers, and as their packaging evolves, we want to be there to support them,” shares Adam.

While GPA’s supply chain approach is critical to its operation, another pillar of the company’s success is sustainability. “We have always been determined to support the environment. We have seen how our customers’ priorities have changed according to market turbulence. For example, in 2008, most folks were not interested in the environment. As time went on, it became clear that we were in the right place, at the right time, because we stayed true to our sustainability practices, which helped them achieve their cost goals and understand what sustainability in packaging means for them.”

Although sustainability has only recently become a buzzword within the mainstream

media as a tool to combat global warming, GPA Global has been an advocate for greener packaging since its inception. “We have spent a lot of time and effort helping our customers build a sustainability road map. We provide Life Cycle Analysis reports, to provide brands with the data they need to make informed decisions around changing components to more sustainable alternatives. This holistic view also takes into consideration the logistics and end-of-life impacts. Tying in with this, we are strategically investing in our locations to support them with near-shoring opportunities,” Adam says, which is why the company is taking an aggressive approach to its acquisitions. “It is all aligned with the sustainability goals of our customers, and those of our retailers to be able to manufacture regionally rather than in Asia, as was the tradition.”

When it comes to GPA Global’s own green goals, Adam shares that GPA is determined to maintain its momentum. “We are taking a

very realistic and pragmatic approach. We want to achieve a reduction of 20 percent of our scope one and scope two emissions by 2030, and then by 2040, we want to see a 50 percent reduction. We must look at wastewater, the different materials we use, and the electricity required to produce each of our products, rather than purchasing carbon offsets simply to make our numbers look good.”

While Adam recognizes that these plans are ambitious, he does not want the company to fall prey to utilizing monetary solutions as quick fixes. Instead, he is a committed to empowering his team and refining the overall operation. “We want to have the right people in place to execute our strategies, and we want to educate our clients on how to achieve their goals. As I mentioned earlier, we know that our customers want to be environmentally friendly,

and we want that to happen in the most costeffective way possible.”

Going forward, the future looks exciting for GPA Global. Adam shares his gratitude for his team, and how it has overcome the challenges of the pandemic with agility and patience.

“This has resulted in greater support for our customers, and enabled us to be more diverse so that we can continue to support brands around the world in every product category.

“In addition, we are investing significantly in automation, and we have some exciting developments to announce later on in 2022 that will put us in the right position to help global brands to achieve their sustainability goals for the next decade,” Adam expresses.

Talented team

Continuing with his reflections on his team, Adam takes a moment to reiterate how invaluable his team has been throughout GPA Global’s tenure. “We are a people business and the team here is incredible. I am in awe of who I work with, and the talent they bring. What we do here isn’t easy and to have a team that is able to balance the needs of our customers with the needs of the business is an admirable skill. As a packaging supply chain partner, we must be nimble in terms of the materials we use, and I am immensely proud of the folks here who understand how to make that possible.”

For Adam, the most rewarding aspect of his work is being able to share what he does with his children. He shares that the moment he sees GPA Global packaging in a customer’s store, and points it out to his children, is one that will never lose its novelty. “It’s beautiful, I still love it. Being able to create a sustainable solution that

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With a head office in Telford, England, VA Technology started out as a service center for Unimate robots. The business then continued to expand through customer requests for help with investment casting applications. Since its founding year in 1988, it has grown from strength-to-strength over the last three decades. From there, VA Technology evolved into the Shellroom equipment provider it is today. “In 1990, we opened our first facility in the USA to support our customers

there. This was closely followed by the development of our facility in China in 2009,” shares James Clarkson, VA Technology’s Sales Director.

We learn from James that VA Technology provides equipment for all aspects of investment casting shell solutions, from small individual pieces of equipment to fully automated manufacturing systems. “Our team design, manufacture, install and support a range of equipment, for customers of all sizes, in any global region. We fully assemble all equipment on site and

invite our customers to review the complete equipment operation ahead of dispatch to their location,” he explains.

He then proceeds to share more details about the company’s infrastructure, which includes an extensive set of state-of-the-art machinery. “One piece of equipment I would like to discuss is the IC-Crystal Shell Management System, which is the latest generation of our management software. It gives total oversight of all aspects of the systems operation, from management of part

recipes, to WIP, KPV data, OEE, and system alarms,” James says. The software is a one-stop shop for the operator, and can also be easily integrated with factory MES and ERP systems to complete the automation process. He also shares that the company has a team of six, full-time engineers, constantly working on the software’s future development and improvements.

“For many years, our systems have been fully connected, and we are committed to continually making improvements to develop this further. Our latest generation of Shell Management Software - IC-Crystal - is the brains of our equipment, and captures all aspects of system data, which can be communicated with the operator or out to factory-wide software.”

Growth in the US

Staying on the topic of the company’s facilities and in-house developments, we learn that over the last 12 months, VA Technology has made a significant investment across the business. “We have integrated our fabrication arm into our current UK site, and expanded our facility by around 20 percent to accommodate this. We have also completely remodeled the facility, and updated some of our build areas to improve the working environment. A £250,000 investment in five vertical storage systems has also been made to improve working practices and efficiency. In the US, we acquired a new building in Solon, Ohio. This has doubled the size of our US operation, and we are actively working to grow this location further to support our USbased customers,” James explains.

Historically, over 90 percent of the equipment the company has manufactured has been exported from the UK, which is why VA Technology places an emphasis on having a wide-reaching global presence. “We

“ “

The software is a one-stop shop for the operator

“ “

have locations in the USA and China to offer local support to our customers in those areas. Both overseas locations are equipped to install, commission, and offer after-sales support to our customers locally, which is vital to maintain good relationships, and ensure our equipment is always running as it should.

“Over the last five years, we have begun to manufacture systems in our US facility, and with the purchase of our new, larger facility, we aim to build on this further. Having these facilities has also benefitted us greatly over the last few years when travelling has been difficult due to the pandemic. We have been able to complete installations in China and the US by using our local workforce, which otherwise would have been impossible.”

James then goes on to discuss projects of which the business is particularly proud. Recently, VA

Technology secured a significant contract from the Doncasters Group at its sites in Deritend, in the UK, and Groton, in the US. “These projects will be manufactured at both our locations here in the UK and across the pond, in Solon, OH. The Doncasters Deritend facility already has some of our equipment, but this new system will replace all the existing equipment, and completely modernize the facility, along with doubling its capability. The addition of the Groton project will make VA Technology the ‘shellroom standard’, which is very exciting.”

The discussion of this project then triggers the question of the company’s viewpoint on sustainability, and how it works to provide the best services with as minimal an impact on the environment as possible. “During the recent renovations of our UK facility, we installed LED lighting with

motion sensors in all areas, to minimize our energy usage. Likewise, wherever possible, we recycle our packing materials and stillages to try to repurpose these on future projects,” James says.

Team contributions

The topic of conservation then leads onto the company culture, which, according to James, is the key secret to VA Technology’s success. “Our employees are the most important aspect of our business, and a good working environment is vital. There is a high level of importance put on company social events and gatherings to ensure good teamwork, and people are recognized for their contribution. Recruitment is always challenging so retaining people is key and a good working environment plays a big part in that,” James elaborates.

With confidence in his team, and a positive outlook on the future ahead, James expresses that VA Technology will continue to invest in both the UK and USA facilities

to further improve productivity and the company’s manufacturing methods. “The expansion of our fabrication facility to increase our capability will also be completed in the upcoming six-month period, which we are all looking forward to.

“Beyond that, we are working to further develop our US facility, and create a selfsufficient manufacturing location, with full design capability and with all US-based system manufacture taking place there. This will support our UK business, and allow us to better utilize the manufacturing space we have available.” He concludes by adding that the team forecasts a busy couple of years, and with the new expansions on the horizon, the business will continue to excel in providing leading shell casting solutions. ■

www.vatech.co.uk

MINNESOTAN METAL

It’s the eve of a significant milestone for Millerbernd Manufacturing Company (Millerbernd), a heavy metal fabricating company located in Winsted, Minnesota. Founded in 1933, the company is set to celebrate 90 years of operation next year –a period in which it has forged a

reputation throughout the industry for service quality, product quality, delivery, and cost.

Within Millerbernd, business broadly falls into two distinct units. The first, known as the company’s transportation unit, includes standard, custom, and innovative light poles and traffic signal

How fabricator Millerbernd forged an industry-wide reputation

structures for customers working with US Departments of Transportation. Operating across 37 states, each with varying design criteria and calculations, Millerbernd’s professional engineering delivers products specified to individual markets.

“We provide support from design, all the way through fabrication and

delivery to site,” comments Isaac Marceau, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Millerbernd’s transportation unit. “Our focus on DoT gives us a deep understanding of our markets. We believe our products offer strong value relative to our competitors, and we focus on product

specifications, customer service, and fulfilling our promises to our customers.

“Governing agencies are continually updating their criteria, which means states are always in the process of updating their products,” he adds. “Likewise, highwind-speed states will have different requirements to those further inland. Therefore, we’ll work closely with DoT engineers on new designs, giving our input for ease of manufacturability, in order to maximize our own productivity for their specific location.”

New facility

The second of Millerbernd’s business units encompasses rolled rings and cylinders, and accessory components for Tier 1, Tier 2, and OEM manufacturing companies. Ben Ostarello, Director of Sales for the unit, outlines its three distinguishing qualities amid a competitive field.

“First, we deliver scalable solutions; mill through delivery, partnering directly with mills where needed to get the best price and best product for our customers,” he

.

. .we offer flash-weld rings and cylinders, which deliver a stronger weld than standard processes, without filler material, at a fraction of the price

“ “ “

comments. “Many of our customers don’t really understand our own material requirements, whether its cross-sectional size, available grades, or more economical mill runs. We partner with OEMs to help them understand what’s best for their application.

“Second, we focus on our core markets: construction equipment, defense, power generation, HVAC, and wind towers,” Ben continues.

“Third, we offer flash-weld rings and cylinders, which deliver a stronger weld than standard processes, without filler material, at a fraction of the price.

We also explore ways to improve efficiency and eliminate waste for our OEM customers, providing them

cost savings over more common manufacturing methods. Most of our customers conduct their own design work in-house, and then come to us with a finished product. We help them to tweak those designs, thereby establishing long-term win-win relationships within our business.”

Like all industries, manufacturing was rocked by the arrival of Covid-19 in 2020, as global supply chains ground to a halt. But amid the chaos, Millerbernd quietly went about its business. In 2021, the company opened a state-of-the-art 110,000-square-foot facility at its Winsted site, which now houses its ring and cylinder division. The addition brings Millerbernd’s total

manufacturing footprint to 600,000 square feet, provides a further 10,000 square feet of office facilities, and frees up previously occupied space on the factory floor.

“With this latest addition, we have all of our machining, forming, and welding services under one roof,” Ben comments. “The move has also allowed us to invest in new equipment, including a new robotic mega turn cell, a robotic Samsung machining center, a robotic grinding cell, and a new 13foot wide Davi four-roll plate roller. This will help us to build additional capacity for our OEM business partners. We also have relative flexibility to further expand the building as our needs evolve.”

Comments from both Isaac and Ben are a showcase for Millerbernd’s customeroriented approach to business. But the company places an equal emphasis on those within the business. “Beginning with our CEO, Trevor Millerbernd, and extending throughout our senior leadership team, we work well together, check our egos at the door, and live out our core values,” Isaac reflects. “The result is a united set of colleagues, all of whom adopt a positive, solution-driven attitude. As a company, we do our best to repay that. Among a number of cultural evolutions in recent years, we’ve put a renewed focus on safety, and we’re proud to say that we’ve achieved a 25 percent decrease in incidents year over year.”

Anticipating demand

From 275 employees in 2018, Millerbernd has since grown its staff contingent to approximately 470 individuals. It’s a trend that’s bolstered in part by an uptick in longevity post-pandemic, as employees put greater stock in job stability. Across the next six months, the goal at Millerbernd is to maintain its current trajectory, with a view to introducing another working shift within its transportation unit. “Our passion is proudly

growing a safe and secure company,” Isaac insists. “At Millerbernd, we all believe that growth has to be healthy growth, aligned with our core markets, our manufacturing niche, and our market strategy.

“Within our DoT unit, there is strong demand,” he concludes. “A current shortage of contractors within the field is naturally causing a few delays, but there remains a large volume of available work. In light of some of the infrastructure legislation passed within the last eight months, we anticipate another strong half-decade run.”

“From our OEM business, the same is true,” Ben echoes. “Our customers have strong backlogs, and have largely emerged from the pandemic in a healthy state. The horizon is looking bright.” ■

www.millerbernd.com

Smooth running

Hamilton Caster is restructuring its supply chain and investing in people and machinery to meet the challenges of the post-Covid era

Hamilton Caster & Mfg. Co., (Hamilton Caster), was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Ohio, in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati – where it built its first building, back in 1920. It is a family-owned company and always has been.

“The company was founded by my great-grandfather. My grandfather, the founder’s son-in-law, bought the business and got us into a good financial situation after the mess of the Great Depression. Three of his four sons – my dad and two uncles –joined the company in their early 20s. Two of my brothers, a cousin and I make up the fourth generation of the family working here and members of the fifth are now coming on board,” explains Dave Lippert, President.

As its name suggests, Hamilton Caster’s business is primarily the design and manufacture of industrial casters. It boasts a pretty impressive standard range, with capacity ratings all the way from a few hundred to 40,000 lbs. and with diameters from

less than three inches up to 25 inches. They are produced for heavy-duty, industrial, shock-absorbing, and stainless-steel applications.

“We also make a lot of specials or custom models. We have built casters that are rated to 100,000 pounds –that’s 50 tons. Those particular examples themselves weighed 8000 pounds – four tons – and stood about 54 inches tall. They really were the granddaddies of them all; they are the biggest we have built – so far,” says Dave. “A lot of our custom products are made of stainless steel or other metals, and are in nonstandard sizes. We have made casters with special bearings and profiles or specifically designed them for unique purposes.” The standard offering range has conventional wheels – which Hamilton also makes – or they can be flanged, shock-absorbing, pneumatic, tuned for speed or anything else the customer may require.

“ “

It is a familyowned company and always has been

“ “

Strong team

Despite a wide range and a willingness to customize its offerings, Hamilton has come to rely more heavily on robotics and automation – increasingly so, in the post-Covid business environment.

“We started investing in CNC lathes in the 1980s, so while we weren’t the earliest into automation we now have a full complement for machining caster parts and wheels,” he explains. “We have had robotic welding for decades now, and recently bought another two machines. They do the major part of the welding of the casters themselves.” While automation is essential, there is still a place for skilled manual fabrication.

“The carts and dollies are nearly all custom, in sizes and materials. They can be made of different

materials and all sorts of sizes: eight, 10 or 12 feet wide and anything up to 20-to-30 feet long. There is little opportunity to automate so they are built by hand,” Dave continues. “A lot of hand welding goes on and we have overhead cranes to move them. Behind all that is a strong team of design and engineering staff.”

Family heritage

Hamilton is almost at full employment; it would like to have more but recruitment has been very difficult, post Covid. The business is prepared to incentivize potential and existing employees and is also in touch with

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The carts and dollies are nearly all custom, in sizes and materials

“ “

the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, with a view to recruiting potentially skilled people who want to rebuild their lives. That said, however, there is no problem with staff turnover; people have been with Hamilton Caster for decades. One person is just coming up for retirement after 52 years’ service; 25 and 30-odd years’ continuous employment is common.

“We have learned how important a positive company culture is. We have broken down the walls between the shop and the office. The family heritage is a big factor and we work hard on getting to know and understand our people,” explains Dave.

Important investments

Supply chain connections have been strained since the disruption caused by Covid, and that has had an effect on Hamilton Caster’s hard-won culture of Lean manufacturing. Because lead times can be so long, the business has had to increase its inventory and Work in Progress (WIP) at any given time. While it would rather keep operations as tight as possible, delivery to customers is of prime importance. Equally, the organization has had to make some tough decisions about the supply chain, too.

with staff shortages and sourcing materials. The closer the relationship, the easier it is to work with them and to overcome or work around those challenges and supply issues. We sometimes have to develop alternative sources but we prefer to have and to develop long-term relationships.”

Labor and skills shortages are often the incentive for investment. Hamilton Caster has acquired some adjacent property and bought in a whole new robotically run CNC lathe work cell, with automated loading and unloading. Additionally, the business now manufactures even more of its own wheels, enabling it to ensure reliable and timely product delivery.

“There has never been more investment in capital equipment and infrastructure in my whole 40 years here,” Dave concludes. ■

www.hamiltoncaster.com

“We have long standing relationships with most of our suppliers and are working on making the key relationships closer, with visits both here and to their premises,” Dave says. “Things aren’t always rosy. We have had some challenges with key suppliers because they have had limitations, like everyone else,

and skills shortages are often the incentive for investment

Crafted with passion

Paul and Doug Wellborn are two brothers who launched Wellborn Cabinet, Inc (Wellborn) in 1961. That name is also an apt description of the products that the company, which recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, manufactures. They are born to hardworking hands of honest Americans and built with

a special kind of care and attention to detail that is only made possible by people that love their craft.

Though the company began in a 3200-square-foot building and chiefly produced low-cost kitchen and bath cabinets for government-financed housing, the business has dramatically evolved over the years. After purchasing his brother’s half of the company in

People who care: this is more than just a slogan for Wellborn Cabinet, Inc

1986, Paul Wellborn, who still serves as President & CEO, became the sole owner. What followed was consistent growth and expansion year-overyear. The company’s customer base shifted to residential kitchen and bath dealers, and that move has since paid dividends.

Today, Wellborn offers six core product lines and manufactures its kitchen and bath cabinets from start to finish in its own 2,000,000-squarefoot facility in Ashland, Alabama. Recently, Paul

sat down with us to talk about American manufacturing, quality cabinetry, and a $4.5 billion trade case against China that took him all the way to Washington, D.C. and into an audience with the President.

“Over the years, many family-owned cabinet companies in the US have merged together,” he begins. “We never did. In fact, we are the largest privately-owned cabinet manufacturer in the country, and it is a true family business. All of the family works here. I have five children, and all of them are part of the company and some of my grandchildren are, too!”

Made in the USA

A tight-knit community of workers under one giant roof ensures that Wellborn Cabinet, Inc manufactures some of the best cabinetry in the country, promoting a quality of craftmanship with which the company – and the family name itself –has become synonymous.

The Wellborn family, and many of the families working within the company, take immense pride in producing highquality cabinets in the US, hand-crafting every product in Alabama. “If you do research, as we do, on products by our competitors, then you will generally find that the quality of some imports is not as

▲ Paul Wellborn, President & CEO

good,” Paul reveals. “They might look convincing, but they will not last! It might be that the glue has not been properly applied to the face frames, or something else entirely.

“By manufacturing our cabinets here in Alabama, we can make sure they are very high quality,” he adds. “In fact, I have had customers tell me that a kitchen they bought from me 30 years ago still looks as good as it did on the day they bought it!”

The dedication to being ‘made in the USA’ does not stop with the product, either. “We just installed a new planer mill, which is about 105,000 square feet and is all American-made,” says Paul. “The steel we used was made in America; all the conveyors and the

machines were manufactured here. We even made our own concrete, so we definitely know that was made in the US! It all means that everything is of the best quality, and that shows in each and every product that leaves our facility.”

Family environment

Out of the growing workforce of around 1300, more than 140 employees make up the Quality Control team. Their job is to ensure – across 30 different quality checkpoints – that only top-quality products are manufactured under the Wellborn name. Consequently, the company meets requirements set by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) and prides itself on the fact that face frames are built with mortise and tenon joints to create strong, long lasting, quality cabinets.

Darlington Veneer Company

For over a century Darlington Veneer Company (DVC) has been committed to producing decorative hardwood plywood for building material distribution, kitchen cabinet, hospitality, and institutional furniture manufacturing, displays and exhibits, as well as the architectural millwork trades.

We are dedicated to producing top quality panel products with impeccable customer service and attention to detail that only a company that has been around for over 100 years could. DVC blends rich knowledge based on a century of production, and engineering expertise with modern manufacturing techniques and a commitment to sustainability, which results in a superior product.

We have so many good people here, and sometimes that includes whole families –brothers, sisters, moms, and dads, some of whom started right out of school

“ “ “

These face frames are then sanded by hand on the inside edges and fronts to provide a smooth surface to the wood.

When asked about the enduring success of the business, Paul is quick to reply. “It is people,” he asserts. “I believe in people, and I thank God for the people we have here. We have so many good people here, and sometimes that includes whole families –brothers, sisters, moms, and dads, some of whom started right out of school. It definitely makes a difference in a company to treat

people as we would want to be treated. We have a slogan on our trucks: ‘People who care.’ “But, for us, that is not just a slogan. Our people care; they are dedicated to everything they do. In turn, we are dedicated to them. We have an on-site day care center, a gym for exercise and to keep fit, and a medical clinic with nurses on standby. For those that want to relax, we also have a 35-acre lake behind the plant with up to 15lb bass – making it a perfect place for a bit of fishing after work. I enjoy coming to work every day because it is an

absolute pleasure; it is like a large family working together. It makes me proud of the environment the entire team has created over the years.”

As Paul goes on to point out, however, when he talks about the people side of the business, it is not limited to the ones working within the facility. “Within our wider family are our suppliers,” he details. “As we set up good suppliers that perform well, we dedicate ourselves to them like we do our own people. It is much better to build a relationship that can stand the test of time. Suppliers are critical for our business. At the end of the day, they make sure we do not run out of product! Even if it is as simple as some screws; without a screw to hold your hinge in place, your cabinet will always remain unfinished.”

Century Components Century Components’ line of world-class kitchen cabinet accessories is purpose-built to make your kitchen highly efficient without compromising on beauty. Our product line includes lazy Susans, pull-out waste systems, pull-out organizers, drawer organizers, the revolutionary X-Series Bracket System™ for roll-out shelves, and more. Each product is designed, tested, crafted, and finished in Ohio’s Amish Country, where each craftsman continues a long tradition of fine woodcraft.

“Close to home, close to you” is put into practice by only using domestic hardwoods and basing our production and distribution operations in the middle of America’s heartland; avoiding frustrating import instability and resulting in the industry’s best lead times. Standard products ship in two to four working days, and custom orders in only three weeks, making Century the easy choice for discerning cabinet shops, distributors, and dealers across the nation.

If you want to add Century to your product line, visit centurymade.com or call us at 330-852-3610.

Wellborn offers cabinetry for every room in the home, and across six product lines: Home Concepts, Select, Premier, Estate, BathScapes, and Aspire. All of which provide a wealth of options to choose from. From a material standpoint, Wellborn uses wood, medium density fiberboard, decorative laminates, and embossed and heavy textured melamines.

The beauty of wood

Examples of wood include cherry and character cherry, which is synonymous with luxury and offers a rich, distinctively red appearance, but is also available in a multitude of colors like caramel, ginger, espresso, and nightfall. Maple and character maple is finely textured, lures the eye with a natural luster, and can be chosen in colors like ash, castle, drift, and river rock (among plenty of others). Authentic American red oak features

an open-pored grain pattern and is available in dark, light, medium, and natural. Finally, Hickory, which Paul reveals his company began working with before many other competitors, classically offers contrasting colors from dark to light, while also being incredibly durable and featuring dramatic wood characteristics.

At the top of the portfolio is the Aspire line, which was designed for higher end homes. The Aspire Full-Access Frameless line gives any space a sleek and modern look. With over 30,000 door styles, species, and finish combinations, the customization is truly in the hands of the customer. There are literally thousands of cabinets, accessories, and semi-custom options which offer even more design flexibility. As standard, premium all-plywood cabinet construction is used.

Strong future

Paul is also no stranger to politics, particularly when it comes to protecting the industry to which he has dedicated his entire working life. “As members of the American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance (AKCA), we were part of filing the largest trade case (ADCVD) against China in history. We won the case in a five-to-zero vote with the International Trade Commission, or ITC. The Chinese were using an illegal trade method known as “dumping” to undersell American Manufacturers.

“If a kitchen cabinet cost them $150 to build, they would sell and ship it to America for $50. Losing as much money as they had to for as long as they had to until they closed every manufacturer’s door in America. Thanks to the diligent work of the Trump administration and our team at AKCA, our industry - and over 250,000 jobs - were saved.

“We stayed in Washington, D.C. for about two years, walking the halls of the Capitol,” he reflects. “We met with many

senators, congressmen, and President Trump on multiple occasions. Realizing that we could lose an entire American industry, most of our elected officials as well as President Trump supported our efforts.”

ADCVD cases come up for renewal every five years, but after winning this first round, Paul is looking forward to a strong future buoyed by a healthy backlog of orders. “The cabinet business has done pretty well,” he concludes. “Therefore, we believe in the years to come, we will continue to do well thanks to our dynamic approach to business. In the next three-to-five years, if business stays the way it is, the company could show growth anywhere from 50 percent up to double what we are doing today. We are constantly on the lookout for new things to make that possible.” ■

www.wellborn.com

The birth of biomanufacturing

Technology-focused biomanufacturing company Resilience is pioneering a new approach to drug manufacturing, with the potential to shake up the industry

In March 2020, the reality of Covid-19 began to make itself felt in countries across the world. For governments, and for industry, the arrival of the virus initiated a race against the clock. Faced with a new and unpredictable enemy, they set to work on the production of a series of vaccines which, more than two years later, have saved countless lives across the globe.

But this progress wasn’t always a given. According to Rahul Singhvi, CEO at Resilience, a technologyfocused biomanufacturing company dedicated to broadening access to complex medicines and to protecting biopharmaceutical supply chains against disruption, one of the few upsides to come from Covid-19 has been a welcome jolt to a sector that had promised much, but failed to deliver. “As biomedical science had taken off and given rise to incredible curative therapies, bio-manufacturing had failed to keep pace,” he says, speaking to Manufacturing Today. “During the pandemic, it became apparent that we needed to do something different, and better, to protect the world from biological threats.”

Founded in mid-2020 at the height of the pandemic, Resilience hopes to be that difference. The company’s vision is to revolutionize how medicines are made, funded, and scaled, working across five key ‘modalities’: biologics, cell therapy, gene therapy, nucleic acids, and vaccines. Resilience partners across these modalities with research and academic institutes, emerging biotech or established pharmaceutical companies, and governments, providing access to its state-of-the-art equipment, shared lab space, and vast team of highly specialized industry experts. Through this collaboration, the company argues that it can help such partners identify where their own emerging discoveries might lead, be it the incubation of a new therapy, drug manufacturing technology, or process improvement project.

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During the pandemic, it became apparent that we needed to do something different

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“This is the dawn of the golden era of biomanufacturing,” Rahul tells us. “As a society, we have moved away from palliative therapies to embrace new types of medicines. These medicines have the potential to deliver cures with a single intervention, be it certain cancers, rare inherited diseases, and increasingly common diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. Although we’re excited about what this medicine has in store for us, we recognize that the manufacture of these novel treatments – such as MRNA Covid-19 vaccines – requires a very different skill set to the manufacture of traditional

medicines, such as tablets or capsules. Unfortunately, not much effort has been made in the past to come up with scalable platforms that can make these types of medicines affordable and accessible for large populations.”

To bring about this change, Resilience believes that the driving force has to come from the outside. “Major pharmaceutical companies aren’t afforded the time to develop new manufacturing platforms,” Rahul argues. “Regulatory pathways are fast, and if drugs are proven to work, timelines can be shrunk down to between three or four years. At Resilience, we’re decoupling these two activities, focusing on developing the platforms that can then be supplied to companies from the get-go, for them to produce scalable, low-cost, high-yield products.

“In many cases within drugs and medicines manufacturing, what drives overall cost is both the cost of goods, and the cost of development,” he elaborates. “If we can develop better platforms that are able to reduce both those costs, then it creates an opportunity to reduce the price of the drug itself. If we can achieve that, then the drug will immediately become more accessible. Of course, we have to work within the system to make that happen; we can’t set the price of drugs, because we’re not a drugs manufacturer. However, we’re providing the basis for a price reduction to take place.”

Since its launch, Resilience has ridden a wave of momentum, driven

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We’re very proud of this continued growth

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largely by the reality that it was formed and has grown in part due to issues revealed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the company is acquiring new sites across North America, with the goal of positioning itself as a one-stop-shop for the production of new medicines, and guaranteeing its own robust supply chain. “In addition, we’ve also invested a fair amount of time in research and development to advance our manufacturing and applied science capabilities, which is further driving our growth,” Rahul notes. “What began in July 2020 as a small operation with big ambition, now has some of the most talented individuals in this industry fully committed to the Resilience ethos. We’re very proud of this continued growth.”

Pioneering partnerships

Resilience already has a number of projects underway this year, including a partnership with the US Department of Defense for the development of a novel antibody treatment capable of responding to the Botulinum neurotoxin, more commonly known as Botox. “We’re handling the project from phase one of development, all the way through to commercial manufacturing,” Rahul explains. “The hope is that the antibodies could be used to treat soldiers subjected to toxins of that variety.

“We’re also working with the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, one of the most prestigious organizations within its field, and home to a network of leading immunotherapy researchers,” he adds.

“Through the cultivation of that network, the Institute’s aim is to develop immunotherapy cancer products more effectively. Our contribution is to offer our expertise and knowledge of manufacturing, in combination with the Institute’s knowledge of biology and medicine, in order to further accelerate the development of much-needed drugs for the benefit of patients, leveraging our complementary skill sets. Likewise, we’re also working with MD Anderson, another of the world’s leading cancer centers, to improve and accelerate the use of cell therapies in treatment. Together, we’ve established a

joint venture, the Cell Therapy Manufacturing Center (CTMC), in Houston, Texas, where they can focus on biology and medicine, while we take care of manufacturing.”

Investing in innovation

Each of Resilience’s partnerships is testament to the company’s ongoing commitment to the development of new solutions within biomanufacturing. “Innovation is necessary,” Rahul argues. “To achieve it, we have to do our research, whether it’s in the field of gene therapy, viral vector production, or delivery vehicles for genomic medicines. The industry has already realised the concept of MRNA vaccines, but even there, we cannot be satisfied with the status quo; we need to make them better. If the vaccines of today need to be kept at sub-zero temperatures, the vaccines of tomorrow will be room-temperature stable. Other medicines are expensive; the challenge there is to produce them at a lower cost.”

Despite its successful track record thus far, Rahul is also keen to emphasize the need for vigilance. “Pandemics are coming fast and furious,” he points out. “We’re just about coming to the end of Covid-19, and we’re already dealing with Monkeypox as our next potential threat. After that, there’s no telling what the next threat will be, or where it will come from. If we don’t take on board the lessons of the last couple of years and

apply them to our manufacturing and supply chains, then we can’t expect to be any less vulnerable to disruption, or death in the future. Integral to Resilience, is the belief that capital investment, however high, is needed in preparation both for the incredible potential of biomedical science, and the potential threats we’re likely to face.”

Moving forward, Resilience is set to continue enhancing its capabilities, bringing further investments in process development and research innovation. “Our aim is that in the next six months, we’ll be able to attain a number of customers, having realized our goal of becoming a one-stop-shop to serve the needs of biological innovators,” Rahul confirms. “Longer term, our mission in this company is to ultimately increase access

and affordability to medicines and vaccines. Thanks to our excellence in biomanufacturing, we believe this is achievable, and we’re already on that path. Every day we’re making further progress.

“Our hope is that within several years, we’ll have reshaped the world of biomanufacturing,” he concludes. “We want companies to be able to come to us with a drug, which we’re then able to scale up on their behalf. That way, it’ll enable them to focus on what they do best: delivering yet more biological innovations, and bringing benefits to an ever-growing number of patients.” ■

www.resilience.com

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Resilience is set to continue enhancing its capabilities

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than ever

Moonpig Group is looking to lead the way in sustainable operations across three main areas: its people, the community, and the environment. We last spoke with John Persaud, the Operations Director of the company, two years ago, and, from his perspective, the time since has been prosperous in many ways.

He shares that the business set an ambitious net-zero goal by 2030, and has made fantastic progress on it already. “Next, we are laying down the foundations to work with our supply chain on scope three emissions in particular. We are achieving this through a united effort in sustainable sourcing, and investments,” he shares.

For John, one of the most important aspects of the company’s developments over the last two years has been its people. The company is focusing on making the Moonpig Group as inclusive and supportive as possible. “By doing that, especially with a focus on diversity and inclusion, we are strengthening the resilience and reliability of our team.

“We’ve then taken our efforts one step further, and extended it to support our communities. We are using the Moonpig Group Foundation to spark moments of joy. Last year, we donated £189,000 to good causes, which include communities around us and initiatives that align with our values. I am super excited with the progress we have made in the last 18 months, and we have big ambitions in the coming years to strengthen this.”

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The spirit of giving: how Moonpig Group is about more than celebrating special occasions

Last year, we donated £189,000 to good causes

When it comes to communities, connecting people is what Moonpig does best. The pandemic has been a tricky time for many businesses, and Moonpig has taken on the mission to bring people together who have felt more isolated than ever. “Over the last two years, people have been relying on us to stay connected with their loved ones and we’ve invested heavily in our business in an ongoing transformation to make sure we grow, and are doing the right thing for customers, and the people they care about. We achieved almost 40 million orders shipped in the financial year 2021.”

This success comes down to the fact that almost 90 percent of the Group’s orders are from loyal customers. “The service we offer is to give heartfelt cards and gifts to their friends and family. We have made big investments in our data system to serve our customers better and better, and to ensure that the opportunity to care for their loved ones is effortless and seamless.

“We’ve worked very closely with our partners to scale up our operations safely and sustainably. This led to the decision to open two new fulfilment centers. We have a new center opening shortly in Tamworth for fulfilling Moonpig gifts and cards in the UK, and we are also moving our Dutch operation for Greetz to Almera and going to a new bigger and modern facility there as well. Those two developments have enabled us to increase our capacity to operate more efficiently, and more importantly, more sustainable, so that we are doing an even better job for our customers.

“We are at a scale now that it makes sense for us to do more internally. Hence, the decision to make major investments in Tamworth and Almera. Both facilities enable us to grow our capacity and fulfil more orders at a quicker pace.

Red Spot Fire & Security

Moonpig is the UK’s leading internet-based greeting card business, listed on the FTSE250, and operating from sites throughout the UK. Moonpig commissioned Red Spot Fire & Security as an industry leader in fire detection, security monitoring, access control and data infrastructure. Moonpig utilized Red Spot’s team of in-house engineers for system design, installation and commissioning of the latest fire and security technology at its newest site. Systems installations include CCTV, access control, time and attendance, intruder and fire detection, alarm systems and structured cabling at production facilities and distribution centers to provide centralized monitoring and management.

“Additionally, both of these sites are fitted out to the highest of environmental standards, and will be run off renewable energy. We are also making use of other initiatives like rainwater collection in Tamworth, and we are part of a community heating system w at Almera,” he shares.

Because the company is in the business of celebrating moments that matter, John shares that it is a natural reaction for Moonpig Group to extend its kindness beyond the realms of its infrastructure. Another avenue in which its sustainability measures takes shape is through reforestation. “The company made a commitment 18 months ago to have 100 percent of our paper products, so our card and paper products, sustainably sourced, and I am pleased to say we have achieved that goal. We made sure all our SKUs are sourced responsibly, which means the paper products we use are being grown in well-managed forests, and the trees are being replenished in a

sustainable way. We have certified all our locations as FSC, which means we have an accredited audit trail to show we are producing and sourcing sustainably.

Strong vision

“As we went through all those developments, we were inspired to look at what else we could do for trees and biodiversity in the world. We were already sourcing sustainably, but we wanted to take that one step further. As a result, we have made the commitment to reforest at least 330 hectares of woodland by 2025. We had planted 66 hectares of a biodiverse forest already and we focus the planting activity in ecologically sensitive areas to safeguard the long term impact. Through an organization called TreeNation, we have contributed to projects throughout the world, for example in Madagascar, Nepal, Tanzania, Columbia, Thailand and India. We are also making positive contributions by creating jobs to

maintain the forest so that we encourage growth in those local economies.”

With this information, it will be pleasing for customers to know that when they purchase a card or gift from Moonpig Group, their kindness goes beyond the gift itself. For John, this is why the future of the company is exciting. In bringing our conversation to a close, he shares in more details what the journey ahead will look like for one of the UK’s favorite giftgiving companies. “We have a strong and clear vision to become the ultimate gifting companion; to be the place that customers choose to go when they need to send a heartfelt gift, card or message to someone they care about. We will continue to invest in that strategy by making sure if there are occasions to celebrate, Moonpig is the name they turn to.

“In terms of our ESG strategy, we are going to keep growing and building on the areas we’ve spoken about. We will keep setting next steps that enable us to push those boundaries so that the Moonpig name is one renowned for more than just gift-giving. I am excited to see us be a business also known for the fantastic work we do for the environment, our people, and our communities,” John concludes. We look forward to catching up with the business again in a few years’ time to learn about how Moonpig Group has remained a leader in bringing people across the world closer together. ■

coolest technology

Excool has been designing, developing, manufacturing and delivering cooling solutions for data centers for the last 12 years. Its solutions predominantly use indirect evaporative cooling technology with the aim of reducing consumption of both energy and water.

Currently, Excool is cooling somewhere in the region of 320 megawatts of white space and has supplied over 1200 units globally. With a strong

presence in Europe and the UK, the business also has projects in Asia, North America and South America. It opened its first staffed facility in the US in 2020, incorporating a showroom and warehouse. “The last five years have brought incredible transformational change to our business,” explains Jon Pettitt, Chief Commercial Officer. “We have developed new technologies and expanded our global reach.”

Jon believes what sets the business apart is its focus on data center cooling

How Excool creates safe server environments that don’t cost the earth

practices with any other applications. Our niche technology has helped to put us where we are today.” In the past, to reduce energy consumption, the cooling process would predominantly incorporate water usage. As Jon suggests: “We used to throw swimming pools of water at a unit to reduce

Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) used to be the most critical aspect of data center certification and water was not really a prime consideration. Ten years ago, a five mega-watt data center was considered large. Today, we’re looking at 50 to 100 mega-watt centers that can be a kilometer-square in size.

However, advances in technology have ensured that our energy consumption is approximately the same as it was. Rather than throwing metaphorical swimming pools of water at a unit, comparatively, we’re now throwing bucketfuls’, and achieving very similar performance, in terms of overall energy usage. Water is a scarce resource. The fact we’re able to achieve incredible energy efficiencies while using minimal water and at times, even reducing overall water consumption, is a huge achievement.”

Saving energy

To achieve this capability, Excool has moved away from the traditional method of flooding heat exchangers. As Jon expounds: “We are now using some AI in our technology and software to establish the best mode of usage depending on a range of factors. From weather conditions to the relative cost of energy verses water or availability of rainwater harvesting, for example, the sequence of operations can be tailored to optimize efficiency as an additional layer on top of the materials, design and technology of the physical unit itself.”

The discussion around water and energy consumption is a preoccupation for Jon. As he explains: “My personal crusade at the moment is to try and get data center operators to understand that by physically using water from source, you can actually save consumption overall. Many people are averse to using water, but when exploited in a smart way, it can enhance efficiencies.

“Almost every kilowatt of power generation, anywhere in the world,

barring about ten percent, involves some incumbent water usage. Maybe the best way to describe this is if you had a gallon of water and used it in a power station to generate energy, perhaps 800 watts of power would be produced. By the time that power reached the data center, due to intrinsic losses, you may end up with 750 watts of useable power. However, if you took that same gallon of water and put it straight into Excool’s technology, you would get a full kilowatt of useable cooling power at source. By using that little bit of water in the data center, it’s possible to reduce the amount of water that would be used by the power station down the road to generate that kilowatt of power for you.

“There are lots of different discussions around this subject, but ultimately, at Excool, we are championing the technology that enables our customers to save significant amounts of energy and water when compared to typical consumption by other technologies to perform the same function.”

Enhanced efficiency

Technological advancement is at the forefront of Excool’s operations. A recent investment has been a new vacuum-forming machine for heat exchanger manufacture. It has enabled Excool to build larger, more intricate heat exchangers that provide enhanced efficiency. The unique heat exchanger is manufactured from a composite material, which unlike the more commonly used aluminium, makes it resistant to corrosion, more robust and leak-tight. The Excool adiabatic and evaporative cooling system has been developed

specifically for the product and is highly efficient both in terms of its ability to saturate the outdoor air fully and in its water use. The technology has enabled the business to build a slightly larger, more efficient unit.

Driving growth

Of Excool’s 180,000 square feet in the UK, approximately 120,000 is manufacturing space. The new on-site Excool Zero factory is an additional 60,000 square feet, providing, as Jon suggests, “a template for factories going forward. This new site has enabled us to significantly increase our manufacturing capability. We have

moved from approximately three to between 12 and 16 units per week. We have the possibility of scaling to 22 units a week without changing anything we do, in readiness for larger projects and larger orders.

“This building template has the potential to be rolled out, as and when we start to grow in other areas. We already have 15,000 square feet in the US which helps in terms of our supply chain and delivery. Supply chain is a major consideration for everybody at the moment. For every ten units that we build, we probably have orders for eight and place the remaining two into stock, which tends to fly off the shelves. We have kit available and can deliver to almost anywhere in the world within six weeks. People are changing designs to be Excoolcompatible and wanting to hold stock of the Excool Zero design.”

Jon believes this growth is fundamentally thanks to the new, more efficient and compact design of heat exchanger. “We have managed to cut our manufacturing man hours by about 40 percent, by building all the features into a single unit, thereby increasing productivity and quality. Whereas before we had a range of maybe eight different-sized units, we now have two, complete with features,” says Jon.

“With this, comes economy of scale. The pricing we go to market at is significantly lower than before and we

We have managed to cut our manufacturing man hours by about 40 percent, by building all the features into a single unit

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know it’s extremely competitive, with quality second to none. This availability, coupled with the product’s reliability, suits the current market and is helping to drive growth in places like the US.”

In-house training

Indeed, Excool has enjoyed a very successful couple of years in the US, currently working on its fourth major project, stateside. In the UK and Europe, the business is going from strengthto-strength, having worked and continuing to work with big names, such as CyrusOne and Digital Realty. Further growth is on the horizon, with upcoming projects in the Middle East and the Far East, in Malaysia. Depending on where the customer is based, Excool’s aftersales team will deal either directly with the client or with certified partners. The business also boasts some phenomenal remote monitoring and engineering capabilities.

Jon goes on to highlight the importance the business places on its people. “There is nothing more important than making sure we have the right people, we keep them

happy and we keep them motivated in what they do. We have an incredibly successful graduate program. Our team of graduates is phenomenal and we have a fairly high staff retention rate. One thing, however, that has proven challenging is recruiting good quality refrigeration engineers. To address this issue, we have started training engineers ourselves to help develop the skill sets we require.”

Looking to the future, further expansion and Excool Middle East is on the cards, with the aim of establishing an office in Dubai. Jon elaborates: “I am then going to look at opening an office in Asia Pacific, probably in Singapore. In terms of the Americas, my next aim is to find a local, large-scale assembly facility. I hope we will have offices in both the Middle East and Singapore, alongside a manufacturing and assembly plant in the US in the next three-to-five years. The data center business is phenomenal. It isn’t shrinking in any way and it’s crucial to keep pace.” ■

Make it New (mor)

Since its founding in 1967, Newmor has become one of the world’s leading specialist producers of wallcovering solutions and interior finishing products. As the Wales-based manufacturer celebrates 55 years in business, Managing Director, David Johnston, sits down with us to shed some light on the inner workings of the company.

Over the last three decades, Newmor has diversified its range of services considerably, tapping into previously unexplored territory. At the fore of that shake up and expansion has been the exporting of goods; in fact, as David points out, Newmor now exports its products to more than 75 countries around the world.

Running alongside that, the company has similarly spread its wings and taken flight; satellite offices are located in Poland, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia. Infrastructural growth of this kind means that Newmor is acutely attuned to changes in the market

and has been able to continually diversify its product offering and sales channels. But what truly separates Newmor from its competitors? David believes he has an answer.

“First, the number of products we make and the diversity of those products allows us to sell to many different markets, and that is one of our key differentiators,” he contends. “For instance, we will make a product at the lower end of the spectrum for, say, the caravan and leisure industry high volume and low cost. However, we are also manufacturing highend wallcoverings and interior finishing products for hospitality, residential, and bespoke project markets. The price is significantly different – but so is the quality and the technology involved. Recently, we launched a number of products for the high-end residential market under the brand name John Morris, which is a nod to our founder.”

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Not only that, but as one of the few remaining UK-based manufacturers within the wallcoverings niche,

If these walls could talk, they would recommend one company to cover them: Newmor

Newmor now exports its products to more than 75 countries

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Newmor is able to quickly pivot on its rotating axis of creativity and react to clients’ needs accordingly. Another key differentiator is the fact that Newmor never rests on its laurels. As mentioned, the company orbits around a rotating axis, which is itself fueled by an ambition to stay ahead of the curve and on top of the latest design trends.

Fashion forward

“We never look at just one area,” explains David. “Rather, our research and design teams explore a number of different sectors, drawing inspiration from across the board: high street fashion, social media, shows, as well as taking advice from industry experts and colorists. All these merge, and we use this research to publish a trends forecast at the beginning of each year, which allows us to stay up-to-date

with the latest styles and developments in the field.

“At the moment, we are seeing a lot of traction for the New Romantics, which means very deep colors; it is a pop culture movement that started in the 1970s and is inspired by the Victorian dandy,” says David. “Very flamboyant, indeed! By drawing from trending styles such as this, we are building and developing an engaging product portfolio that is alive and responding to our ever-changing cultural context.

“Another way we stay actively engaged in our evolution is through embracing new technology,” he goes on. “Recently, for example, we introduced a new X-Rite system, which works with Pantone

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. . . we are building and developing an engaging product portfolio

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remain cognizant of that fact and endeavor to develop a product that is more environmentally friendly and sustainable. This will mean working in collaboration with our suppliers, and although this will be a challenge, we are on the right path to make it happen – and it needs to. The general market, as well as individuals, will demand it. For the business, it is important that we remain aware of what is required from us – both now and going forward – because, in doing so, we are securing an exciting and prosperous future.”

If these walls could talk, what would they say? If our interview is anything to go by, then they would probably say: Make it Newmor. ■

www.newmor.com

colors and allows us to very easily and quickly match our colors on a consistent basis from batch-to-batch. Therefore, with technology such as this, when we remake a product, we can quickly match it with very tight tolerances. We are also able to adapt procedure and make adjustments on-the-go, and that has been a huge step for us. With that comes efficiency gains since product can flow through the production stage at a faster rate.”

Innovative approach

Looking ahead, Newmor intends to capitalize further on new technology, equipment, and procedures. But, for David at least, true progress must come from innovation and product development. “There is no getting away from it: we manufacture vinyl wallcoverings,” he admits. “Consequently, we must

DRIVING productivity

Founded in 1972 as the woodworking division of Interior Products Group (IPG), Morland is a manufacturer of timberbased fit-out products. The company began its life as a supplier primarily to the UK’s caravan industry, but has since expanded into a range of industries, including construction and marine, to which it offers decorative panels, architectural profiles, and doors.

It’s been a difficult few years for the manufacturing industry. In March 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic arrived in the UK, followed by a swift lockdown of all but essential businesses. Trade has long since opened back up, but not without significant supply chain challenges. “It was quite obviously a tricky time,” reflects James Morris, Group Managing Director at Morland, when asked about the company’s experience. “We were lucky that some of our construction work just kept on rolling. Much of our supply chain stretches to Europe and the Far East, and we encountered varying challenges within each area. For materials coming from Asia, container prices jumped from a pre-pandemic price of $3000 to more than $18,000, although they’re now on their way down once again. That imposes significant

cost pressure, and there’s limited wiggle room for that to be offset.

“Across the board, we did our best to communicate with our suppliers to tell them exactly what it was we needed, how much of it we needed, and what the drop-dead date was for its arrival,” he continues. “With our top 15 suppliers, we held twice-weekly meetings to give updates from both sides. We still couldn’t influence the price of containers, but we coped, and now we can begin to look forward.”

Morland’s vision is to supply its customers with high-quality fit-out materials that are fully finished, leaving only the task of assembling and securing the final product. “In manufacturing, we have to focus on the basics,” James insists. “That means delivering on-time, in-full, at good value, with a focus on quality and customer service. Most of the businesses we supply have their own production lines, so there’s always a pressure for continuous improvement. Over the years, we’ve tried to build a closer relationship with our customers in order to understand their problems, and to know what we can do differently to potentially benefit their own processes.”

. . . delivering on-time, in-full, at good value, with a focus on quality and customer service

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Morland is embracing automation in the workplace, but not at the expense of human labor

To realize this, the company has invested heavily over the years to enhance its capabilities, bringing upgrades to its factories, machines, and software. As an advocate of lean manufacturing, the company has ensured that the majority of its staff have completed formal Kaizen and 5S training. Meanwhile, Morland’s powerful ERP system gives it the ability to provide a

just-in-time delivery service of batch-specific materials to rolling production line schedules.

“We’ve been involved with a number of automation projects during the last few years, which have proved to be a really eyeopening experience, and very successful,” James comments. “Some of those thoughts and solutions were previously only available to slightly bigger companies, but a lot of that equipment is now becoming more mainstream, and includes automation of material handling, machine tending, and other jobs where it shifts the skill requirement to a new area.

“In the last fourto-five years alone, we’ve purchased a new production unit, located on the same industrial park as our two existing buildings,” he continues.

“We had a great opportunity to bring all three parts of the business – panels, profiles, and doors – onto a single business park, and the unit was sufficiently large that we were actually able to sell our separate satellite factories, which gave the added benefit of being able to bring all our staff together. Whereas previously we had separate teams, with their own lines of communication, now we have a campus feel. The next stage will be to build on that, making everything more and more efficient.”

Automation motivation

For many businesses, and for their employees, discussions of automation can be frightening. But new technology doesn’t have to come at the expense of human labor. “Especially for a company of our size, the rate at which you’re able to automate isn’t so rapid that you end up with the threat of lost jobs,” James insists. “We go to great lengths to help our employees understand that the introduction of technology isn’t about cost-cutting, it’s about becoming more productive. Part of that means making sure we’re making the most of the various skill sets among our people.

“What we’ve seen in our most recent project is that after the introduction of automated processes, some of the skill levels required actually have to increase,” he continues. “All of a sudden, instead of a very manual process, we have one that requires an in-depth understanding of software. For our people, it’s been a fulfilling challenge to develop that understanding and learn new skills, and that contributes to their overall job satisfaction.”

Building on this, James is keen to emphasize the vital regard in which he holds the company’s employees, and the importance of a robust company culture. “We’re a family business, and with that comes a relatively informal relationship amongst the teams, and a largely flat

hierarchy; we don’t have a traditional topdown structure, and that’s apparent,” he confirms. “Our people know they can talk to me at any time – my door is always open, and the same goes for the rest of our senior management team. That’s the way we like it.”

E-commerce commitment

One relatively new sector for Morland has been e-commerce. A successful venture, when the company first launched its e-commerce activities, its benefits took James by surprise. “Going back five years, we were very much a traditional industrial supplier to leisure, caravans and motorhomes, marine boats, and construction builders of various kinds,” he recalls. “It was a revelation to find that we could actually sell products online. We suddenly found ourselves selling sheets of pre-decorated wood to the DIY market, and that was a viable business, with

slightly better profit margins than those to be found on the industrial side, with better payment terms.”

Creating innovations

The benefit of e-commerce was once again underlined by the Covid-19 pandemic, as it filled the vacuum left in the absence of commercial trade. “That business took off hugely in the first period of lockdown, because everyone was at home undertaking various DIY projects,” James says. “Since then, it’s continued to perform very well. We took

the view that e-commerce was a new business stream in its own right, and that we therefore should invest in it and work hard to make it best-in-class. That investment is just about finished. We’ve integrated the whole process with our ERP system, from taking the order, to getting it out the door in one seamless flow, and we will keep building on that. We’ll also bring out some added B2B functionality in 2023, which will enable our larger customers to easily check our stock levels and create their own product catalogs.”

With the threat of Covid-19 now broadly in the past, and as the trading environment continues to ease, James is keen for Morland to get back on the front-foot when it comes to its product lines. Behind the scenes, the company has been busy as ever, creating new innovations to meet the needs of customers across its primary markets.

“We’ve got a new stock range of fire doors with a standard set of dimensions and finishes, which enables them to be supplied within 48 hours,” he reveals. “That’s ready to go, and will be up and running shortly. We also have some new materials in the

pipeline, which we’re due to introduce in the first quarter of 2023.”

Looking beyond the next year, the longterm goal for Morland is to keep building its reputation and growing its reach – an ambition that is set to take the company’s operations further afield. “We want to expand our business plan into Europe and see ourselves better recognized in our key sectors: marine, construction and leisure,” James confirms. “Hopefully, we’ll have brought to those markets more cost-saving, process-improving products. If we can do that, it’ll help us grow to where we ultimately want to be.” ■

www.morlanduk.com

Influence is bliss

Family-owned to 100 percent employee-owned: Hercules Industries keenly proves that strength does indeed come in numbers

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As Hercules Industries (Hercules) celebrates 60 years in business, we took the opportunity to catch up with its Vice President of Manufacturing Operations, Dan Grady, to reflect on a history of sustained success that, as he is proud to point out, is a result of engaging with the company’s greatest asset: its people. Established in 1962 by William Newland, Hercules

manufactures and distributes a range of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment and ancillary stock (from duct and spiral pipe systems to steel sheering and fume exhausts). In 2012, moreover, the company introduced a full product line of sealants and adhesives to offer customers a vertically integrated solution to any HVAC-related problems.

“We are in the business of moving air,” says Dan. “We serve both residential and commercial contractors in the heating and air conditioning sectors two-fold; not only are we a manufacturer, but we also distribute an increasing range

We have become a onestop source for HVAC contractors

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of products as well. From a wholesale distribution standpoint, we have become a one-stop source for HVAC contractors, supporting national brand names while also stocking a tremendous number of items between the geographies that we cover.

“The manufacturing side of the business is a strong driving force for us because we are able to leverage our relationships with both our customers, acting as a singlesource supplier through sales of our manufactured products, and our raw materials network,” he goes on. “We work with domestic steel mills across the US, and this offers numerous advantages. First, by buying from the mills direct, we can procure raw materials at the best possible price and pass that saving onto our

customers. Second, part of that network are local and regional scrapyards, who take our metal waste and recycle it by selling it back to the mills we originally procured it from!”

Employee family

Since its founding six decades ago, Hercules has – like its namesake – shown impressive strength and resilience, growing year-onyear to become one of the largest companies of its type in the US. Today, it operates four manufacturing facilities and 17 sales and distribution centers across Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Though it has certainly come a long way, the history that has brought the firm to where it is has not been forgotten.

“The company comes from very humble beginnings, starting as a supplier in solely the heating and air conditioning world with just one small building in Denver, Colorado,” reflects Dan. “These origins serve as an important reminder of how far we have come. The Newland family, all the way back to our founder, William Newland, has cultivated a grand vision for the company, which has been passed down and instilled in every employee. This reached its zenith in 2019, when the family transitioned Hercules into a 100 percent employee-owned company, firmly casting that vision in stone. It was evident that, through this move, the Newlands wanted to keep the family legacy alive, but also start to evolve it into one that incorporated the entire Hercules team.

“The single greatest asset within our organization is our people,” he continues. “Being able to partner with those who you go to work with every day, and seeing them as fellow owners of the business, is something truly remarkable. Being frank, our previous owners could have sold up to a competitor; from an economic standpoint, it would have probably made more sense. But they chose not to. Therefore, that legacy, which has been built over the course of 60

years, and the Hercules story, now lives on through our new 600-strong employee family.”

As Dan goes on to explain, the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) that was established in 2019 was an essential factor in how the company dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic. “All of a sudden, with the arrival of the pandemic, the concept of business ownership and making quick decisions internally became very real –in fact, being able to manage our way through the ups and down of Covid-19 through the ESOP model was a turning point in how we could respond to adversity,” he reveals. “It was so impactful. We could now manage our way through the various waves and make decisions

without external influence. With the running of the organization in the hands of its employees (whether that employee works in a warehouse or is an executive), we firmly established ourselves as a reliable source for our contracting network. In turn, this enabled us to grow our revenue despite the global situation.”

Increasing automation

Currently, the ESOP model is offering benefits that concern employee engagement and security. Hercules is in the process of reinvesting considerable funds in its various manufacturing locations, upgrading machines, but also introducing automation as a means of improving efficiencies and output. Yet, as Dan divulges, that move has not been met with universal ebullience. “There was, in fact, some discomfort among our employees in the production team when we revealed our plans to increasingly automate manufacturing

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“ Hercules is in the process of reinvesting considerable funds

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processes, as many thought it might lead to future jobs losses,” he details. “In reality, that could not be further from the truth. We need people to operate these machines, to become subject experts on automation, and that means a secure workforce going forward.”

Under the ESOP concept, moreover, the very fabric of these decisions is woven together by the employees themselves. Those on the shopfloor are engaged in and can influence the decisions that will not only affect work in their own personal remits, but their livelihoods as well. Before the buyout in 2019, this was simply not possible. Influence, as the model that Hercules has embraced suggests, is bliss. ■

All Recycling

All Recycling Inc (All Recycling) is one of the largest most efficient scrap facilities in the Rocky Mountain Region. In December 2012, All Recycling became a wholly owned subsidiary of Metro Metals Northwest Inc of Portland, Oregon. This exciting transaction brought two of the leading privately owned held scrap processors in the western US together under one roof, and enhanced both companies’ ability to deliver superior customer relationships. We process and recycle a wide variety of materials such as steel, tin, aluminium, copper, brass, stainless steel, etc. We run our own large fleet of trucks, containers, and trailers to service our industrial customers and other scrap yards. This allows us to promptly service our customers, with a 24 to 48 hour turnaround time on bin rotations. We also offer customized programs and container options to fit our customer’s needs. Our facility in Englewood can service manufacturing customers across the state of Colorado. Metro Metals NW can happily service customers in the Oregon and Washington area.www.herculesindustries.com

Quality saves lives

Based in Sumner, Iowa, Life Line Emergency Vehicles (Life Line) puts quality, safety, and structural integrity first to help save lives and provide its customers with long-lasting value. Established in 1985 by father-and-son duo, Jim and Terry Leicher, Life Line was used to operating at a relatively small scale. By the end of that year, the company had delivered its first emergency Paraliner Ambulance to the Sartori Memorial Hospital in Cedar Falls.

Following that success, the Leichers began building Type I Ambulances for the City of Omaha, Nebraska. Business quickly began to pick up. In 1988, Life Line became one of the first in the industry to be a participant in Ford’s ‘Qualified Vehicle Modifier’ scheme,

and over time the company had to make multiple factory moves to keep up with manufacturing demands.

The Life Line story becomes more personal in 2007. In that year, it became a 30 percent employee-owned company. But it did not stop there. Life Line became part of Folience Holding Company ten years later and transformed the business into one completely owned by those that work for it.

This has not gone unnoticed. Earlier this year, Life Line was awarded the national Employee-Owned Company of the Year Award. Today, the company employs over 180 people and strives to manufacture at least 250 ambulances per year.

Getting to know Life Line Emergency Vehicles and the process behind putting an ambulance on the road

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Quality and performance are paramount

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Customer care

Quality and performance are paramount in the world of emergency services. Vehicles and equipment must be reliable, robust, and designed to exceed customer expectations.

Recently, Life Line zeroed further in on innovative solutions that can be carried out by robotics and exciting new technologies to fulfill such expectations. As Randy Smith, President at Life Line, tells Manufacturing Today, the company is in the process of investing in and upgrading from traditional hydraulic bending equipment to more precise CNC folding tables.

It is clear that an ethos of continuous improvement has been instilled across the company since its inception. “Another key differentiator that has similarly been ingrained throughout our employeeowner base is that we always take care of the customer,” explains Randy. “It is a cornerstone in terms of how we do business.

Life

We build a quality product and are at the service of our customers whenever a concern should arise.

“Our distributors, moreover, work closely with customers to find out their needs and then address them,” he goes on. “This means we can create an open dialogue, going back and forth until we arrive at what the customer wants. Though we began life as more of a cookie cutter manufacturer, so to speak, we now pride ourselves on being a custom manufacturing company. Therefore, we are proud to work with organizations, including the University of Minnesota, on unique emergency vehicles such as neonate and ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) models.”

Other ambulance models include the standard Type I, the Type III (available as either a Paraliner or Victoryliner), the customizable Superliner, and the heavy duty Highliner. However, Life Line also completes various

remounts and rebuilds, expanding its already comprehensive offering just that bit further. Special features offered include impact rails to mitigate collision force and minimize damage, ‘overbuilt’ ambulance walls to maximize impact resistance and passenger safety, and proprietary triple hollow wheel wells to add strength and rigidity to modules.

Meeting high demand

Doug Roethler, Director of Operations at Life Line, sheds some light on the manufacturing footprint that is required for such an extensive output. “In relation to the town we operate in, our footprint is fairly large,” he reveals. “Across two buildings, our manufacturing facilities measure about 200,000 square feet in size. One is strictly dedicated to production; the other is our detail room, which includes some office and warehousing space, allowing us to store chassis that are waiting to be built on.”

Within the manufacturing facility, Life Line utilizes five key areas to maximize the efficiency and output of its industry-leading vehicles. Doug explains further: “First, we have a metals and fabrication area. Here, each vehicle body begins to be built through a process of welding proprietary aluminum extrusions.

department, where we

module and repaint the chassis to the desired color. After that, our expert cabinet department will build units from scratch to go inside the ambulance module.

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“ “ The industry will continue to grow

“Then, once the module has been built and painted, it will move into our finish department, where we will install cabinets, wiring, and make sure that everything functions as it should,” he divulges. “Finally, the ambulance will then pass into our quality control department, enabling our team to carry out final checks and finish any detail work that needs attending to. The vehicle transforms into exactly what the client wants.”

Technology is central to Life Line’s manufacturing process. On the plant floor, for instance, the firm is utilizing Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software to more accurately track job hours and measure production efficiencies.

Moving forward, Doug tells us Life Line intends to invest in even more technology and high-end equipment. “Currently, we are using AutoCAD software and inventor 3D programming to design machines, and we are now in the process of exploring how to better integrate our electrical designs upfront as part of the AutoCAD process,” he notes.

“Technology such as this enables us to not only maintain an efficient and successful company, but also satisfy our customers.”

Everything we have spoken about points towards a promising future. Though Randy admits there are certainly lingering supply chain issues following the pandemic, he believes the industry will continue to grow.

“Since there are limited production capacities across the industry, there is very high demand right now,” he concludes.

“Moreover, as our population continues to live longer, the need for ambulances and emergency vehicles will only continue to grow. This will inevitably lead to our expansion, and going forward we intend to fill any gaps in our distribution network to increase our presence in other areas of the country.” ■

HED Inc innovative products help operators and drivers focus on what matters most HED specializes in the design, manufacture, and implementation of innovative control systems, human machine interfaces, and telematics monitoring solutions for vehicle OEMs.

HED partners with OEMs across a range of sectors to offer extensive vehicle control advantages. More excitingly, HED is rolling out a new seven-inch display, with minimal bezel, and options for touchscreen, operator buttons, IO, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ethernet and video inputs.

All HED displays are equipped with technology to support harsh environments and show all critical system parameters, so vehicle operators and drivers can keep their eyes on the important tasks at hand.

Learn more about HED products at: www.hedcontrols.com Lifeline Emergency Elite G3 Touch System www.lifelineambulance.com/life-line-difference/ elite-touch-system/www.lifelineambulance.com

LARGER than local

To those native to Birmingham, Ohio, Bettcher Industries, Inc (Bettcher) is known and immediately recognizable by the big red barn in which it resides. However, its regard extends far further than being an iconic landmark along the Ohio Turnpike in Erie County. Since it was founded in 1944, Bettcher has built towards a level of international critical acclaim in the manufacturing of innovative precision cutting and trimming tools for food processing and industrial applications.

Today, Bettcher is an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) company with 300 employee-owners that boasts nearly 100,000 square feet of manufacturing

and office space and has served across several industries including protein processing, foodservice, medical instrumentation and industrial. However, Louis A. Bettcher, Jr (Bettcher, Jr), the company founder, started out with a far humbler beginning.

Considered an inventor from his childhood years, Bettcher, Jr utilized his machine shop in Cleveland’s meatpacking district during World War II to bring about the revolution in the industrialized food processing field that he yearned for. Throughout this war-torn era, meat plants struggled to purchase new equipment, which is where he managed to make his initial breakthrough. In 1947, he moved from

How Bettcher Industries’ flair for innovation has remained true to its core since 1944

merely offering repairs on local equipment to launching his first product: a carcass splitter, followed swiftly in 1954 by the Bettcher Whizard handheld trimmer.

Export sales of the trimmer started five years later in 1959, propelling Bettcher sales past the $1 million mark by 1965. Bettcher’s global reach has since grown decade by decade and finds itself today, with a base of over 20,000 customers (both domestic and international) and distribution in more than 70 countries, supported by offices in Switzerland, Brazil and China.

This significant growth in terms of international sales has fueled even greater expansions to its home site in the US, allowing it to open the Bettcher Innovation Center in 2017. In keeping with the founder’s passion for product

development and providing market solutions, the company today still highlights innovation as a key component of its spirit. All Bettcher designs are mapped out with the greatest possible quality in mind to ensure that the durability of the final result matches its high level of performance, which is ascertained via a vigorous testing process both inhouse and in the field.

Recognized success

Since its initial release in 1954, the company’s long line of powered, handheld trimmer systems has truly been a cornerstone of its output – still holding more than a 95 percent share of the market worldwide today. However, it also manufactures numerous other technologies suited to different areas of food production, whether customers are working with beef, pork, poultry or seafood. Beyond initial protein processing, there is a range of gyro knives and sharpening equipment for the later stages of meat preparation and foodservice too.

Bettcher’s breading machine is an excellent example of its innovative ability to observe the market and develop timely solutions for its clientele, given the comeback of freshly prepared food as opposed to freezer to fryer items. For even larger operations, under its Gainco, Inc subsidiary, it offers specialist systems centered around measuring and managing the plant’s overall yield, productivity, food safety and quality. In terms of customer support, there is an extensive range of services available, including: Online video tutorials, parts lists, manuals, preventative maintenance plans and collections of FAQs and service tips relating to all pieces of machinery and appliances on sale.

In 2011, Bettcher broadened its horizons by establishing its Exsurco Medical Division (EMD). Specializing in new technologies that offer a revolutionary way to perform surgeries on burn patients and cadaveric tissue recovery, it is now leading the change in practices within the industry.

The success of Bettcher has been recognized by multiple national bodies, with it winning the North Coast 99 award for four consecutive years (2018 through to 2021) and being named a Top Workplace Company by the Cleveland Dealer (2012 until 2015). As a result of the company’s success in adapting to the rapidly changing world of manufacturing, it was also presented with the Evolution in Manufacturing award by Smart Business Magazine in 2017 and achieved its ISO 9001:2015 accreditation for its EMD.

New acquisition

Following KKR’s acquisition of Bettcher towards the end of 2021, Bettcher announced the acquisition of Frontmatec from Axcel earlier this year - in May 2022. With a head office based in Kolding, Denmark, Frontmatec is the global leader

in automation solutions and services for the red meat processing industry. It currently employs a team of more than 1300 staff and operates a portfolio of over 1500 customers, which includes 14 out of 15 of the largest red meat processors. This is seen to be the next big step in the two companies working side by side to take Bettcher’s customer-centric approach and innovative philosophy out further on the global platform using KKR’s resources. Whilst continuing to operate under two separate names, the partnership is focusing on putting strategies in place to develop sustainability and green initiatives further.

At the very heart of Bettcher, besides its industry leading products and absolute commitment to innovation in meeting the needs of tomorrow’s customer, is its people. It instils a strong working culture of three base core values: accountability, integrity and personal well-being, and aims to reflect its own growth and development in its employees by providing both inhouse training and financial support for external courses. Every season, it hosts company organized activities for the family members of those it considers to be its own family - and treats them as such. Beyond its own people, the organization reaches out to those in the surrounding communities by sponsoring numerous events and causes, such as blood drives, food banks, humanity projects and much more. Bettcher champions investing in people, not just machines, as they are its best asset. In doing so, it creates an environment where people grow in their careers while delivering top quality products and services to its customers. ■