Lean Success in Michigan
Hiring, new floor plan help spur manufacturer - MLive.com
Here’s a story about a small Michigan manufacturer that is using
Lean as part of their growth strategy, as opposed to those who use
it strictly for cost cutting in a shrinking business.
They were barely a manufacturer in 2004:
“… the company was an “immature manufacturer,” having
outsourced the majority of its manufacturing while keeping research
and development internal…”
Not only did they start manufacturing, but they came at it from a
Lean perspective:
Instead of downsizing its staff, Mopec has increased employment
and added assembly workers.“We saw great potential for growth in our industry for our
products and we weren’t sure how to best manage those processes,”
VanDusen said. “But with the help of outside resources we laid out
a plan for an efficient shop floor and since have invested more
than $200,000 in equipment and even more in new employees.”
There are more details in the story, but I like their results:
Through the lean training Mopec more efficiently aligned its
machinery and plant floor, so some additional space didn’t have to be
developed.Mopec has nearly doubled its
work force to over 50 since 2004 while boosting revenues.
Profits have remained
strong, executives said, and the company has used added
cash flow to make
substantial internal investments.
Way to go, Mpoec! I hope they remain on the pathway of continuous
improvement. It’s great to see an example of a company using
Lean as a growth strategy. That’s the best way to avoid the
trap of having more employees than you need and being tempted to
lay off employees. Any Lean guru will tell you it’s basic
human nature, that enthuisiasm for Lean will die when efficiency
improvements lead to layoffs.
