Rather than spending endless hours and money chasing the competition, one company has taken “the high road” by looking for new opportunities in unlikely places. Instead of chasing competitors, they are spending their time and energy discovering ways to move companies from metal and fiberglass to thermoformed plastics.
I first met Thornton Wooding, VP and General Manager, of PMW Products Inc. at the TJTPA Breakfast last month. As he shared his business with me, I was eager to see firsthand what sounded like a better business model. On Friday, I was invited to take a tour of PMW and learn more; I took it upon myself to invite Greg Hopper of Netanium to join me for the tour.
The unexpected began from our first encounter with Wooding. Instead of the usual ‘let’s run out and take the tour’, Wooding sat us down and openly discussed the challenges of running a small to medium business. In business since 1979, PMW Products employs slightly less than 100 full-time employees and generates just under $10Mil annual revenue.
This type of manufacturing, unlike their neighboring ‘clean room’ companies, can be a demanding environment for employees. PMW has met the challenge with a Human Resources toolkit one might find in a much larger firm; I suspect this is due in part to Wooding’s prior employment and experience at Kidde (part of UTC Fire and Security).
To build strong employee retention and performance, PMW holds a monthly meeting of all employees. They shut the plant down (costly for any manufacturer) and have adopted a roundtable atmosphere in the “break-room”. A wide range of topics are brought forth to educate employees on Company Benefits as well as help teams work through issues ‘from the shop floor’. You will find placards and signs throughout the facility advocating teamwork and a clean work environment.
Quality Assurance is paramount at PMW and they exhibit all the qualities of a formal continuous improvement program. To remain at the forefront of capacity and manufacturing capability, PMW has formed working partnerships with their equipment vendors, too. This could be found in one of their latest additions of a 6-axis robotic router, one of the first in the model series.
One of the interesting changes in PMW’s business is in the design and engineering of customer requirements. Gone are the drafting tables, and even some of the CAD software requirements. Today, PMW and the customer exchange files through integrated Information Technology systems. From requirements to completion of order, much of PMW’s business passes seamlessly across cyberspace.
We were able to see a range of products being made, e.g., school bus parts, a custom dash for an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle), roof panels, and more. One part in particular caught our attention. It was an oddly shaped rectangular part that we learned was for a bowling pin ‘spotter’. Formerly a metal assembly of over one hundred (100) parts, PMW was able to overcome a “draw ratio” limitation to form the part. As such, this design that had moved overseas for lower cost production was now back in the States with a new look from PMW. This same effort could be seen in the Bank signage that PMW manufactures. The new signs from PMW overcome the inherent deterioration of steel, and the wear and tear from landscapers who may accidentally dent the sign.
As PMW continues to build new opportunities for their operation, they remain a “custom plastics manufacturer”. They currently sell their services through a small network of manufacturer’s representatives. While these reps look for new opportunities to move applications from metal or fiberglass to thermoforming, Wooding would like to see PMW make the next step to their own line of products.
When you spend time with Wooding, you are quickly caught-up in his enthusiasm. You can hear the three P’s of: Passion, Perseverance, and Pride as he talks about the company and their services. Follow the links in the Post to learn more about PMW Products, Inc. They may be just what your company needs to lower costs and improve performance as a replacement for a metal or fiberglass part.
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