Keeping ‘watch’ on ATC’s lean vision
Nappanee manufacturer finds a spot on IEDC’s annual list
of emerging companies
By Trevor Wendzonka | Chamber Staff
Looking down his clean lines
of production, Steve Brenneman
contemplates how he will answer the
question. Even his words are lean.
He can describe in depth the business
plan that helped Aluminum Trailer Co. be
named to the 2013 Indiana Companies to
Watch list. He can talk at length about the
years of self-evaluation to ditch inefficient
and wasteful processes. He can give a
dissertation on how the principles of
Taiichi Ohno changed him personally.
He can do that, but he doesn’t. His
answer is short and powerful.
“We’ve been doing this for four years,
and we won’t stop,” says Brenneman,
chief executive officer of the Nappanee
manufacturer. “In lean, perfection is the
goal – my mom hates it when I say that
because she thinks I should just be happy
with what we’ve achieved.”
ATC embraces lean and sustainable
approaches from the front door to the
shipping dock – no area is out of bounds
for evaluation and improvement. The
sales office must provide firm information
on taking ATC to a higher level.
Lean affects the bottom line, for
sure, but a highly efficient operation
means even more.
“We had an excellent culture, good
people and a good product going out
the door. But we weren’t thinking
about the process,” he says. “In
business, we do this all day long, and
all we usually ask from employees is
that they do their best. We don’t look
at how they can do even better.”
So ATC started with a spaghetti
diagram and pulled people out of
usual assignments just to observe
what was happening. Inefficiencies
in production were straightened out,
right down to a better delivery method
for containers filled with lock washers
so the work of engineers is not negatively
and self-drilling screws.
impacted. The design and production
The review process continues today,
schedule must be finely tuned so an
with managers keeping track of a board
adequate supply of raw materials can be
of sticking notes called “fixing unresolved
on site. The workers on the production
nuisances” – FUN time.
line must be responsive to needs in other
“It’s amazing how much waste you
areas so ATC’s version of “Takt time” does see when you’re not encumbered with
not suffer.
work. It’s like putting on a different
set of glasses,”
Brenneman says. “I
This year, 33 companies made the cut on the
Indiana Economic Development Corp.’s “Companies know I could never
to Watch” list. To qualify for consideration, a company have done anything
as important as
must be privately held, employ between 6 and 150
getting lean. And
full-time workers and have between $750,000 and
the more time
$10 million in annual revenue or capital.
and energy you
put toward it, the
LEAN 101 gives companies a chance to learn more about
deeper you go – it’s
eliminating waste in operations. The next two workshops at
fulfilling.”
the Greater Elkhart Chamber at Sept. 10 (sold out) and Dec. 6.
ATC makes
Contact Jim Walsh, [email protected], for more information.
trailers for all
types of uses,
Like so many others, Brenneman’s focus from personal recreation to NASCAR
on lean became crystal clear during the
haulers. Learn more about the company at
Great Recession. He lost another company aluminumtrailer.com.
in the downturn and focused specifically
6 GREATER ELKHART CHAMBER