Anne said obtaining AS9100 helped them streamline processes for both aerospace and other industries , like high tech , as they enter the aerospace industry .
Concurrent with earning their certification , they also purchased another manufacturing facility . Andy said that the existing and new facilities are paid for , “ We don ’ t lease .” The new facility is not adjacent , but it is close by . The purchase was twofold : the business is expanding and needs space . Also , it will enable larger manufacturing projects that require lifting via cranes .
The current facility is 20,000 square feet , and the new building is 40,000 . They have 10 CNC mills , three CNC lathes , and two water jets . More equipment will be purchased for the new building . They also just had the floors painted at the new facility . People had told him painting doesn ’ t add value , but he disagrees . He likes it “ clean and bright in the factory .” He noted that a clean shop is essential and originally he thought all machine shops were similar , but found out later that wasn ’ t true .
“ That ’ s why manufacturing has a bad rap — people think it is dark , grimy , and rough conditions . By painting the floors , employees start putting away tools and caring for things . When the job completes , they clean up ,” Andy said .
While Andy is delegating work and building up additional leaders , he still leads and grows the company . One strategy they ’ ve developed addresses the workforce shortage that manufacturers are having . “ It ’ s still challenging to get brand new people in here . Experienced machinists already have a job somewhere .” So , they ’ ve cross-trained their staff , making switching staff members between projects and roles easier .
Andy is a believer in the culture of the organization . “ If you have a good cultural fit , train them to do other jobs .” They had 26 employees in 2020 and now have 33 people . Andy said , “ It ’ s a 25 percent jump , a big deal for us .” But he observed that adding 50 employees at a time would be difficult . He likes finding someone who fits in and then training them to do the work . “ Knowing what they have or desire , we can let their skill set grow . We ’ ll have more qualified candidates in the future .”
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