New year, new systems
Mar-Bal Inc
Scott Balogh
president and CEO
Aaron Bable
director of business process systems
www.mar-bal.com
Mar-Bal Inc., led by President and CEO Scott Balogh, manufactures thermoset composites components for the appliance, electrical, food service, industrial and transportation marketplaces. The company had been experiencing operational challenges during the past few years because of its outdated customized enterprise resource planning software. This prevented the necessary increase in manufacturing activity Mar-Bal needed to stay competitive in today’s global economy.
As each year passed, it became more expensive to operate the old ERP system because of the specialized support required to maintain and upgrade it. Mar-Bal sought out a new ERP provider that could offer a modern system with more capabilities that wouldn’t add more operational costs. Ultimately, IQMS’s comprehensive, industry-specific ERP solution rose to the head of the pack. EnterpriseIQ installation began at company headquarters in June 2010, and then at Mar-Bal’s three other facilities. Central to that implementation was Aaron Bable, Mar-Bal’s director of business process systems. By 2011, Mar-Bal started using the ERP system enterprise-wide and saw immediate results.
IQMS’s manufacturing ERP solution saved the company $270,000 annually across its four plants as well as nearly 5,000 potential machine hours that were no longer lost to downtime for monthly physical inventory checks.
Savings were realized through more efficient inbound order electronic data interchange processing, capacity for outbound EDI invoice and advance ship notice processing, the elimination of regular and monthly physical inventories, quicker month-end close, accurate production reporting through the RealTime interface, and accurate reporting of global material purchases allowing for more negotiating power with volume purchasing.
Investing in vision
MidWest Materials Inc.
Brian D. Robbins
CEO
www.midwestmaterials.com
MidWest Materials Inc., a steel service center, celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2012 with the completion of a multimillion-dollar expansion. The warehousing and processing facility in Perry is now home to the largest Leveltek stretch leveling system in North America, a machine that gives the company a considerable competitive advantage.
Since assuming the CEO position in 2004, Brian D. Robbins has led the company his grandfather co-founded to record profits in nine of the past 10 years. He empowered his leadership team to investigate key upgrades and opportunities during the recession, and swiftly analyzed and enacted his team’s recommendations.
Realizing the growing importance of flat, memory-free steel needed in advanced manufacturing processes, Robbins made one of the largest investments in company history with the installation of the Leveltek system. The machine has capabilities over 5/8-inch thick and over 100 inches wide, which gave MidWest a competitive edge as the economy recovered.
The company invested in a new fleet of high-end trucks and trailers to assure on-time delivery to customers and to retain and attract drivers. Robbins also put an emphasis on reviewing suppliers and customers for product fit, which has resulted in improved relations and partnerships.
Robbins has invested countless hours working with his team, and has invested more than $10 million into plant, transportation and office improvements. MidWest will continue to seek growing markets, upgrade and add new equipment, provide the high-quality products and service, and invest in relationships both within and outside the company.
