At Tremco Commercial Sealants & Waterproofing, manufacturing is all about getting products to the customer with minimal waste of time or money.
It’s why the RPM Building Solutions Group-owned company has been implementing a change to a culture focused on lean manufacturing. In addition to streamlining the manufacturing process, Tremco’s lean culture is designed to maximize employee involvement and ownership as it relates to continuous improvement.
During the past year, the organizational structure at Tremco, which is led by RPM Building Solutions President and CEO Randy Korach, has been modified to include the use of lean manufacturing tools such as business products excellence teams, kaizen events, small “k” initiatives, 5S methodology events, visual factory management, accountability boards, multiple skill set training for operators and sustainability initiatives.
Through the efforts of employee-based business product excellence teams, Tremco realized cash savings of $479,000 through the first six months of its current fiscal year, and through its sustainability efforts, it has realized a savings of $416,000 through the first six months of the fiscal year. Included in those savings are energy usage reduction, waste to landfill reductions and water usage reductions.
Aside from the economic benefits, Tremco’s transition to lean manufacturing culture has energized their employees, increased engagement and improved responsiveness to customer needs — factors that are critical to Tremco’s long-term success. Tremco’s leadership believes that the company’s employees are the key to increasing competitiveness on a continuous basis, both domestically and globally.
Tremco’s transition to lean manufacturing has allowed the company to respond more efficiently and effectively to customer needs. Service levels have improved dramatically from 65 percent of projects on time and complete to 90 percent on time and complete in the span of two years. Customer complaints have decreased by 30 percent over the same time period. Ultimately, Tremco has been able to grow market share during the current recession and increased operating revenue from last fiscal year to this year.
The company’s increased engagement of employees has spread into community involvement. Tremco management and employees take part in numerous community initiatives, including the United Way, Harvest for Hunger, MedWish, Habitat for Humanity and various other activities aimed at supporting the company’s sustainability efforts. Tremco’s goal is to have every employee participate in a “green” community activity.
How to reach: Tremco Commercial Sealants & Waterproofing, (216) 292-5000 or www.tremcosealants.com