Transformational Client Soars Despite Pandemic and Steers Toward More Growth
Company Profile
AFCO Industries, Inc., a 100% employee-owned company was founded in 1946, and is one of the nation’s leading building products manufacturers. With plants in Alexandria, LA, Olive Branch, MS, and Olmsted, IL, AFCO is a vertically integrated producer of aluminum, plastic, and fiberglass products. The company’s products can be found in the home centers, lumber yards, and distributors nation-wide. Many of the best known pre-hung entry door systems include AFCO weatherstrip and thresholds. AFCO is also a leading provider of fabricated aluminum components for other manufacturers with services that include extruding, machining, welding, precision cutting, punching, and powder coating.
Situation
AFCO has been functioning and growing at it’s original 1946 location to the point that it was bursting at the seams when they contacted MEP of LA. They were seeking help to improve process thruput and facility layout efficiency in 2015. As a client of LCTCS MEP of Louisiana since 2011, AFCO Industries has made quite the transformation over the last 11 years and is still moving toward growth despite the recent COVID-19 Pandemic. As a result of the Lean and Aluminum Rail initiatives performed by the MEP of LA, the company was able to increase capacity and efficiency significantly to absorb increased product demand. AFCO product demand increased during the pandemic due to so many people working from home and finding additional time to do home improvement projects. Without these Lean initiatives, AFCO Industries would not have been able to absorb the increased demand for products. What started with just a prototyping of a baluster toggle in 2011 has led to an on-going client relationship consisting of Lean Training, Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen and Process Flow. AFCO Industries has also been very involved with LCTCS MEP of Louisiana as a Hill Day advocate and 2021 Louisiana Small Business Award recipient. In 2021 and now into 2022, the client again looked to the LCTCS MEP of LA to provide training to their employees.
Solution
With a valuable history behind the previous working relationship with AFCO Industries, company President Don Fowler reached out to their local MEP representative at Central Louisiana Technical Community College (a regional affiliate of LCTCS MEP of LA) for Six Sigma Green Belt Training for 8 employees. The project was kicked off in July 2021 and the company is now in the second phase training an additional 4 employees within the company.
- Helped company grow annual revenue
- Retained employees
- Increased product demands
- Enabled employee growth
- Lean manufacturing tool implementation such as Lean training; Six Sigma Green Belt Training
“It is a pleasure to work with a group of professionals who are passionate about creating a successful manufacturing environment for our industry. Their efforts fit our needs today and progressively work with us for our future desires or endeavors.”
—Don Fowler, President and Chief Executive Officer
Results
As a result, the improvements made by the LCTCS MEP of LA helped the company grow annual revenue significantly. AFCO Industries was also deemed an essential business during the pandemic; therefore, the Lean training/project initiatives made it possible to retain employees to meet increased product demands. The Six Sigma Green Belt Training that is now ongoing will also enable employee growth.
Increased/retained sales
Cost savings
Increased/retained jobs
New products
New investments
Increase in Equipment