Competitiveness Review Assessment Uncovers Need for Sustainable Continuous Improvement Journey
Company Profile
For over 42 years Gainey’s has been the leading manufacturer of custom Wastewater, Stormwater and Industrial precast concrete products throughout Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. Starting out as a residential septic tank installation company in 1981, it would soon grow to expand its portfolio to include new markets and various product lines. After being dealt a devastating blow in 1994 with the death of Richard Gainey, the founder, the Gainey family rallied together in order to keep his dream and the company alive. Through the hard work of Lisa Gainey Roache, CEO, Greg Roache, President, and the Gainey’s employees, the company is alive and thriving, and constantly growing to accommodate the needs of an ever-changing industry.
Situation
Gainey’s Concrete Products originally reached out to the MEP of LA looking for strategies to remove waste out of their business. In 2018, MEP of LA Project Manager Dan Stumper delivered a Competitiveness Review Assessment with Gainey’s Concrete Products. It was discovered after conducting the formal assessment that the company had many different areas that could prove to be very profitable to help the company grow and prosper, to include a proper business plan that would lay out the company strategy and how they would conduct business both at that time and in the future.
Solution
To kick off their Continuous Improvement journey, in 2018 Gainey’s Concrete Products started the process of tacking key metrics in their business. The most impactful metric at that time was to track their quoting win rate. Following the implementation of key concepts from the Competitiveness Review, Gainey’s started training their employees in Lean concepts. Gainey’s enrolled 6 of their employees in a multi-company Lean 101 Class held at their facility in Holden, LA. In 2021, Gainey’s Concrete participated in the MEP of LA COVID-19 Business Assessment revealing their need for funding, training, and leadership solutions. At the beginning of 2022, Gainey’s Concrete Products acted on these needs and contacted the MEP of LA regarding sourcing leadership training. Gainey’s Concrete Products was utilizing out of state resources for various training needs. MEP of LA Project Manager Dan Stumper developed sourcing options by identifying Leadership Training needs and providing in-state resources to bid on the project. He also conducted pre-screen qualifications with vetted third-party providers in the MEP of LA network. Company program reviews were also facilitated with Gainey’s Concrete Products upper management. Ultimately, an in-state vetted MEP of LA 3rd Party Provider was selected as Gainey’s Concrete Products 2022 Leadership Training Prover with the help of the MEP of LA.
“Dan Stumper is a valued business mentor to Gainey’s. We often look to him for guidance. This year we invited him to sit in on our strategic planning session. By making Dan aware of the areas that we are struggling with, he can better help us discover the resources to address our needs.”
—Lisa Roache, CEO
Results
As a result of the Lean 101 Training, assessments, and Sourcing Leadership Training received by Gainey’s Concrete Products, the company was selected as the 2023 recipient of the LCTCS MEP of LA Small Business Award and honored at the Small and Emerging Business Development event in May 2023. Gainey’s Concrete Products has embraced continuous improvement through their recent implementation of lean and leadership training and can pride themselves on constantly growing to accommodate the needs of an ever-changing industry.
Cost savings
Unnecessary Investments Avoided
New Investments
New Sales
Plant or Equipment Investment
Workforce Investments