Lean Enterprise

Metalwest is the first name in flat roll and is known as flat rool metals specialists. They distribute and process carbon and non ferrous products such as hot roll P&O (pickled and oiled), cold roll, galvanized steel, coated products, stainless steel, and aluminum sheet and coil. Metalwest takes pride in conducting business with a family factor. Founded by teh BEgin family in 1986, they joined the O'Neal Steel family in 1997.

Rich Products Corporation is a pioneer in the frozen food industry around the world. The company produces value-added products and sells over 3M lbs of shrimp to major retailers. It was founded in 1945 by Robert E. Rich who created the world's first non-dairy whipped topping.

Founded in 1981, BeautiControl creates innovative lifetime solutions through scientifically advanced skin care and beauty products, life-changing opportunities and a passion for excellenec! Based in Dallas, Texas, BeautiControl's products include skin care, color cosmetics and spa treatments.

The City of Irving, founded in 1903, has over two hundred thousand citizens and employs approximately two thousand.Their mission statement reads “Deliver exceptional services and promote a high quality of life for residents, visitors and businesses.” Irving is the first city in Texas to implement Lean Six Sigma, (LSS) identifying and delivering breakthrough improvements in municipal services.

Established in 1928 as Merritt Tool Company, Triumph Structures, in Kilgore, Texas, is a global leader in the design, engineering and manufacturing of a broad portfolio of areostructures, aircraft components, accessories, and subassemblies for the Aerospace industry. Triumph Structures is one of 17 Texas aerospace industry suppliers included in a $1.1 million training grant from the Texas Workforce Commission. This grant qualified the company for training on AS9100 quality standards and lean manufacturing techniques.

Established in 1968, T&K Machine, Inc., in Paris, Texas, manufactures over 500 precision-machined components and assemblies on eight platforms and supplies parts to aerospace companies such as Boeing, Vought Aircraft, Goodrich, and others. T&K Machine is one of 17 Texas aerospace industry suppliers included in a $1.1 million training grant from the Texas Workforce Commission. This grant qualified the company for training on AS9100 quality standards and lean manufacturing techniques.

 Western Extrusions located in Carrollton, Texas produces high-quality  aluminum extrusions for a variety of markets including commercial, residential, transportation  and consumer durables. Logs and billets of aluminum are extruded into many complex  designs; heat treated as necessary, milled to customer specifications, and then either  anodized, painted, or fabricated in other ways. Following packaging, the finished products are  sent to the plant’s customers. Founded in 1979, the company has grown from the original  49,000 square feet facility with one 1,650-ton press to over 550,000 square feet of  manufacturing space. 

Therm-o-link Inc. produces wire and cable products for the automotive, marine, construction and appliance industries. They specialize in PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and XLPE (crosslink polyethylene) insulated wire. The 104,000 Sq. foot facility in El Paso, Texas employs 69 skilled workers—all of which recently participated in the first phase of a Lean Transformation initiative.

According to Troy Johnson, Vice President, Operations, the company name was created because years ago the company founder wanted his firm to “grow like a Texas weed,” so he told his first customer “make the check out to Weed Instrument.” Forty years later Weed Instrument has grown to provide a complex and diverse product line of highly engineered temperature sensing, fiber optic networking and nuclear qualified instrumentation.

Dunn Heat Exchangers, Since 1968, Dunn Heat Exchangers has been a leader in cleaning, repair, fabrication, design and testing of shell and tube heat exchangers and pressure vessels.

Situation

Dunn Heat realized that in order to be more competitive and to offer premier customer service, they needed to make some changes. They were experiencing a growth in sales, but production errors and bottlenecks resulted in significant amounts of wasted time and effort.