Bay Motor Embraces Productivity Improvement Through Lean Practices
“Working with GLTAAC was great. They enabled us to make the improvements our company needed more quickly and efficiently than we could have without their program. The TAAF co-funding was extremely helpful and we were able to use best-fit providers for every project.”
– Andy Robitshek, President, Bay Motor Products
Background
Bay Motor Products (BMP) is a manufacturer of small motors, blowers, and fans located in Traverse City, Michigan. After 30 years of success, BMP found itself in a difficult situation, largely driven by forces external to the firm. The U.S. market was shrinking due to offshoring by
numerous OEMs, while domestic competition in the industry intensified. Additionally, the flood of imports into the country continued to swell and now controlled over half of the U.S. market.
With sales of less than $10 million, BMP is a small fish in a big pond. Fortunately, the firm had a solid management team, headed by a new owner, and they were dedicated to revitalizing the business.
Approach
By the time BMP came to GLTAAC in 2015, the company had already carved out a niche for itself by leveraging its strong engineering capabilities, focusing on small batch production, and providing excellent customer service. Success with such a strategy, however, requires continuous improvement, which is difficult when cash becomes tight. So the company used the co-funding available through the TAAF program to finance several key initiatives.
Using their local MEP center and related providers, BMP completed over a dozen targeted Lean and worker training projects over the next 5 years. It also implemented a new product configurator system, which improved quoting accuracy and efficiency, as well as customer responsiveness. Website upgrades were done to support sales and marketing activities, and GLTAAC helped BMP obtain UL-certification for a next gen motor line.
Results
Bay Motor Products completed the TAAF program in 2020. The company is in a difficult industry serving a difficult market, but, through a focused strategy and the assistance the firm received from GLTAAC, they had stabilized sales, increased productivity, and improved margins.
