Bamar Benefits from TAAF

“Bamar has benefited greatly from the TAAF program. The flexibility of the program and GLTAAC’s staff really made it work for us.  The TAAC helped us through the entire process and everybody there was knowledgeable, professional, thoughtful, and clearly committed to our success.  Our company is in a much better competitive position now than we were before working with GLTAAC.”

—Heather Meixel, CEO and President

Bamar Plastics is a 40 year old family business located in South Bend, Indiana.  The company manufactures small, injection molded plastic parts, and over the years it earned a reputation for high quality and strong technical expertise.   However, growing foreign competition (mostly from China and Mexico), was steadily eroding sales to key accounts.  This caught up to the firm in 2015, when Bamar suffered double-digit drops in sales and employment and slipped into the red.

Heather Meixel, the founder’s daughter, had taken over the business from her father earlier that year.  She inherited an excellent management team and a skilled workforce, plus she brought strong outside business and sales experience to the firm.  Nevertheless, Heather knew Bamar needed some additional assistance to help it bounce back.  The company was certified into the TAAF program in September 2015.

GLTAAC helped Bamar develop an Adjustment Plan focused on rebuilding sales and broadening its customer base.  Using the program’s co-funding, Bamar then implemented its plan over the next 3 years.

• First, Bamar updated its website to attract a greater diversity of customers and began an in-bound digital marketing campaign.
• It also became IATF16949 compliant in order to appeal to more firms within its traditional market (the auto industry).
• Then, multiple lead generation projects were undertaken to identify, target, qualify, and secure opportunities for new business.
• In addition, an outside consultant was hired to update and manage the firm’s IT infrastructure, which improved efficiencies throughout the company and allowed greater management focus on sales.

Bamar completed the TAAF program in July.  It has returned to profitability and grown sales in each of the past 3 years.  Productivity is up and employment has stabilized.  And, 2019 is on track to be the best year in Bamar’s history and this is the best example of how Bamar has benefited greatly from the TAAF program.