LOGAN – Amanda Manufacturing opened it’s doors for a tour recently to show off it’s factory expansion that’s not only helping its customers but also its employees.
Amanda Manufacturing, formerly known as Amanda Bent Bolt, is a metal-forming company that’s been a fixture in Logan for more than 35 years. It is located at 1120 CIC Drive.
Among those in attendance for the tour -Robert Gruschow, president of Amanda Manufacturing; Mike Hood, vice president of manufacturing for Deshler Group and Amanda Manufacturing plant manager; Joy Davis, executive director of the Hocking County Community Improvement Corporation; Nemo Warr, Bank of America; Penny Martin, Public Information Officer, Ohio Development Services Agency; John Werkman, Deputy Chief of the Office of Strategic Business Investments, Ohio Development Services Agency; Kathleen Young, Ohio Governor Southeast Regional Liaison; and Pete Dennis, Regional Sales Director of APG Media of Ohio.
The tour started out by welcoming the stakeholders and then continued with a brief introduction of some top players at Amanda Manufacturing.
Hood led the group into the business to show everyone the employees hard at work using different machines and methods for various operations used throughout the day.
“The main tour was to show what parts we make, what our capabilities are, the types of different equipment we have and what operations we can do, Hood shared. “It was mainly to explain that we are a rod, wire, form and stamping combination company.”
Some of the products the company manufactures include speed hooks, tow hooks, hood and door strikers, exhaust hangers, hood props and more. According to Hood, Amanda Manufacturing makes more than 11 million parts for Ford Motor Company alone.
“We also make some parts for Honda and Toyota, to name a few. We make parts mainly for Ford and General Motors,” Hood remarked. “I’m going to say we make upwards of 20 million parts. There are around 500 different part numbers.”
Other clients include Chrysler Group LLC; Dura Automotive Systems; Magna International Inc.; and Benteler Automotive.
The last leg of the tour focused on the new addition and how its helped operations and its customers by increasing the level and speed of production, and providing additional room for business growth.
In late 2015, the company broke ground on its $5 million expansion and renovation to keep up with its international business, new products and services.
The new plant floor added 54,880 square feet and was operational and occupied in February of 2016.
“We were full in there in April. It’s been a pretty smooth transition,” Hood remarked. “The new expansion is mainly shipping and receiving for work and process parts. We kept all the manufacturing in the two old buildings to keep all of our set up guys together and keep everything organized. We created a good flow of material. It comes in one side of the building, goes through the processes and ships out the other side.”
It’s great. We have been working on this for a number of years. We’re excited to have the manufacturing expansion done; Gruschow stated. The manufacturing expansion, which you can see, is completely full. A week after we opened it, we filled it up.”
Gruschow expressed that the expansion was long overdue, as it will benefit its customers as well as its employees.
“We were operating in a very compressed environment and for a number of years our business had grown. When we built it, that allowed us to rearrange the plant, make the flow of material more efficient and make the overall plant efficiency higher,” Gruschow added.
Hood said the expansion increased the company’s efficiency from about 88 percent to approximately 93 percent efficiency most days.
“We can be more efficient because we have more room and its better organized,” Hood noted. “It’s great to see the growth. I’ve been here since 1995, 22 years, and we had goals and we’ve surpassed all those goals.”
A break room with vending machines for the employees and bathrooms were also included in the expansion, according to Hood. The new expansion is welcomed news as Hood explained that Amanda Manufacturing has been growing steadily.
“Since 2009, we have just continued to grow. I believe during the downturn in 2008 and 2009 when the automotive companies went through their bankruptcies, the weak didn’t survive and people who were strong, did survive and have grown since,” Hood continued.
Amanda Manufacturing’s revenue has more than tripled since 2009, with 2016 sales over $95 million.
The next step is the office expansion, where 14,000 square feet will be added to the front of the building, about 7,000 square feet on each floor.
“We’re excited for the design of the new office building. The long time our folks have been in trailers is really going to pay off when we get the new space. It’s going to be a bright light work environment that they’re really going to love once we get the project finished,” Gruschow concluded.
“It’s about a nine-month project,” Hood stated. “There will also be an elevator.”
Gruschow commented that they hope to break ground soon, within a few weeks, and may have the new office space completed by spring of next year. Hood also expressed his gratitude to all the 245 employees at the company, which include 47 in management positions and 198 union employees.
“It’s hard work. Of all the places around here, I think that they work harder than anyone else. I want them to make a good wage and have good benefits because they do hard work,” Hood conduded.
From The Logan Daily News | June 12, 2017
