An Unsinkable Supply Chain

Helping Everglades Boats leave distractions and delays in its wake

December 20, 2024
By the Blue Print Editorial Team

Every industry has them – visionaries who see and create the future. In the marine industry, that’s Bob Dougherty, aka “Mr. Unsinkable.” The nickname derives from the key role he played in developing the unsinkable hull at Boston Whaler, where he also pioneered the first V-bottom hull and the first center console.

In 1999, Bob founded Everglades Boats to pursue a new vision for foam-filled hull construction: what he called the Rapid Molded Core Assembly Process, or RAMCAP. Rather than blindly spraying foam into the hull structure (the traditional process), the
foam is pre-formed to fit the exact geometry of the hull, eliminating gaps and dead spots that can compromise stability on the water.

Today, Everglades Boats uses proprietary RAMCAP construction to make luxury center console fishing boats with a single-piece rigid hull structure. The boats are loaded with technology, creature comforts, and fishing features. They ride like no other. And, of course, they’re unsinkable.

Keeping pace with production

Building an Everglades boat requires a no-compromise mindset. It also requires closely aligned supply chain partners like Fastenal. Just ask Jeff Clark, engineering manager for Everglades.

“Fiberglass lamination is a very labor intensive and time-sensitive process,” said Clark. “In order for our team members to be able to stick to the schedule and achieve our goals, they have to have all their tools, materials, and PPE readily available without any hiccups. These new Fastenal solutions have eliminated a lot of that, and it's really improved our throughput and our efficiency.”

Easy access, total traceability

The new solutions include 50 industrial vending devices placed throughout Everglades’ two campuses in Edgewater, Florida. The devices serve two basic purposes. First, they allow workers to quickly self-serve PPE, abrasives, and other products rather than having to walk and ask supervisors to unlock cabinets (their previous process). Second, they give management visibility into how shop supplies are used across the production process – data that’s helping them improve cost management and productivity.

“We can generate a transaction report saying exactly what each individual is removing from the machines,” said Kevin Keyes, director of operations at Everglades’ east campus. “From there, we can do a better analysis of exactly what it's costing us to build our boats.”

“Right now, we've got really good traceability,” added Rob Blumline, director of operations at the west campus. “We know where things are going, we know who's taking them, and we also know if we don't need something – if an item is never being used, so it's not needed in that area. Now we can fill that area with just the things that they need so they're not hunting through things. It's efficient for the people on the floor to find what they need when they need it.”

Investing in on-site resources

Point-of-use solutions
50 vending devices are placed throughout the facilities. Employees scan their ID badges to access needed products, tying each item to a specific time, user, and area of production.

Usage reporting
Supervisors receive weekly usage reports (generated via the vending devices) to help them understand where their money is being spent and identify opportunities to make improvements.

Experts & inventory
Full-time Fastenal staff manage the onsite warehouse, replenish the vending devices, and regularly check in with around 20 contacts across the facilities to stay attuned to production needs.

Meet the crew

Jeff Clark, Engineering Manager
Jeff is focused on engineering, but he never loses sight of the human element: “Our main mission is to create exceptional life experiences for our customers.”

Kevin Keyes, Director of Operations, East Campus
Kevin oversees operations in Everglades’ east campus, which is supported by 20 vending machines. It’s also home to Fastenal’s on-site warehouse.

Rob Blumline, Director of Operations, West Campus
Meanwhile, Rob directs operations over at the west campus. His take on the Fastenal program? “So far, the biggest win we've had has been keeping items in stock at all times, keeping our people working, and us being able to control our costs and understand where our money's being spent.”

Gerald Pauley, Customer Solutions Consultant (Fastenal)
Gerald worked with Everglades’ stakeholders to tailor the vending solutions in terms of device types, locations, products, and stocking levels. He leads quarterly meetings to review KPIs and continuously improve the program.

Connor Keleher, Onsite Account Representative (Fastenal)
Connor manages Fastenal’s on-site team and warehouse. “I think what I enjoy most about the job is that there’s a true and genuine partnership between both companies here. It’s an added bonus that the marine industry is a very cool industry to be a part of.”

"We have a single point of contact on-site, which is really nice because there's no email chain, no back and forth."

- Rob Blumline

Dedicated experts and inventory

To manage the MRO supply chain and keep the devices filled, Fastenal has invested in three full-time personnel. The team operates a 1,200 square-foot warehouse in the east campus filled with inventory that’s tailored to Everglades’ needs and supported by Fastenal distribution.

For Rob Blumline, the key benefits are direct communication and continuous supply.

“We have an on-site crib that stores all of our supplies, so the likelihood of running out is next to none,” he said. “We have a single point of contact on-site, which is really nice because there's no email chain, no back and forth. It's a single phone call and one person to support us, which is really important for all of our areas.”

Capturing time to build a fantastic boat

Manufacturing is a zero-sum game. Every minute spent on non-core activities (such as procuring, managing, and tracking down shop supplies) is a minute of lost value creation for the end customer.

According to the people we spoke with at Everglades, this is where their Fastenal program really shines.

Kevin Keyes: "The employees now can concentrate fully on the quality of their work and the quality of building the boats rather than chasing shop supplies. It takes that wasted time out of the equation, so now all we're doing is building boats."

Rob Blumline: "It improves productivity on the shop floor because people are in their area and they're working. They're not out hunting for parts or searching for supplies or borrowing them. The most important thing for our team members is to be in their area and be on task working safely. This helps us achieve that."

Jeff Clark: "I think, big picture, it allows our production staff and even our management staff to just stay focused on actually building boats – getting boats through the assembly process and getting them out the door. It ensures that they have all the tools, resources, and materials they need to stay focused on the task at hand and do the best job they can to build a fantastic boat."