E-Z Drill turned to Fastenal to find big cost savings
Updated May 5, 2023
By Blue Print Editorial Team
By Blue Print Editorial Team
Employees can now use a touchscreen to find items anywhere in E-Z Drill's facility in Perry, Oklahoma.
THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB
Drilling through concrete is no easy task. E-Z Drill works to make it, well, easier. Since 1987, they’ve been finding ways to make the tasks of drilling and doweling simpler, safer, and faster. From airport runways to highways and everything in between, the team at E-Z Drill works to provide the best possible drill for the job. E-Z Drill is located in a small town, so if everything required for a build isn’t on-site, the team has two choices: wait for shipping or make a trip to a remote store for parts. To cut down on lost time, E-Z Drill partnered with their local Fastenal. How impressed has the E-Z Drill team been with Fastenal’s service? They wrote an open letter to let everyone know exactly what they think of the partnership. IN HIS OWN WORDS
To whom it may concern, My name is Frank Douglass, and I am the plant manager of E-Z Drill here in Perry, OK. Just wanted to take a few minutes and write down a few remarks about a major supplier PARTNER of ours – Fastenal. We have been using Fastenal for about 26 years for fasteners and general MRO products, and added cutting tools about 18 months ago. We had a major fire about 23 years ago that crippled our business and nearly shut us down. I called the GM at Fastenal and asked him to bring me some of everything they had supplied me for the past six months. I didn’t give much more direction than that. They responded very quickly and had product coming the next day. The part that stuck out with us at E-Z Drill is that they didn’t take advantage of us. The quantities were conservative and they fixed us up with everything we needed, provided storage bins and shelves, labeled the product and put it away. Many more things were done during this trying time for us, but Fastenal handled everything with integrity and care. All of the people who have worked at the local Fastenal during the time we have been using them have all done an outstanding job anticipating our needs, responding to emergencies, and suggesting things they could help with that we didn’t even know they could do for us. They are loyal to us, and we trust them. That is why we have grown our business with them through the years. We ask them to look around our plant, and if there is anything they see that we use and that they sell, bring it to our attention. We do our due diligence on sourcing, but if it makes sense, we will move it to Fastenal. Since taking over our cutting tool business for the machine shop, Fastenal has brought cost savings of over $250,000 by freeing up time for our machines and reducing cycle times. They brought in manufacturers that we had not ever tried, to look at certain operations, gave us test tools, and made suggestions to changes in speeds and feeds. We implemented their vending machines, which drastically improved our replenishment and fulfillment, and we have far greater confidence that the tool we need will be there when we need it. It is EASY to find what we need, and we wish we would have been using their system long before now. I like to say that the current GM of their store, Riley Flack, is an employee of ours. He isn’t on our payroll, of course, but he is an extension of the great people we have employed at E-Z Drill. Riley is in our plant every day, checking on our needs, talking to our leads and operators, and bringing supplies, among other things. He will let us know if we have unusual usage on items, and is good about communicating lead times and back orders. If there was something that would help our business, but would result in a loss or decrease in sales for Fastenal, Riley would not hesitate to suggest it. He really cares about the success of our business. Overall, we are very glad to have Fastenal as a partner. We include them in the credit for helping us in being a strong and successful business in the Perry community and the state of Oklahoma. We are open to having other potential Fastenal customers to come to our plant to see how we operate and the Fastenal programs we use, and are happy to answer any questions. Sincerely, Frank Douglass Hoping to find cost savings for your company? Let's talk. Vertical Divider
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