What Team Industries learned by partnering with Fastenal
August 16, 2023
By Blue Print Editorial Team
By Blue Print Editorial Team
Photos courtesy of Team Industries and Spotlight Media.
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“Fastenal employees – God, thank them – they brought 20,000 parts in-house, and they washed them by hand and cleaned the white residue away. We never missed a beat.” |
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The challenge: Keep multiple facilities operating via one team
Keith Larson looked out over the plant floor and thought about hours. The goal was the same one so many other companies face: free up time in the workday and increase productivity.
As the commodity manager for Team Industries, Keith was helping keep production on track. With eight facilities (six in the U.S. and two in Mexico), Team has a million square feet of total plant space. And among other things, they produce over a million drive train assemblies each year.
Keith knew that Fastenal could help with some of what needed to be done. So, when I had the chance, I asked him: What does it mean for Team to partner with Fastenal?
“So, what it means to us is we have less work to do,” Keith said. “You do all the manual work for us. You bring the product in, you stock the product, you bring it to the line. You fill the vending machines – in some locations three times a week. Most of all you do our work. You do our work for us, which everybody knows: Labor is a problem.”
As the commodity manager for Team Industries, Keith was helping keep production on track. With eight facilities (six in the U.S. and two in Mexico), Team has a million square feet of total plant space. And among other things, they produce over a million drive train assemblies each year.
Keith knew that Fastenal could help with some of what needed to be done. So, when I had the chance, I asked him: What does it mean for Team to partner with Fastenal?
“So, what it means to us is we have less work to do,” Keith said. “You do all the manual work for us. You bring the product in, you stock the product, you bring it to the line. You fill the vending machines – in some locations three times a week. Most of all you do our work. You do our work for us, which everybody knows: Labor is a problem.”
How the Onsite helps
To help with day-to-day needs, Team is taking advantage of an Onsite program. This means Fastenal hires personnel who are dedicated to Team’s facilities. They are paid by Fastenal, but they come to work at Team locations and handle the work within Team’s MRO and OEM supply chain.
“Honestly, it allows us the ability to free up our manpower,” Keith said. “We have a couple individuals in the building every day. They monitor our use; they bring product in daily. They actually deliver it to the bin location on the assembly line or at the assembly position. We don't warehouse our Fastenal parts. You do it for us.”
“Honestly, it allows us the ability to free up our manpower,” Keith said. “We have a couple individuals in the building every day. They monitor our use; they bring product in daily. They actually deliver it to the bin location on the assembly line or at the assembly position. We don't warehouse our Fastenal parts. You do it for us.”
Hear what else Keith has to say
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