Success Stories

MEP Member

Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center

Story Title

Ace World Companies Lead the Deck with Lean

Client Profile

Ace World Companies manufactures hoists, crane systems, controls, trucks and drives. Ace World has supplied industry with custom designed material handling solutions since 1987. The privately-owned business employs 80 people at its facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

Situation

ACE World Companies, one of the last manufacturers of hoists and cranes in the U.S., needed to become globally competitive. Many national crane companies were being acquired and closed by large international conglomerates. Ace management requested the assistance of the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center (TMAC), a NIST MEP network affiliate, to do an overall assessment of their operations.

Solution

TMAC developed projects to assist Ace World with Executive Coaching, Lean training and implementation, Training within Industry (TWI) training and implementation, R&D (Research and Development) tax credit research, abd Material Requirements Planning enhancements. TMAC facilitated training in Lean principles and practices, including Lean Office procedures for several Ace World employees. Additional staff participated in TMAC’s 9+3 Lean Enterprise Certificate program. 9 + 3 consists of 9 days of simulation-based, hands-on workshops that present Lean concepts, principles, tools and techniques plus a 3-Day Rapid Improvement Event (Kaizen). ACE World also needed to reduce high inventories. Implementation of a Pull Kanban system resulted in waste reduction and improved on-time delivery. TMAC also introduced 5S (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) Workforce Practices into the company along with standard work methods. These efforts resulted in a simplified flow, reduced lead times and costs. Another significant project with Ace World included a R&D tax credit analysis. Based on a review by a TMAC third party partner, Ace World received a cash reimbursement for their R&D efforts.

Results

• Retained sales of 1 million.
• Realized $115,000 in cost savings.
• Improved on-time delivery by 90 percent.
• Reduced inventory by $88,000.
• Reduced overhead expenses by $225,000.

Testimonial

“Having access to a resource like TMAC has led Ace World Companies to new heights and a brighter future.”
Neal Brown, CFO