D&S In The News

D&S MANUFACTURING UNVEILS EXPANSION PLAN TO IMPROVE
PRODUCTIVITY AND ADDRESS GROWTH OBJECTIVES

Before facility expansion	After facility expansion

Black River Falls, Wis. — Michael Dougherty, President of D&S Manufacturing, recently announced the company’s initiation of an extensive, $6.4 million expansion of its production facilities. The 12 month project commenced on June 2, 2008. “As a result of the strong sales growth we have experienced during the past several years, D&S is now positioned to make a significant investment in its internal architecture. The resulting improvements will help us to contain costs and maximize the speed and efficiency of the manufacturing process while providing the framework for future growth. This includes a projected 33% increase in our company’s workforce within the next four years,” he stated.

Dougherty explained that the concept of renovating the facility was first explored in November 2006, when an outside consultant was retained to improve work flow through a better, more logical alignment of fabricating and machining operations. Early in 2008, a team was assembled to develop a plan based on those recommendations. In that process, primary attention was directed to increasing workable production space and minimizing material handling as a strategy to further reduce project lead times.

“Our new footprint, which will increase production space by 50%,” Dougherty continued, “reconfigures what is now a series of separate buildings and streamlines them within one continuous corporate structure. As a result, we are not only improving the functionality of the space, we are maximizing the comfort of our employees by enabling them to avoid contact with extreme weather conditions.”

The additional square footage will also allow D&S to supplement existing production resources through the incorporation of a new vertical machining center and a welding robot that will address larger components with a broader spectrum of design requirements. A significant increase in ceiling height also promotes accommodation of sizeable projects not currently within the company’s capabilities.

For more than 40 years, ISO 9001:2000 certified D&S Manufacturing has served as a custom manufacturer of exceptional quality large scale components, assemblies and complete weldments for a broad cross section of well-respected corporations that include Caterpillar, Oshkosh Corporation, The Trane Company, CNH and Parkson. The company’s extensive capabilities include technologically superior machining, laser, high definition plasma and oxy-fuel cutting, as well as manual and robotic welding. These resources are complemented by diverse value-added services ranging from wet painting and shot blasting to assembly and testing. A dedicated and highly skilled workforce lives a commitment to superior project management, exceptional quality, accountability, teamwork and continuous improvement, which empowers the company to live its slogan, D&S …. Solid™.

For more information, please contact John Barkley, Sales Engineering Manager, D&S Manufacturing, P. O. Box 279, Black River Falls, WI, 54615, 715-284-5376, ext. 307 or fax 715-284-4084. Send e-mail to sales@dsmfg.com, and visit D&S Manufacturing’s Web site at www.dsmfg.com.

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