Process of change for Slide Products
Originally founded in 1953 by Percy Harms to provide mold release
solutions for the plastic manufacturing industry, Slide Products
has been based at its current location in Wheeling, Illinois, since
1974.
 Over
the years, although the company has grown beyond recognition, its
commitment to innovation and customer service has never changed.
Slide Products remains dedicated to formulating high quality industrial
products and processing aids that make manufacturing tools and equipment
more productive. And they are as focused on delivering the highest
level of customer service as they always were. Today, a network
of 200 fully trained local distributors provides customers with
on-site technical support and standard 1-day shipping to nearly
any point within the USA.
In April 2004, the company further demonstrated its commitment
to quality when it achieved ISO 9001 certification with the help
of IMSM Business Manager, Scott Mersch. Slide Products' Sales Manager,
Michael Muth, explains why achieving the internationally recognized
quality standard is important for the company's future growth: "Many
of our customers are Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive suppliers. Consequently
we have been asked more and more often whether we have ISO 9001:2000
certification. We saw ISO as an opportunity to gain a leg up on
our competition. Additionally, Slide Products was the classic case
of a company that did things for the sole reason that we had always
done them that way. The ISO program gave Slide a reason for and
a means to change our methods. We have used ISO as a tool to increase
departmental communication and to enact procedural change in all
departments from production to shipping to order processing".
Michael continues, "The ISO certificate has also opened sales
doors. Since April 2004 we have seen our sales grow at a rate of
8%, even though our base of potential customers has become smaller.
Cost savings from increased efficiencies, reduced scrap, and reduced
rework volume has helped to offset the commodity price increases
we have experienced. Our ISO program could not have come at a better
time since we were beginning a period of raw material price inflation".
www.slideproducts.com
18/01/05
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