Administration Spotlight

2023 was a challenging year for the Administration department, however the team stepped up and worked together to keep things running smoothly. Fastco’s controller position was in a state of flux for most of the year, but since the end of 2023, the entire team has been going strong and working together to keep things running as well as implement changes in the Finance and HR departments to help Fastco improve and remain compliant.

With the addition to our department of a full-time administrative assistant, we plan to utilize our time better.  Job duties will be redistributed within the team.  There will be more time to focus on preparing for instead of reacting to situations that come our way. We are working towards improving our process so that we are consistent and have a more proactive approach to problems.

Open-Book Management & Administration

One of our department’s tasks is to promote open-book management by bringing financial literacy and updates to the company. Open-book management can show employees how their efforts impact the bigger picture. With open-book management employees can see how their efforts impact Fastco’s finances, which usually inspires greater investment in their work. This helps employees realize the power they have to make a better financial outcome for themselves and their coworkers by working together.

In 2024, we are working with our business coach to implement company-wide huddles. This will improve engagement in open-book management as well as the financial results of the company. I am excited to see what type of impact these huddles will have on our company and employees. For our department, we are looking forward to implementing ideas and projects that will help us move towards more accurate reporting for finances and more consistency in the HR area.

by Jodie Shaver, Corporate Controller & Employee Relations Manager

Engineering Update & Achievements

The greatest achievement to come out of engineering last year was the team brainstorm of getting a new, complicated part with an internal hex drive on the end to strip off of the extrude pin. We have lots of talented individuals that were able to combine their knowledge to get the part to work, starting from the design phase, simulations, tooling trials, the mechanical arm mechanism, along with the wiring of the actual stripper mechanism.

In addition, training on the floor has been a huge success thanks to Sean Higley. The new setup people have been given a better opportunity for growth. They are better equipped to help their co-workers in the bay. It saves bay bosses from the added burden and frustration of training new people. It also ensures setup personnel receive consistent, proper training.

2024 Goals

It is difficult to pick a #1 goal for Engineering. We tend to take the mindset that each thing we work on is the #1 goal to achieve at that time.

It would be cliché to say that our #1 goal is to make sure Fastco succeeds and is as profitable as possible. That should be the overall goal for everyone.  Our #1 goal for the year could be to make sure that everyone in the department completes any ongoing training.  We also need to make sure all new equipment is properly tooled and all jobs designed. The #1 goal could also be to rapidly design for samples so they move through the facility on or before their due date. Or our #1 could be doing our part to keep production is as efficient as possible. Our #1 goal could be making sure all control plans and prints are accurate.  I’m not devaluing having a #1 goal, but our #1 goal can and does change daily.

If I had to pick one #1 goal for the year, it would be having a 0 turnover rate in 2024. I also hope that the Engineering Team continues to enjoy what they do.

by Josh Symon, Engineering Manager

2023 Sales Update

In 2023, the Sales team won substantial new business awards, representing about 10% of our net sales. While this fell short of our robust new business award goal, it still puts us on solid footing for achieving our long-term strategic goal of growing Fastco’s business by 10% year over year. This is the most important goal that the Sales team has and we continue to prioritize winning new work.

Sales Update for 2024

This year, we will be working hard to achieve our secondary goal of diversification. We will be prioritizing getting our outside sales managers, Milo Boyce and Andy Ike, out on the road to meet face-to-face with current customers, particularly in the non-automotive sector. In March, Milo and Nick DePompolo, our sales engineer, will be going to the NASCC Steel Conference in San Antonio. We look forward to meeting new potential customers and connecting with current customers and suppliers there.

More Innovations

Some really cool innovations have come from the Sales team this year, including a New Business Referral Program, which turns every team member into a sales team member. Open-book management with its open dialogue about revenue and profitability has helped bring about ideas like this. It has also helped to get our team thinking of ways to maximize profit while also staying competitive in a tough market. We’ve come up with new strategies for pricing high volume jobs that will run on under-utilized equipment. We are hoping that 2024 brings in even more new business than 2023.

Quality Department Spotlight

For this Department Spotlight, we are highlighting the Quality Department’s progress in 2023.

In 2023, the Quality Department’s greatest achievement was helping to lower the Cost of Poor Quality/Scrap by performing extra audits when needed in various areas to aid in this. While the end of the year’s COPQ was not ideal, we are still lower than 2022’s totals!

The department’s goals this year have included increasing audits and adding a layered process audit system for dimensional checks on the floor in manufacturing areas. This enables all levels of Fastco teams to review product and document it, from team members to team leaders, and managers.

I believe that open book management has helped most team members see where the company is financially. It has also helped team members understand our long-term stability. This has helped to raise morale, get more discussions going, and build an ownership mindset in team members.

We look forward to seeing more process improvements in 2024. We will continue to prioritize safety, quality, and production, in that order, during this year and beyond.

by Brian Kropp, Quality Manager

Maintenance Department Update

This year, the Maintenance Department a lot to be proud of, but it’s greatest achievement has been completing repairs and projects in a timely manner, despite working with fewer team members and several new team members. Though we have a small crew, we are continuing to keep unplanned maintenance downtime low.

Maintenance Goals

Keeping downtime low is the Maintenance Department’s main goal. In addition, we are focusing on the top 10 list for fixing and/or replacing key equipment in all production departments.

Open Book Management

With the growth of open book management at Fastco, the department has gained an increased understanding of the need for keeping machines running so that parts can run and be sent to the customer. I think seeing the sales numbers has a big impact as well.

I would like to continue to see effective training of our department’s newer team members. For example: electrical repair, machine repair, and planned inspections on key equipment are all areas where we can continue to learn, grow, and improve. For the company as a whole, I want to see continued education of team members on the Great Game of Business. Every team member should know how their job can make an impact on the company.

by Steve Kowalczyk, Facilities Manager