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Limco Airepair Soars Past Competition

About

Limco Airepair is recognized as a world leader in heat-transfer solutions with a primary focus on the aerospace industry. It is unique as both a premier manufacturer of original designs for military, regional, and commercial applications and as a station for MRO of heat exchangers. From its headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the 25-year-old company employs about 150.

The Challenge

While successful in managing a highly-regarded aerospace firm, President Yair Raz knew his company had the potential to grow significantly if it could capture new clients and expand its market reach. In addition to a skilled and dedicated workforce, over the years Limco had created excess production capacity through a myriad of Lean Manufacturing continuous improvement projects. For advice, Raz turned to Mani Karupiah, a manufacturing extension agent with the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance, a partner in the NIST-MEP national network. Karupiah had worked with Limco on many projects and built a trusted relationship.

We strive to continuously improve and grow our business. As a partner with vital resources and expertise, the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance is beside us every step of the way.

— Raz Yair, President

MEP's Role

Karupiah met with Raz and Dan Kraft, vice president of sales and marketing. The group mapped out a plan to obtain NADCAP certification. The National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program is industry-managed and a way to ensure conformity assessment of special processes. It brings together technical experts from prime contractors, suppliers and representatives from government who establish requirements for approval of suppliers using a standardized approach. The accreditation was a requirement on most new contracts—and for many new customers—Limco sought.

 

An important part Limco’s plan was incorporating the company’s ongoing Lean Manufacturing initiatives, which already had streamlined production and expanded capacity. With Karupiah’s help, Limco was able to align its continuous improvement processes with the accreditation provisions. The effort help simplify the complicated certification requirements. The accreditation payoff was remarkable. Limco improved its market position from 1,650 to fifth in the word.

Created June 2, 2020, Updated July 12, 2021