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Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)

ISO Helps M3 Boost Business

With the help of: Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS)

About

M3 Fabrication is a family-owned and operated business located in Bloomfield, Iowa with approximately 35 employees. They offer custom fabrication using stainless steel, aluminum, and mild steel. M3 also offers a durable powder coat finish on all of the products that they make – from simple, small one-off pieces to large quantity production orders. The company provides products to the following industries: aerospace, agriculture, architecture, athletic, automotive, construction, food, government, heating/cooling, industrial, laundry, mining, oil, pharmaceutical, and renewable energy.

The Challenge

M3 Fabrication needed help preparing for ISO 9001:2015 certification. Sam McClure, co-owner of M3 Fabrication, said his company initially sought ISO certification both to improve its overall quality and to set the company apart when trying to recruit new customers. “The main thing we were looking for was someone to help guide us through the ISO process, because there’s a lot to it,” he said. M3 Fabrication contacted CIRAS, part of the MEP National Network™, for help.
Sometimes it’s just good to have that third party bring everybody together and agree on where the problems are. It was nice just to be able to bring everybody in and work through it all.
— Sam McClure, Co-Owner

MEP's Role

CIRAS helped M3 Fabrication assess where the company needed improvement and implement suggested changes before the certification process, McClure said. The result is better overall quality and a brighter image in the eyes of new customers. Standards set up by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) continue to be a key way for Iowa companies to set themselves apart from competitors, said CIRAS project manager Rudy Pruszko.

Created February 2, 2022