Factory Redesign Increases Sales and Decreases Costs

Mayhew Steel Products is the oldest punch and chisel manufacturer in the United States. Although the company has grown from being a small tool house to the industry leader, they have never lost their dedication to quality, reliability and craftsmanship. This dedication has enabled them to become the tool of choice for certified technicians, professional mechanics and do-it-yourselfers across the country. During Mayhew’s more than 160-year history, they have expanded both their physical size and breadth of products without losing sight of their heritage with headquarters in Western Massachusetts. The acquisition of Bestway Tools in Ormond Beach, Florida, in 2019 allowed them to extend their high-quality product lines. 

With the site acquisition came numerous opportunities to improve capacity and reduce quality errors, thus resulting in additional sales to the facility. Mayhew required assistance reviewing their current state with the goal of setting them up for increased throughput in their production operations. Mayhew Tools also recently rented an expansion facility alongside their existing facility in Ormond Beach, Florida. With a shifting product revenue portfolio and newly available space, Mayhew Tools sought support to develop a plan for future production with a combined facility. The facility includes three primary activities: machining, assembly, and warehousing.

Mayhew Tools reached out FloridaMakes, part of the MEP National Network™, for assistance. FloridaMakes and its team of specialists conducted a complete facility layout assessment. The assessment evaluated the current state of the entire operations, which included the machining, assembly, and warehouse areas. The deliverables from the assessment produced a future state plan for the facility with detailed analysis. Process mapping was completed for the material flow from receiving, warehouse, productions through shipping. Time-based evaluation was conducted, yielding the potential capacity of the operations. The completion of the project resulted in a plan for a new facility layout, which included improvements of the material storage, and increased efficiency in the assembly and machining areas.