Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
The Last of Its Kind: La Favorite Industries Inc. Continues to Pioneer
With the help of: New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP)
About
La Favorite Industries was formed in 1984 by Tom Mastin & Eric Hague to continue the Mastin family legacy begun in 1896, when rubber manufacturing was an expanding technology for all kinds of products. In President Eric Hague’s words, “[La Favorite] is best known as a ‘boutique manufacturer’ with a focus on part production to exact operating specifications, rather than the high-volume sale of mass-produced standard size expansion joints. We are the go-to producer of expansion joints when conditions have changed to nonstandard specifications—due to system changes and upgrades.” La Favorite offers end-to-end customer support from manufacturing to on-site installation and splicing services—they're a full-service outfit.
The Challenge
La Favorite Industries is one of the only manufacturers left in the United States producing these highly specialized components. With La Favorite's critical role in the energy market, the need to have the latest quality management system (QMS) is pivotal in providing clients with products and services that meet all their regulatory requirements. “For a small business, it’s a huge undertaking,” said Eric Hague. “It was one of those things that we’ve been putting off for years–avoiding it like the plague. With ISO, we were scared of it to be honest. We’re a small company, we only do seasonal work, and to sit down and do this, we just don’t have the time.”
The audit was a breeze. I think we were expecting the worst, and to be honest—it wasn’t that bad. [NJMEP's expert resource] prepared us a lot. We wouldn’t have been able to do this without him. Things are going pretty well here at La Favorite and we are pleased to have received our ISO certification. This never would have happened without the support of NJMEP and Stacy in particular.
MEP's Role
NJMEP, part of the MEP National Network™, took an in-depth look at La Favorite’s Operation, assessed where their needs were, and put together a comprehensive plan of action to help them achieve ISO certification. The process for achieving ISO 9001: 2015 certification began with an analysis and assessment of La Favorite Industries’ operation, then proceeded in three separate phases. During phase one, NJMEP’s expert ISO resource provided 16 training hours of ISO standard management overview training and quality policy and objectives training, rounded out by process reviews and process leadership training.
Next, phase two involved the implementation of training materials, which involved 48 hours of document control, quality manual development, and procedure development training. Lastly, phase three involved mentorship and implementation of ISO 9001:2015 standards and practices. At the end of the partnership with NJMEP, La Favorite was able to secure ISO 9001: 2015 Certification. This allowed them to maintain their legacy contract and continue providing critical components to domestic energy suppliers.