Original Date: 04/24/2006
Revision Date: / /

Midwest Metal Products (MMP) is a small sheet metal manufacturing facility that has been serving a wide range of industries for more than 40 years. Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, MMP has a U.S. and international customer base and is a preferred vendor for major medical, electronics, and aerospace companies including neighboring Rockwell Collins – an industry leader in communication and aviation electronics. MMP has grown from a family-owned, local supplier to a fully equipped, state-of-the art facility where a dedicated and focused workforce is committed to producing high-quality sheet metal components that adhere to the company’s high standards of excellence. The BMP Survey was conducted at MMP during the week of April 24, 2006.

MMP fabricates and manufactures products that adhere to strict customer and ISO 9001:2000 standards. A sense of “family” is an important influence in maintaining the company’s productivity. MMP’s emphasis on quality of life and a good working environment positively affect the quality of its products. MMP employees possess a strong sense of ownership with the products they produce and an unparalleled commitment to customer service. This 90,000-square-foot facility is home to 125 employees committed to quality, service, and on-time delivery.

MMP first opened its doors as an industrial facility in 1964. By 1980 the company had purchased a CNC turret punch and a press brake – the first of its high-tech equipment. MMP currently owns 14 press brake machines, a robotic press brake, and other precision machines that have expanded the company’s capabilities in laser cutting, robotic forming, welding and robotic welding, powder coating and paint, silkscreen printing, and irriditing. The quality of its products, on-time deliveries, and customer satisfaction are supported by a progressive management approach that advocates the use of lean manufacturing principles to remove non-value-added activities.

Improved production-scheduling initiatives at MMP have enabled the company to achieve a 99% on-time customer delivery rate. The implementation of lean manufacturing and its associated 5S principles have greatly improved work areas in the MMP facility, reducing needed floor space up to 30% and improving throughput in some work cells by 15%. The implementation of a “first-run cell” has been a significant improvement that has enhanced MMP’s manufacturing process and profitability of new jobs. Additionally, MMP changed its shearing process from a push to a pull system to reduce work-in-process and lead-times, with lasers and turret punches driving the output of the shear, creating 250 square feet of available floor space and reducing MMP’s work-in-process (WIP). With the company’s strong emphasis on the value of its workforce, the MMP Wellness Program continues to create new projects that focus on the health of its employees. Similarly, the company’s safety program is unique to this size facility and helps to ensure the continued health and safety of the MMP workforce at a modest cost to the company.

Among the many awards MMP has received is the prestigious President’s Award - the highest award Rockwell Collins bestows on its suppliers. Rockwell Collins cited MMP for its quality, delivery, performance, and lowest total cost as well as for responsiveness on short lead-time items and on corrective action requests. MMP’s other notable awards include the Sheet Metal Commodity Supplier of the Year (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2005) and the Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year (2000, 2001, and 2002). The company’s ability to provide affordable and innovative solutions to its customers has made MMP a recognized and preferred industry supplier.

The BMP Survey Team congratulates Midwest Metal Products for winning the Best Manufacturing Practices Award for Excellence and considers the following practices in this report to be among the best in industry and government.
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The following acronyms were used in this report:

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.