|
Case Study Questionnaire
An interview with Jeff Bodeau, president of Signature Mold in
Glastonbury, CT
|
1) |
What is your company niche and what does your company do that is
notable, unique or different? (ie, technology, innovations) |
| |
 We’re back to basics on how we run our business. When I started my
company, getting back to what really matters was my first goal.
Everybody is trying to think of new ways to be competitive. They are
doing everything except what always worked the best, and that’s taking
care of the customer. We’re always on the phone with our customers. I
probably see every customer once a month. I am the one doing outside
sales. We are always there for design review meetings; and customers get
designs from us in 2-D and 3-D solids. They see revisions as they are
made and when the customer wants changes, more times than not the
customer is not charged because we won’t nickel and dime them. We send
weekly progress reports via e-mail also. It’s been a huge positive for
our company. We’ve got great relationships with our customers. We always
jokingly say we’re not another meatball in the sauce. Our whole way of
thinking is completely different. We also have profit sharing programs
for the employees so everyone has ownership in the company. There is
total teamwork within the company. Monthly meetings are held so that
everyone knows exactly where the company is headed and how and why. |
|
2) |
When and how did you get into the industry, what attracted you to
it? |
| |
I have my dad to blame. (His father, Maury Bodeau, has owned Northeast
Mold & Plastics in CT for 25 years.) I always tell him that he’s to
blame for the gray hairs I have at 33. In all honesty, it’s all I know.
I’ve been in this trade practically since I was in diapers. I’ve had
plenty of thoughts about getting out, but I never do. Every day is a new
change, a different mold to make, etc. I love it. |
|
3) |
Relate a notable "best time" for your company (can be more than one) |
| |
Right now. My business right now is at the point where it will either
make it or break it and that’s both scary and exciting for me. I can’t
explain it better than that. The first two years (with company JAB
Manufacturing, LLC) I did work on my own and it was almost like a side
business. Right now is the best time because things are going well and
we’re moving to a new building, we’ve purchased new, high-speed
equipment, we’re capitalizing on tax abatements and we’re working with
the Connecticut Tooling & Machining Association (CTMA) on lean programs
they offer like Kaizen and Value Stream Mapping and new plant layout
strategies to help our company grow and become more efficient. We’ve
also got a lot of potential new business with high-end customers. We can
really take this to the next level. Every morning I wake up and I feel
excited about what’s ahead. |
|
4) |
Similarly, relate notable challenges that your company has overcome. |
| |
Getting capital to start the company. I went to the SBA (Small Business
Administration) for a loan but they wanted everything including my first
born child, so I said the heck with it and sold my houses (had one that
he lived in and one he rented), moved in with my buddies and started the
company using that money. I have a house again that I bought about two
years ago.
Another challenge was the employee challenge – finding the right
employees that buy into Signature’s philosophies for work and customer
service. That’s really a continuing obstacle. Yet another challenge was
obtaining new business. When I hired Audrey around this time last year,
she took over all the cold calling, and she sends out brochures, sets up
appointments, does follow-up calls and has just been a huge plus for our
organization.
China, of course, is another obstacle. I have had tooling built overseas
for customers instead of losing the business altogether. That way we
still get a piece of that pie and
 the customer now has someone in the
U.S. that will warranty the mold – not some company in China that is
impossible to get to warranty it. We’ve also been able to fight losing
our customers to China by offering better delivery times and service. I
deliver every tool personally and I’m there for the sampling.
|
|
5) |
When you are working on projects with your customers, what aspects
would you like them to better recognize? |
| |
There’s times when they want to go overseas and I’ll try to tell
them that certain molds shouldn’t be made over there. We’ll try to
educate our customers on that because while
moldmakers in China are getting better, they still don’t match the
quality and service that U.S. mold companies can offer, especially
on sophisticated molds. With all of our mold quotes, we give a
two-page mold spec sheet that details exactly how we’re going to
build the tool, what is guaranteed, what special details they need
to know, what components will be included, etc. Most people that buy
tooling buy on price and this way they know exactly what they’re
getting. It’s worked, too. When we’re higher in price than a
competitor, we tell them to compare apples to apples and most times
they understand the difference. |
|
6) |
List newly acquired technology, machinery or key personnel (in last
year). |
| |
Equipment:
-
High speed machining cell including a Makino SNC 64 graphite and hard
steel machining center.
-
High speed Makino EDM Machine with HQSF (High Quality Surface Finish) to
fortify our position with the plastic cutlery.
-
System 3R robot that will feed both machines above. Can change 100
electrodes or five work pallets.
-
In addition to these machining centers, Bodeau plans to purchase a large
surface grinder, a horizontal jig bore and a new horizontal machining
center with two tombstones and palletization in the next 8 months.
-
The company has also invested in new servers and networking equipment,
all new computers for designing and programming, as well as job tracking
software.
Personnel:
As was discussed earlier, we are very particular about who we hire. They
must embrace our philosophies or the marriage won’t work. With this
said, we’ve had to let quite a few employees go because they felt the
same old ways will work in the future. But the people who have remained
or those we’ve hired over the past few years have made a great impact on
our organization. Without them Signature will not grow. In particular,
our foreman John Tillotson has shown 120% commitment to the company,
working long hours almost seven days a week. His efforts have allowed me
to concentrate on getting new work and running the business.
We also brought on a business manager, Don Boccaccio, around this time
last year. I was “afraid” of growing the business, fearing that I
wouldn’t be able to get the work done, or I wouldn’t be able to get the
business. I had all the wrong mindsets for running a business. Don, who
used to own a high end car audio business with 15 stores throughout NY,
CT, MA and RI, helped me with these and other issues.
|
|
7) |
Has your company recently expanded? Plans to expand or form
partnerships/alliances? |
| |
We’ll be up and running by Sept. 1 in a new 17,000-square-foot building
located in Hartford, CT. It’s pretty nice with industry tiled and epoxy
floors, white walls, climate control and more. It will show very well
with our customers! It’s centrally located with three major interstates
and an airport nearby. No alliances or partnerships are planned. I’m
either going to make it or break it on my own. I’d rather partner with
my employees and give them profit sharing. |
|
8) |
Are you involved in any industry organizations or educational
programs related to the trade? |
| |
We belong to the CTMA and also the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE)
and the National Tooling & Machining Association (NTMA). I’m getting
more and more involved with the CTMA and was recently nominated to chair
the Networking Committee. I’m also actively involved in the Lean
Manufacturing program the group offers. Personally I am a member of the
Rotary Club. I believe in giving back to the community and it’s one way
that I’ve been able to do that. |
|
9) |
What do you think about changes occurring in the industry due to
globalization? How has it affected the way you do business? |
| |
Our biggest problem is the American mentality. Some people might not
like my saying this, but we’ve got the best opportunity in the world to
make something of ourselves, but we’ve gained this attitude that we’re
entitled to everything. I think globalization wouldn’t be an issue if
people would start to work better, work smarter, work harder. [Signature
Mold has] had no problems getting work because we think that way here.
We’ve grown 40% to 50% every year we’ve been in business.
No one gives back to society like they used to. That’s going to be the
demise of our country. We need to work together and bring work back to
the U.S. We need to get back to the American spirit that our country was
built on. American creativeness and the way things used to be 50 or 100
years ago is where we should be again.
Everybody has their own circumstances. Globalization is hurting a lot of
people, but it should make us sharpen our pencils more and start being
more creative with what we’re doing. Globalization will always be there.
I remember when Portugal, then Malaysia and then Mexico were the
culprits. Now it’s China.
|
|
10) |
What will the industry look like in 3 to 5 years? |
| |
I have no idea. I’m torn between the bottom is going to fall out or it’s
going to turn around and we (the industry) are going to grow. A lot of
businesses may have to close their doors because so much Manufacturing
is going outside the U.S. and if we don’t do something now it will keep
going. Lee Iacocca said if you aren’t manufacturing, you’re out of
business. He was right.
Everybody is saying they are busy right now and I’m hoping it continues.
The pie is getting smaller but the pieces are getting bigger – there’s
more for the taking if you can stay in business. I’m concerned, but I’m
banking on the economy turning around and business getting better.
|
|
|
 Additional Snapshots: |
| |
Signature Mold was established in 2000, but Jeff Bodeau did have a small
company from 1998-2000 called JAB Manufacturing, LLC.
Says Bodeau, “I needed to incorporate and at the same time. At the
request of my employees, I changed the name to Signature Mold. I wanted
my name on whatever shipped because I wanted to show pride in what we
do. My guys wanted to be able to sign the molds they created, too. So
with the help of my guys, we came up with calling the company Signature
Mold.”
The company specializes in manufacturing production and semi-production
tools such as those classified by the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI)
as 101 & 102 Tools. The 101 classification signifies the finest built
high production tooling and 102 is medium to high production tooling,
good for abrasive materials.
 Signature Mold does very little low-volume tooling or prototypes.
Instead, the company focuses on two- and three-plate molds, collapsible
core molds, unscrewing molds and thermoset and compression types. Also
available are zinc die cast molds and aluminum casting molds. Bodeau
says his company does manufacture cores and cavities for stack molds but
it doesn’t build the complete molds. A market the company is strong in
is plastic cutlery – forks, knives and spoons. In fact, Signature just
finished three 144-cavity molds for plastic cutlery.
Signature Mold currently employs 15 workers and occupies a
3,100-square-foot building. By September the company will move to a
17,000-square-foot facility in which they will occupy 12,000 square
feet. Bodeau says he is planning to move into the balance of the new
building in 4-5 years.
Contact Signature Mold by calling 860-652-8154 or by accessing the
website at www.signaturemold.com.
|
|
|
|