Our focus had always been inward looking, concentrating on operations, technical solutions and synergistic relationships between manufacturing locations and across product lines. Due to market demands and a strict Yankee work ethic we audit our processes regularly to make sure we're giving our customers 110% at all times.
Technical Competence
We are technically competent, to a much greater degree than is typical in our industry. When Down East Woodcrafters was founded, the company owner had spent the previous twenty years operating a "design and build" machinery company. The people that were hired to assist in the building and operation of Down East Woodcrafters purposely had the same technical attributes required to successfully operate in the "design and build" environment. This culture has evolved and we continue to place very high value on people who can conceptualize and execute mechanical solutions to production problems. These are the people who set-up and oversee our production lines on a daily basis.
Cost Efficient
We know what our costs are. Analysis of costs is everyone's job. Cost reduction through process refinement is never-ending. Our approach to manufacturing gives us cost advantages in many areas that make us more than competitive with domestic manufacturers and able to go head to head with imports.
We are located at the center of the source for our basic raw materials and packaging products.
The manufacturing side of this effort is understood. This is primarily a marketing, packaging and distribution exercise. The challenges are establishing the correct product mix and price points, establishing the correct product inventory levels and managing our available space to accommodate the necessary inventory.
As we move into the future there does not appear to be any shortage of opportunity and our manufacturing culture has always been based on dealing with change. To continue offering quality products and services at affordable prices we: - Continue working to shorten the supply chain to targeted market segments.
- Give increased attention to products and programs where by virtue of wood species used and quality levels desired, preference is given to domestic sources.
- Continue to develop and improve processes that convert material from our own and other companies waste streams into marketable product. We have had considerable success in this area and have already developed processes to manufacture; mouse blocks, rat blocks and barbecue grill handles from this low cost residual material. These techniques are in place and can be applied to many other products and programs.
- Continue to invest in automation and process refinement to reduce the labor component in every process to the lowest possible level.
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