Specialty Fabrics Review September 2019 - 24

We've been on a lean journey
for 10 years. Our customers are
in an environment where they
can't say no. They've got to give
their clients a 'yes' response,
so we have to do the same.
Our challenge is to do it faster.
We have a strong bias for
speed. And we're not scared of
challenges. In fact, I would be
scared by the lack of challenges.
PETE MOGAVERO

VALUE THROUGH PRODUCTIVITY
In its long history, two things haven't
changed for Anchor Industries, according to
Mogavero: a high level of customer service
and pride in craftsmanship. But today, those
values have to be upheld in an environment
that demands speed and customization.
"We pride ourselves in being the fastest
to the market," Mogavero says. "Lead times
keep compressing. Quality and productivity
continue to improve. Our people are
proud craftsmen. That hasn't changed.
Our sales people have an extremely high
level of customer intimacy. That hasn't
changed. We're just doing all these things

Snapshot

A TRADITIONAL AND CAPTIVATING TENT
Anchor Industries' reputation for innovation in the event tent industry stretches
back to the 1960s, when it introduced the Fiesta Tent. The company sustained that
reputation over the years with the additions of the Century® tension tent line and
the Navi-Trac® frame tent system. But if you flip through the pages of any wedding
magazine or search Instagram for wedding tents today, the Anchor tent you are most
likely to see is the Aurora.
"The Aurora is a stunningly beautiful, sheer-top, translucent tent," Mogavero
says. "It's a round-end tent, it's more traditional, it uses wood poles and aluminum
center poles that have a wood finish, so it's just really lovely."
In comparison, the Century line features a more opaque fabric and is more
modern looking, while the Navi-Trac frame tent line is a favorite of tent rental
companies because of its versatility and ease of installation. The Aurora, however, is
a star in the wedding market. "It's hard to put your finger on fashion. It's like asking,
'What is it about that dress that is appealing?' With the Aurora, it's different; it's
new but it's traditional; it's softer material; it's just something that has a completely
different feel than the standard Century tent," he says.

24 REVIEW SEPTEMBER 2019

we used to do much, much faster. We
can't get this done without a strong team
of VPs: Dave Conner, chief operating
officer; Joey Ruffin, engineering; Bryan
Peelman, production; and Bill Riat, credit."
To meet the challenge of getting
work done faster while maintaining
quality, Anchor has introduced lean
manufacturing principles, a systematic
method of minimizing waste while
maximizing productivity.
"We've been on a lean journey for 10
years," Mogavero says. "Our customers
are in an environment where they can't
say no. They've got to give their clients a
'yes' response, so we have to do the same.
Our challenge is to do it faster. We have a
strong bias for speed. And we're not scared
of challenges. In fact, I would be scared
by the lack of challenges. Without them,
we're not doing our job for our customers."
Over the years, Anchor has
worked with consultants who help
companies institute lean practices.
Most recently Steve Brenneman,
owner of The Aluminum Trailer Co.,
a trailer manufacturing company
based in Nappanee, Ind., has been the
company's lean coach and mentor.
"He's a gifted teacher and caring
friend; he's really ramped it up for
us," Mogavero says. "You can feel the
excitement around here. It's almost a
ready-fire-aim mindset. 'Get it done fast
and do it with pride and perfection.'"
A recent development at Anchor that
grew out of lean principles has changed
Mogavero's day-to-day role. "I've become
the outside guy focusing on customers,
and our chief financial officer, Dave
Conner, was elevated to chief operating
officer," Mogavero says. "He's in charge
of lean and the inside operations.
Dave's been a remarkable disciple of
lean business practices, and it shows.
We're paying a quarterly production
gain share bonus to our production team
members nearly every quarter now."
Specialty Fabrics Review September 2019

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