A second-generation, family-owned small business located in HUB-Zone designated rural Bandon, Oregon, Hardin Optical Company is a manufacturer of precision optical lenses with commercial and defense applications. Some of their most specialized products are manufactured to excruciating micrometer-level tolerances that cannot be measured using conventional industry mechanical metrology.
Success Story
Hardin Optical Company
Industry
Location
Date Founded
Number of Employees
Background
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Productivity
Job Creation
Sales Improved
The Situation
The company was facing a series of small challenges that imposed a level of stagnation that was eroding the bottom line – first-pass yield was declining, employee turnover was up, margins were narrowing, the customer base defied growth, and small-run projects were sacrificing profitability.
The Solution
In coordination with Hardin, OMEP developed a comprehensive series of projects, including: operational improvements in the two most important production lines; implementation of a new ERP to provide better clarity with data in real time; employee development to nurture talent and invest in the workforce; supervisor coaching to provide leadership skills and practical expertise in lean practices; revised and updated standard work, review of strategic plan and critical roles; and a reorganization of the Business Development and Quality Management practices to better align with the strategic and operational plans.
“The OMEP team members have a broad suite of valuable skill sets,” said Vice President and General Manager of Hardin, Martin Mather. “Their expertise helped close gaps in Finances, Process Development, and Process Control & Documentation. The way the team members steer, coach, and mentor drives improvement and creates employee ownership. It has been a very successful partnership, and the results are clear to see with reduced costs, improved delivery, and sustained or improved quality.”
The Results
While this ambitious multi-year plan took dedication, it delivered a business transformed, with the following high-level impacts:
- Top performing of three critical defense article suppliers.
- Improved productivity, with 100% OTD and zero returns with their largest customer – over 300,000 precision, hand-made parts.
- Creation of 10 new jobs.
- Sales improved with a 250% and 300% increase with two different Tier 1 defense suppliers and record-setting revenue in 2023.
- Asked to produce new prototype components for next-generation DoD platforms.
- ERP unlocked data-driven decision making, transforming production and financial analysis.
“[OMEP's] expertise helped close gaps in Finances, Process Development, and Process Control & Documentation. The way the team members steer, coach, and mentor drives improvement and creates employee ownership. It has been a very successful partnership, and the results are clear to see with reduced costs, improved delivery, and sustained or improved quality."