“Gorbel’s manufacturing facility in Pell City, Alabama, has supplied customers throughout the south-east US with high-quality enclosed track and jib cranes for nearly three decades. The facility was opened in Alabama to be located in the heart of the rapidly growing manufacturing sector and improve the speed of delivery while also reducing the landed cost of the products for customers. The facility and its people have seen numerous changes over the years as capabilities of the plant expand, equipment is added, and new products like fall protection systems and electric chain hoists have expanded the offering. One thing has not changed: the focus on consistent improvement in processes and efficiencies that allow Gorbel to exceed the expectations of its customer base.
Located 30 miles east of Birmingham, Gorbel attracts many if its associates from its home county of St. Clair. However, it is not unusual for individuals to travel more than 50 miles from neighbouring counties to be a part of the culture that makes Gorbel ‘A Class Above’ in the industry. The key to success is an enabled workforce that learns and continuously improves. The team is empowered to solve problems and make decisions to meet the ever-increasing demand but will not compromise its core values or principles of mutual respect. While the Pell City operation is part of Gorbel’s global reach, working with local agencies to attract new talent is a standard practice. Materials may be sourced throughout the country, but Gorbel prides itself on balancing this with building relationships with local vendors. Steps are taken to ensure that vendors understand the unique manufacturing environment and have the capability and flexibility to meet changing daily demands. In turn, Gorbel dealers rely on Pell City to produce products as efficiently as possible, with many standard systems shipped within ten days of the order.
Since the launch of the facility, the reach of the Pell City plant has extended beyond its initial geographic target. Products built in Pell City are regularly shipped to customers in Mexico and may also travel further west and north to supplement Gorbel’s other facilities near Phoenix, Arizona, and Rochester, New York.
Gorbel’s core regional distributors have reaped numerous benefits from the Pell City operations. With most of the products containing large amounts of steel, freight costs are always a factor in the total cost of a system. By working with a facility in the region, distributors can lower these costs and many times will pass on the savings as part of the job. Additionally, some distributors have been heavily involved with the maintenance programme within the facility as well as playing a primary role in the upgrade of equipment.
While the external focus for the Pell City plant is serving the customer base as efficiently as possible, the safety of internal associates is paramount within the organisation. Processes are examined regularly to identify possible safety hazards, regular safety talks and trainings are held, and a safety scorecard tracks progress for Gorbel management. When it comes to creating an atmosphere of continuous improvement, employees provide suggestions for consideration on a regular basis and are empowered to make changes to their work areas. While there are standard work practices among the three Gorbel facilities that produce similar products, the plants themselves have somewhat different layouts and capabilities. For these areas, it is up to the Pell City team to develop practices around those areas that are unique to their facility. Once approved, they become part of standard work for the plant.
Workers are encouraged to participate on teams, many of which improve the business in the areas of safety, quality and efficiency. Part of the overall evaluation of the worker involves ‘pursuit’ and ‘participation’ in various improvements. Just as important is ‘how’ workers participate, as creating and maintaining a positive environment is also part of the evaluation. All of these factors contribute to a facility that values each employee while serving customers in a manner that leads the industry.
The Pell City plant has a reputation for serving customers in a world-class manner and this would not be possible without a core of dedicated team members, the support of regional partners, and an understanding of the effort needed to keep service at these levels. With high demand across product lines, shifting schedules based on numerous factors is an everyday occurrence. Outside vendors, from staffing firms to steel suppliers to freight companies, must be agile to handle multiple competing priorities. Gorbel has been able to find the valued partners in the Alabama manufacturing community. They realise that their efforts allow Gorbel to grow and promote the state of Alabama throughout the thousands of customer sites in all the states and countries where the final products land.”
