2013 FIN – Randall Credits Machinery & People for Allfast’s Aerospace Fastener Success
“Allfast has the best machines in the industry,” Jim Randall declared of the 214 state-of the art fastener machines operated 20 hours a day by 109 operators at Allfast Fastening Systems Inc.
“Faster, Better, and Cheaper,” added the Allfast owner since 1971.
During 2012 Allfast shipped over a billion aerospace fasteners at 99.95% on time delivery and has the capable capacity of producing over 9,000,000 rivets a day, Randall reported.
The new and improved machines are an investment in Allfast’s future, Randall said. Allfast manufactures solid and blind rivets, blind bolts and automated installation tools at its facilities in Southern California.
By the time rivets are shipped to aerospace customers, Randall insists on 100% customer satisfaction.
With aging fleets, airlines need newer, more fuel efficient commercial airplanes. “Commercial aerospace has never been busier,” Randall said.
Indeed, last year Allfast acquired a nearby 65,000 sq ft. building for expansion,” Randall said. “There is no place in the world that makes better rivets.”
Among those available to fix any would-be problem and to keep process improvement is a staff of 12 engineers and R&D led by vice president of engineering Omar Honegger.
Beyond machinery, Randall credits employees for his customer satisfaction levels. The average employee has been with Allfast for more than 25 years.
They are rewarded through profit sharing and contributions to 401K plans through the company’s KPI based profit sharing program.
“At big corporations employees are numbers. Here people are family,” Randall said. “Everyone wants to come to Allfast.”
Employees are part of Randall’s quality system. Each employee is responsible to reduce variability and waste and to work towards continuous improvement in product quality and are aided by a state-of-the-art laboratory.
Randall got started in the fastener industry when he had an opportunity to buy 20,000 pounds of rivets from a bankrupt company.
“I didn’t know what rivets were,” he recalled.
That purchase put him in the distribution business. He sold rivets to well-known airlines and aircraft manufacturers at the time including Western Airlines, Pan Am Airlines, Braniff Airways, McDonnell Douglas and Boeing.
Randall soon became one of the largest rivet distributors for the aerospace industry. He took a look at his distribution business and recalled observing, “I need to make my own rivets and control a consistent supply.” That led to buying Allfast.
Randall liked the business because rivets are on “everything that flies”- not to mention other consumer products.
Randall said he prefers aerospace rivets to consumer products because of their more stringent requirements rather than “just moving metal.”
Alan Reoch, vice president of manufacturing, likes to point out the new equipment in the 170,000 sq ft plant from the vacuum chamber degreasing machine to the most advanced machine in the plant- a Mikron 24 station transfer drilling machine for aluminum fasteners. Reoch notes it is the fastest rotary transfer machine available with the highest degree of accuracy.
The new machines have allowed Allfast to work more efficiently in a lean environment. Allfast is doing twice the amount of sales with half the number of employees, now numbered at 271.
Reoch also is proud to point out the cleanliness of the plant. “We can eat off the floor.”
The Allfast lobby features plaques for numerous aerospace awards, supplier program, cost improvement and even wastewater and environmental accolades. Awards include the Boeing President’s Supplier of the Year and the Boeing Quality 100 club; Airbus, Strategic Partner, Bombardier’s Certified Supplier Award; Embraer’s Supplier of the Year; Lockheed’s Star Supplier; Northrop Platinum Supplier Award and many more.
Randall said a major factor in the supplier awards is Allfast’s “min/max” inventory programs, which have reduced OEM’s inventories.
The lobby, as well as the website and other promotional materials, features the slogan, “There’s a Big Difference in a Little Rivet.”
In one sense, manufacturing rivets is really no different than any other world-class manufacturer, Randall acknowledged. “It is all about good service and good quality at a fair price.”
Ultimately, “happy employees and happy customers make Allfast the success it is today,” Randall said.
Allfast is located at 15200 Don Julian Rd., City of Industry, CA 91745. Tel: 626 -968-9388 Fax 626-968-9393 Web: allfastinc.com ©2013 GlobalFastenerNews.com
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