www.carmeco.com
ISO – Like Riding a Bike
CARMECO is a closely-held family business spanning three generations of ownership. Based in Lebanon, Missouri, their extensive capabilities include laser cutting, welding, painting, precision tooling and stamping, making them a one-stop source for the manufacture of almost any type of metal component. They run an impressive 88,000 square foot facility, with over 55,000 square feet dedicated to stamping.
With the help of Missouri Enterprise, CARMECO became certified in ISO 9001:2008, both to meet customer requirements and to position themselves to target new market opportunities. They have continued to grow and prosper and are regularly adding presses and other equipment to expand their capabilities even further.
Because of their extremely successful experience with Missouri Enterprise in their original ISO certification process in 2009, like riding a bike, CARMECO knew exactly what to do and who to call for help transitioning to the new ISO 9001:2015 standard. Missouri Enterprise helped them understand the new requirements, showing them precisely where and how to make changes, and significantly streamlined the entire transition process.
“The ISO auditor was extremely impressed with what he saw,” reports Donti Hawkins, Vice President of Operations at CARMECO. “They found absolutely nothing that needed revision on our part. That’s due to our great team, and the help of Missouri Enterprise’s Project Managers…they’re extremely knowledgeable and very experienced, and that made them a very cost-effective solution for us.”
“Operational changes like this are always challenging, so it makes much more sense to have an expert guide you through the process,” Hawkins continues. “With Missouri Enterprise’s help, we completed the transition ahead of schedule…in about 6 months’ time. We couldn’t have done it so quickly without them.”