Bemis Associates, Stick shift

Manufacturing in Action, Source : The Manufacturer US

Adhesives supplier Bemis Associates has a dramatic effect on global markets with a breakthrough product. Linda Seid Frembes finds out more

As a supplier of adhesives, coatings, specialty films, and seam tape, Bemis Associates has supplied the apparel, automotive, woodworking, and other industries for nearly 100 years. Owned by the Howard family since 1930, the company’s current president, Steve Howard, assumed leadership in 1992. Since then, Bemis has maintained a consistent 10 percent annual growth rate.

Bemis is in the middle of a new technology introduction that promises to revolutionize the apparel market. Sewfree, introduced in 2002, does what it suggests: eliminates the need for sewing. A garment can instead be glued together using this film. Sewfree can be used on everything from delicate lace and lightweight fabrics to heavy-duty nylon. “It’s interesting that a small privately held company in the town of Shirley, Massachusetts, has had a dramatic effect on the clothing industry,” noted marketing manager Chris Parlee. “We’re currently working with all major brands as they take this technology into retail stores in America and across the globe.”

The predominant marketplace for Bemis is apparel, with Sewfree selling into market segments that range from technical outerwear to intimate apparel. “We interface with clothing designers and their contract manufacturers on how to use the product,” said Gary Atkinson, vice president. “As such, we’re working on improving distribution and production in certain regions of the world.”

The basic product line is manufactured in Shirley and then shipped to distribution points around the globe. Other locations now include three outposts in Central America, one in the UK, and another in Hong Kong. “A key strategy is to move product and tech support close to where customer demands are located,” added Eric Longo, director of manufacturing. “It takes four to five weeks for our product to reach the Pacific Rim by boat. We’ve added light converting equipment in Hong Kong to add flexibility to the width of current stock.”

In Shirley, the main and satellite plants make up a 200,000-square-foot, 24/7 manufacturing operation. Bemis also reserves space for raw materials from various suppliers, as well as 120 days of finished goods inventory. Raw materials don’t typically get held in quarantine nor undergo pre-use inspection. Instead, Bemis relies on its long-term suppliers for consistent quality materials. “We keep a lot of inventory on hand,” said Atkinson. “It’s part of a corporate strategy to supply our customers adequately and on short notice, if need be.” Inventory is controlled by a bar code system. Atkinson noted 98 percent accuracy in inventory control; as a result, Bemis has to do a wall-to-wall count only once a year.

On the manufacturing floor, production is either make-to-stock or custom orders, which have longer lead times and are shipped in total. During the busy January-to-June season, manufacturing operations are in full swing. Even during the slower midsummer months, Bemis will manufacture to stock in order to maintain its inventory levels. Each month there are planning meetings on each market to determine if production is on the proper course.

Production processes and product attributes are tracked and controlled by the company’s homegrown Item Specification Database (ISD). This paperless system was implemented five years ago and contains all information on a product, such as process recipes or packaging requirements. These specifications can be tied to a single customer or multiple customers. Any staff member can initiate an engineering change order to add or modify a product’s specification; however, all parties must agree to the change for it to be implemented.

The company recently completed its ISO 9000:2000 registration audit and anticipates receiving the certification within a month. As part of the process, the company formalized its corrective and preventive action program and implemented formal management review meetings. “It heightened people’s awareness of current systems and using proper verbiage,” said Paul Hunt, quality manager. “Our systems were solid; we just needed to document.” Hunt noted that Bemis’s quality issues are diverse. “Issues are mostly solved by educating the customer on how to use the product, since the technology is so new. Sometimes customers will have a new model year for fabric and try to use the product the same way as before. We send in tech support to help them better understand how to adapt.”

Bemis does not follow a formal continuous improvement program but does use tools like fishbone diagrams and scrap analysis to streamline processes and reduce waste. “We look at using free film versus substrates, getting more than one use out of a liner, and ways to reuse scrap film,” said Longo. “Our biggest costs are with materials, so we always look for ways to reduce waste. We also focus on labor efficiency by reducing paperwork.” One example of creative brainstorming led to a 50 percent decrease in downtime in the extrusion area. Previously, a full clean-up took 24 hours, but now that offline time is more like eight to 12 hours. The team came up with solutions like offline cleaning techniques, 5S, and duplicate tooling to speed the process.

As with many sectors within manufacturing, Bemis has experienced the effects of high oil prices on all basic raw materials and resins. “Most of what we buy are specialty chemicals, so the impact is not as severe,” Atkinson noted. “We’ve been cushioned by our significant inventory, and we also negotiate vigorously with suppliers. They know they can’t just pass on all price increases without good reason.”

This growth-oriented company is still looking forward to new markets and applications for its products. Future plans include a push into new geography alongside an impressive customer list that includes Nike, REI, and The North Face. In printed company materials, Lee Turlington, global director of apparel at Nike ACG, stated: “It’s about service. Bemis provides solutions as we work to construct garments in a new way. This is part of our innovation story.”

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