Tech Talk & News Archives

Reuters quotes CEO Steve Peplin on metal stamping press project, “You must be frugal to survive”

Working smart has always been a foundation at Talan Products.  Reuters published an article featuring NE Ohio manufacturing companies who do just that, and Talan Products is included.  Steve talks about a metal stamping press rebuild. Read the article here http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-manufacturing-investment-analysis-idUSKCN18E1DI

Crain’s cites Talan among reasons to be optimistic about manufacturing

All around the country, there are indicators that the manufacturing sector is on the rebound, from increased consumer spending to expansion in economic activity throughout the first half of 2016.

The improvement in the manufacturing sector is reflected in the strong performance of Northeast Ohio manufacturing companies, including Talan Products. Talan was recently featured in a Crain’s Cleveland Business article discussing the upward trend in manufacturing throughout the region.

Read the article here.

Talan shares our top safety tips with FMA

It’s no secret that Talan’s top priority is the safety of our employees, and it shows in our record. We’ve gone more than 1,600 days on the job – over four full years – without a lost-time accident, while growing sales by 35 percent per year.

What is the key to maintaining a great safety record? We believe it starts with placing safety at the heart of everything you do. Recently, we shared our safety best practices with Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl.® (FMA), including advice on how to establish a safety culture.
Read the full story.

Talan continues to grow at a rapid pace

If you treat customers and employees right, make the right investments in your company’s future, promote strong core values and live those values every day, you will position your company for tremendous growth. These are all important pillars to Talan’s company culture, which embraces customer service, high performance and safety as essential factors in our success.

Based on our performance over the last year, the results support our philosophy on how to run a company.

• From 2014 to 2015, we experienced year-over-year sales growth of 35 percent, and we’re forecasting another 35 percent in sales growth in 2016.
• Our employee count has grown at the same rate, increasing 35 percent from 2014 to 2015. Talan currently employs 75 people at our Cleveland headquarters and production facility.
• Our employee growth is helped by Talan’s commitment to safety. We’ve become a sought-after place to work due to our stellar safety record, which includes more than 1,500 days without a lost-time accident and a DART rating of zero for three straight years.
• We continue to add new machinery each year to increase our workload capacity and the scale of projects we’re able to complete for our customers.
• We’re in the planning stages of a major expansion to our production, warehouse and office space. Once completed, Talan will have more than 200,000 square feet of space under one roof – including 190,000 square feet of production space.
• We continue to add new customers and expand our business with existing customers.

Talan has achieved a lot of success by focusing on these key performance factors. But as we approach our 30th anniversary in 2016, now is not the time to rest on past successes. We’re committed to making our next 30 years even better than the first by always finding ways to provide value-added services and solutions for our customers.

Getting bigger and better

Size does matter, at least when it comes to both the size of our equipment and of our company here at Talan.

We are pleased to announce the installation of our latest new press, a remanufactured 600-ton Minster Hevi-Stamper, along with its new coil handling equipment capable of handling 30,000-pound coils up to 3/8” thick x 36” wide. As one of my friends (who is a heavy stamper) put it, “Welcome to the big league.” Everyone would agree that 3/8” thick stampings are in the big league. The equipment has the capacity to handle 1/2” thick x 12” wide HSLA steel, and our new crane has a capacity of 40,000 pounds.

Markets served by our new press include solar collector racking system components and transportation (automotive and truck). We had a lot of outsourced work that has transitioned to being produced in-house at Talan, increasing our control and level of service.

Size also matters when it comes to the size of the company. We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog.” It’s usually smaller dogs that say that. There is a right size for companies to be. In industry, you need to be big enough to spread out the support staff  (quality, shipping, accounting, HR, etc.) over a nice volume to be the most cost effective. Yet when a company gets really big, it can lose the drive and ambition that define younger, hungrier companies.

I had a sourcing vice president from a major automotive tier one firm tell me, “$35 million to $50 million is the perfect size for our stamping suppliers to be. They are still hungry, the owners are involved and they haven’t succumbed to big-company thinking where they think they are more important than the customer.” We’re solidly in her perfect size for stampers. Our size also enables us to spread our fixed overhead costs over a larger amount of sales, thus making us more competitive. We still have small-company passion, coupled with big-company capabilities. We have successfully made the transition from an entrepreneurial style of management to professionally managed, yet we haven’t lost our style and verve.

Talan receives 2016 Evolution of Manufacturing award

CLEVELAND (Feb. 17, 2016) – Talan Products is pleased to announce it will receive a 2016 Evolution of Manufacturing award, recognizing the company as a regional leader in manufacturing practices and innovation.

Talan is among 11 area companies that will be recognized at the annual Evolution of Manufacturing awards program Feb. 18 at the 925 Euclid Building in Cleveland.

CEO Steve Peplin said the award is a reflection of all the hard work his team has done to remain a Northeast Ohio leader in manufacturing practices. The company has built its reputation on three key areas: technology, safety and customer service.

“We’ve invested in technology, and that has played a very important role in staying on top,” Peplin said. “But it’s really about our people. They’re the ones who are committed to delivering great customer service, and they’re the ones who are committed to safety every minute of the day. They’re the reason we’re poised to grow at a 20 to 30 percent clip over the next several years, and the reason we’ve gone more than 1,400 days without a lost-time injury. Our people are the ‘why’ in why we’re receiving this honor.”

About Talan Products

Incorporated in 1986, Talan Products is a full-service metal stamping company and manufacturer of tooling and engineered parts, dedicated to meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations. Over the decades, we have become one of the most acclaimed and highly regarded stampers in the United States. We produce a variety of products for more than 150 customers in the fastener, building products, solar, LED lighting, appliance, hardware, defense and transportation markets. For more information, please visit www.talanproducts.com.

Talan’s safety record highlighted in Crain’s Cleveland Business article

Talan Products hasn’t had a lost-time accident in more than three years, a fact that was recently highlighted in a Crain’s Cleveland Business article on updated OSHA rules regarding workplace injuries.

The article, published on Oct. 25, notes that under the updated rules, employers must report workplace fatalities to OSHA within eight hours and hospitalizations within 24 hours. Previously, OSHA only required companies to report work-related fatalities or hospitalizations with incidents involving three or more employees.

CEO Steve Peplin told Crain’s that Talan is ready and willing to work alongside OSHA to ensure the safety of its employees, noting that safety is a fundamental part of Talan’s core values.

“OSHA is not our enemy,” Peplin told Crain’s. “We both have the same goal, and that’s worker safety.”

Talan’s safety-related efforts include comprehensive in-house inspections, near-miss tracking of narrowly avoided accidents and weekly employee discussions on safety topics that are relevant both at home and in the workplace.

“We never prioritize production over safety,” Peplin told Crain’s.

Read the full article here.

Crain’s [M]Power event provides a strategic forum for NEO manufacturers

Talan Products CEO Steve Peplin was among nearly 400 area manufacturing executives who attended the Crain’s Cleveland Business [M]Power event on Sept. 30 at the John S. Knight Center in Akron.

The event was designed as a forum for manufacturing company leaders throughout Northeast Ohio to exchange ideas and discuss the challenges facing the area’s manufacturing industry, both now and in the future.

“It was a really engaging event, with a lot of the big manufacturing companies in attendance,” Peplin says. “It was great to see how so many people in our industry want to take an active role in helping shape where we’re headed.”

Peplin was among three regional leaders invited to participate in the panel discussion “What Keeps Northeast Ohio Manufacturers Up at Night?” Peplin joined Shiloh Industries CEO Ramzi Hermiz and Ohio Aerospace Institute President Mike Heil to discuss the challenges faced by area manufacturers, and how to address them.

“I talked about Talan and how I worry about us losing our edge,” Peplin says. “It’s our passion, our mojo – essentially, it’s our culture. Complacency is the enemy as we try to grow from a $40 million company to a $100 million company with hundreds of employees. Could we lose what makes us special? And how do you try to keep that sizzle that sets our company apart?”

Peplin and the other panel members also discussed the future of the economy and how government incentives could impact manufacturing companies.

“We’ve had economic growth for six or seven years,” Peplin says. “So when the business cycle ends, will we have a slow downturn or another sharp downturn, like the last recession?”

Prior to the panel discussion, Aleris CEO Sean Stack delivered the event’s keynote address, followed by breakout sessions focused on topics of interest to manufacturers, such as workforce development, operating in foreign markets and cash flow management.

Manufacturing continues to be a critical industry in Northeast Ohio, which is why Peplin would like to see more events like [M]Power – where industry stakeholders can discuss their pain points and share strategies to address them.

“Ohio has more manufacturing per capita than any other state, so we really are the heart of manufacturing,” Peplin says. “Events like this are an opportunity to come together and discuss the important topics that are going to affect all of us moving forward. It was really an eye-opening experience for me.”

Listen to our story on Allegheny Front radio

Solar energy has gone big time, and Talan Products is part of the charge.

At Talan Products, which manufactures the metal mounting systems that hold solar panels in place on roofs, solar energy has gone from 3 percent of the company’s business to 18 percent in just five short years.

That success was recently recognized by the Allegheny Front, an award-winning public radio program covering environmental issues in Western Pennsylvania, which recently reported on Talan and the increasing use of solar.

In the report, Rick Umoff, of the trade group Solar Energy Industries Association, speaks with Talan CEO Steve Peplin about the industry’s grown and the company’s role in it. Umoff says he expects employment in the solar industry to reach 200,000 next year — more than double what it was just a decade ago – and some of that growth will be at Talan, which anticipates adding 75 employees in the next few years as a result of rapid sales increases.

We were honored to be featured on Allegheny Front and are immensely proud of the customers, employees and suppliers who are helping our company succeed in such a worthwhile and environmentally responsible industry.

Team green

Talan owner and CEO Steve Peplin attends clean energy manufacturing and policy roundtable to support green initiatives

Talan CEO Steve Peplin recently joined U.S. Rep. David P. Joyce (OH-14) and several Cleveland-area manufacturers that serve the clean energy industry for a clean energy manufacturing and policy roundtable at American Roll Form Products (ARF). The roundtable was held at ARF’s Painesville, Ohio, headquarters on Aug. 4, 2015.

Clean energy manufacturing is important to Talan, and the green ideology is one that the company shares with many of its customers.

“I know that our customers really like that we’re green – especially the young ones,” said Peplin. “Many of our customers in the solar industry entered into the space for ideological reasons, so the fact that we’re so green aligns with their interests and beliefs.”

Other roundtable participants included John Colm of WIRE-Net, Dewey Lockwood of Fabricating Solutions, Joshua Perkins, Rob Touzalin and Phil Misch, all of American Roll Form Products, and Mark Gorenc of The Dyson Corp.

Talan leaders and employees are continuously looking for opportunities to implement new sustainability initiatives and improve energy efficiency at Talan’s plants and offices. The company is in the midst of a zero waste-to-landfill initiative to capture and recycle 100 percent of its daily in-plant and office consumables, including paper, cardboard, plastic, metal and electronics waste. Talan already has a comprehensive program to recycle all of the offal, or scrap, from its facilities.

Peplin said in addition to it being the right thing to do, being green is economical when it is done the right way.

“Everyone likes suppliers who are cost-effective and efficient,” Peplin said. “One of the greenest initiatives we’ve ever completed is when we rehabbed our old, empty building. The amount of energy saved by fixing up an old building and making it functional is incredible.”

At the roundtable, Joyce applauded such efforts and said they are critical to supporting U.S. manufacturing, competitiveness and innovation, and the job creation that comes with them.

“Northeast Ohio manufacturers are on the ground making things happen,” Joyce said. “We have to use every arrow in our quiver to support them, including renewing the wind and solar production tax credits, because it means a lot of business for the region. And the faster we can do that, the more stability we create in the world.”

Talan is leading the way in those efforts. Reducing its carbon footprint is so fundamental to Talan’s business that doing so is built into the employee culture. The company created its own “Green Team” of employees who are charged with finding new ways to improve the company’s sustainability and are championed by Talan President Pete Accorti. Talan also includes a regular column about sustainability in its company newsletter.

Talan debuts 600-ton Minster Hevi-Stamper press

Talan Products is proud to announce the installation of a remanufactured Minster Hevi-Stamper 600-ton press. It is now the largest press in the Talan production system, with a bed size of 132×54 inches, a 12-inch stroke and a speed of zero-to-50 strokes per minute.

The high-strength, low-alloy (HSLA) steel coil handling capabilities of the new press line are up to 36 inches wide by .375 inches thick, and 12 inches wide by 0.5 inches thick.

In tandem with the new press, Talan is introducing a new vibratory deburring machine, capable of handling stampings up to 14 inches in diameter. The new press line will also include all new, state-of-the-art controls, cradle, leveler and feeders.

“This is a major step forward for us, in that it will enable us to move a lot of our outsourced work in house,” said Steve Peplin, Talan’s CEO. “It will move more of our manufacturing capabilities into a centralized location, which will help to further improve the ease of doing business with Talan.”

Talan is seeking to add die makers and press operators for the new press line, which is expected to significantly increase business in a short time frame.

“We are seeing lots of interest from customers that want to utilize our new press,” Peplin said. “There are a lot of customers with projects that can make use of our new capacity. But it’s not just that. They want to work with us because of our reputation for quality and the convenience we provide. This new press expands our ability to offer that quality and convenience to new customers and on larger projects.”

New deburring machine offers more efficiency and value for Talan customers

Talan Products is pleased to announce the addition of a remanufactured Hammond Roto-Finish deburring machine to its metalworking lineup.

The automated vibratory deburring machine, installed in March, utilizes a ball-burnishing deburring process that can handle formed or stamped parts up to 14 inches in diameter. The machine also allows Talan to apply rust inhibitor while the part is still in the production line and automatically bulk-pack parts as they come out of the machine.

“The addition of our new deburring machine will allow us to bring more of our services in house,” said Steve Peplin, Talan’s CEO. “It will give our existing customers better service and better quality. It will also allow us to create opportunities to service new customers with the same outstanding level of quality and service our customers have come to expect.”

In conjunction with the new deburring machine, Talan has installed a new wastewater treatment facility.

“The machine utilizes a wet process, so it’s important that we treat all wastewater to make it safe for discharge back into the sewer system,” Peplin says. “The same holds true for all of the processes we perform. In addition to our commitment to our customers, we’re also committed to being a good steward of our natural resources.”

Talan Products wins 2015 Smart 50 Award

Talan Products has been honored with a 2015 Northeast Ohio Smart 50 Award, presented by Cuyahoga Community College’s Corporate College and Smart Business.

The Smart 50 Awards program recognizes Northeast Ohio businesses that are leading the way for the region’s rebirth by excelling in innovation, impact and sustainability. Talan has led the way in all three categories, particularly in sustainability, producing components that help the company’s customers become more energy efficient through the use of solar energy and LED lighting.

Winners were announced at the annual Smart 50 Awards event, held May 20 at Executive Caterers at Landerhaven.

“We are thrilled to be among the companies recognized by the Smart 50 Awards,” says Talan CEO Steve Peplin. “It’s an award we’ve worked very hard to earn as a company. I’m proud of our people for the work they’ve put in to make us an industry leader, and grateful to the Smart 50 program for recognizing the job we’ve done.”

Great success in 2014

2014 exceeded our expectations with a record year for sales, productivity growth and safety.

Find out what we’ve accomplished and what challenges lie ahead in our latest newsletter.

Talan wins 2015 Evolution of Manufacturing Award

Talan Products is proud to announce that it has received a 2015 Evolution of Manufacturing Award presented by Smart Business Magazine.

Talan was honored for its achievements in manufacturing, including its commitment to safety and efficiency in its manufacturing processes. The company’s incident rate decreased from nearly 20 in 2006 to zero in 2014. Over the same span, its DART rate (days away, restrictions, transfers) decreased from 10 to zero. Talan has maintained a DART rate of zero since 2013.

Talan’s commitment to efficiency is demonstrated in its investment in new equipment. The company purchased a remanufactured 600-ton Minster Hevi-Stamper press, which will be operational in the spring. The press will be paired with a new deburring machine capable of handling stampings up to 14 inches in diameter. Both new machines will be installed as part of a new production line that will allow Talan to bring previously-outsourced work in-house.

“We are extremely honored to receive a 2015 Evolution of Manufacturing Award,” says Talan CEO Steve Peplin. “It’s a tremendous source of pride for us, because it’s come as the result of hard work and commitment from all of our people, as we continue to work to maintain high standards in everything we do, and continue taking steps to increase the ease of doing business with Talan.”

Talan Products staying true to its local roots

We’ve been in the Collingwood neighborhood of Cleveland since our founding in 1986, and even with our tremendous growth, we’re not going anywhere. We occupy about 150,000 square feet in a building that has 750,000 square feet, and as we continue to grow, we have plenty of room to expand. We’ve been operating in Cleveland for nearly 30 years, and look forward to at least another 30 years in the city we call home.

Read the full Crain’s story to see why we chose to maintain our current location in Cleveland, Ohio.

Talan Earns Spot On Crain’s Fast 50 List

Crain’s has named Talan to its Fast 50 list, which recognizes the entrepreneurial spirit, innovative business tactics and skyrocketing revenue growth of the 50 fastest-growing companies in Northeast Ohio.

With 32 percent growth in revenue from 2009 to 2013 and 2013 revenue of $24.3 million, Talan has earned the No. 45 spot on the prestigious list.

To be eligible for the award, companies had to be in business at least five years and have achieved revenue of at least $5 million by the end of 2013. Numbers were then crunched to identify those companies achieving the most substantial revenue growth between 2009 and 2013.

“Talan Products is honored to be named to Crain’s FAST 50,” says Steve Peplin, CEO of Talan, one of the premier metal stamping companies in the United States. “To be named among the best, brightest and fastest-growing companies in Northeast Ohio is humbling, and we are excited to be a part of this prestigious list.”

For a complete list of winners of Crain’s Fast 50 awards, visit www.crainscleveland.com/section/fast5014.

Safety is our most important value

Safety is our most important value

In an industrial environment, safety is front and center. There are a lot of moving parts to a stamping plant, and our coils of steel and aluminum and our pallets of finished parts weigh as much as a car. In our high-production environment, they are in constant motion around our facility.

My partner, Pete Accorti, and I simply could not sleep at night if we ran an unsafe shop.

Talan’s CEO Roundtables featured in Crain’s Cleveland Business

All Economics Are Local

Talan Products was among an elite group of 106 Northeast Ohio mid-sized companies to be recognized at The 2013 Leading EDGE Awards on May 23 at Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio.  In its seventh year, this prestigious award was developed by The Entrepreneurs EDGE to recognize value-creating, mid-sized companies in the region. Qualifying companies operate within the 17 counties of Northeast Ohio and generate revenues up to $750 million, a portion of which must be outside the region.

Honored companies were identified by the value they create in our regional economy, based on a sum of their EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) and total taxable compensation for all Northeast Ohio-based employees.

“We are honored to be recognized for the 7th time as a top contributor to the economy of Northeast Ohio. We strive to be a major part of our local economy, and it is nice to have the metrics to prove it. Everyone knows ‘all politics are local’; to some extent, I feel all economics are local also.” – Steve Peplin, CEO.

Talan Products is a full service metal stamping company and manufacturer of tooling and engineered parts dedicated to meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations. Over the decades we have become one of the most acclaimed and highly regarded stampers in the United States. We produce a variety of products for over 150 customers in the fastener, building products, solar, appliance, hardware, defense and transportation markets.

About EDGE
EDGE drives growth for companies by bringing together their leadership teams to share best practices and inspire each other to pursue the biggest opportunities.   EDGE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and is the only Northeast Ohio economic development group that is focused on helping mid-sized companies strengthen their leadership teams in order to take their companies to the next level.

For more information, contact EDGE at 6801 Brecksville Road, Suite 160, Independence, Ohio 44131, 216.469.8299 or edgeneo.org.