Talan has Beaten the Odds against Metal Stamping Companies

Still Smiling:  Steve Peplin Tells Crain’s Cleveland Business How Talan has Beaten the Odds against
Metal Stamping Companies.

Dan Shingler of Crain’s Cleveland Business wondered why Steve Peplin, CEO of Talan Products, is still smiling, so he recently visited the Cleveland based metal stamping company to learn more.  Although Talan manufactures metal stampings for a variety of applications, the construction market, which represents a significant portion of Peplin’s customer base, has been particularly hard hit by the recent economic slow-down.

According to Peplin, 2009 was a difficult year, but Talan’s fortunes began to turn in 2010 and 2011 looks to be a record sales year.  Part of this bounce back was fueled by the building maintenance market, but the largest driver contributing to Talan’s turn-around came from within.  Empowering employees to recommend shop floor changes created new efficiencies and reduced waste, which in turn, allowed company officials to control costs and re-capture lost market share.

Talan also diversified its customer base, targetting growth areas like solar energy and LED lighting, to replace business lost in other market sectors.  Improving quality control has also played an instrumental role in Talan’s ability to remain profitable despite the challenges posed by a sluggish economy.  Peplin’s story of team-work, innovation, and vision as told by Shingler is a fascinating read, and it says much about one local manufacturing company’s ability to thrive in challenging times.

Tags: cleveland manufacturing companies, Cleveland Metal Stamping Company, Metal Stamping Companies in Cleveland

Posted in: Blog, Metal Stamping