McClarin Plastics Partners with Hauck Manufacturing Contract Manufacturing Promotes Expertise and Streamlines Costs Hauck TBA Turbo Blower with casing manufactured by McClarin Plastics. The fiberglass construction gives Hauck a competitive edge over traditional metal housed fans with corrosion and abrasion resistance.   After 45 years of producing a fiberglass housing component in a small satellite facility located in a residential area of Lebanon, PA, Hauck Manufacturing finally outgrew the space. The solution seemed straightforward at the time: move the operation to their primary manufacturing location about 4 miles away. But when Hauck, a manufacturer of commercial combustion products, began a cost analysis and feasibility study of the move, it became apparent that such a move didn't make sense. "We estimated the move would have cost approximately $1,000,000," said Craig Wolfe, Director of Operations for Hauck Manufacturing in Lebanon, PA. "And quickly realized an investment of that size wasn't prudent as fiberglass manufacturing isn't our core business." That's when Hauck turned to McClarin Plastics through a recommendation from MANTEC, Inc., an Industrial Resource Center. During their initial meetings, both companies realized they could contract more than just the manufacturing of the component, allowing Hauck to reduce labor 5000-6000 hours and increase productivity, in addition to boosting profitability. After an intensive vetting process, McClarin became more than a traditional supplier to Hauck, and within three months of their initial talks, the production line was up and running - this included putting all work cells, tooling and training in place. Through McClarin Plastics' value-added programs, they assumed the sub-assembly of the housing, making it ready to integrate onto the combustion unit 'right out of the box.' During the sub-assembly, about 50 small fittings are integrated into the housing before final assembly. "The sheer number of finished component models makes this a challenging project," said Brian Shirk, Project Engineer for McClarin Plastics. "Because we've been operating with lean manufacturing systems in place for years, we're able to deliver their completed components on time so there are no delays or gaps in Hauck's production. Our established production systems and ability to meet our customers' needs play an integral role in providing the best service possible." Outsourcing to McClarin Plastics has streamlined Hauck's focus enabling them to increase their effectiveness to the market. While having McClarin Plastics as a contract manufacturer for these components, Hauck could focus on their core competency and saw business grow 30 percent last year. "Composites are a core business for McClarin and, with their technical expertise and experience, we were able to find a long term solution," added Wolfe. "Partnering with McClarin has allowed us to maximize our productivity and take our operations to the next level and improve our overall performance in operations."