Douglas, GA — Turning over the process of buying your supplies and stocking your production facilities to an outside source is called "integrated supply." Some call it radical. Some consider it a "leap of faith." MarCraft and Kentec, Inc. consider it a success story that's just unfolding.
"When the idea first came up, I thought it was too radical. I was against it," recalls Gene Chambers, chairman of the board and one of the founders of MarCraft, Inc. "Giving up so much control over one of the key elements of our business just didn't seem right...but I've been proven wrong."
MarCraft, a leading producer of made to order cultured marble products for nearly 30 years, reconfigured its production process and the way it brings product to market about three years ago. "We went to a team-oriented configuration," explains team leader Buck Chambers. "Consultants continually preached that we needed to focus on things that made us money, not things that simply kept us in business. And that included procurement, supply and making sure all the resources were available to our production lines.
"When the consultant suggested we get somebody else to do those things; we thought it was foolish. Somebody else would have to learn our business — and we thought we were excellent buyers who were buying better than anyone else. Again, we were proven wrong."
Kentec was already supplying MarCraft with basic staples and fasteners for its packaging and shipping needs and some of their MRO supplies, so when offered an opportunity to consider this major step it was somewhat familiar with the challenges.
"Kentec has learned our industry suppliers and built new relationships," points out the chairman. "They handle all the service now, providing almost everything we need to manufacture our cultured marble products.
"The Kentec people, from their building almost next door, are in our facilities every day," he adds. "They've become a part of our staff. Our people don't have to think about what they need, it's just there. That's pretty phenomenal, when you think about it."
