Process of change for Slide Products

Originally founded in 1953 by Percy Harms to provide mold release solutions for the plastic manufacturing industry, Slide Products has been based at its current location in Wheeling, Illinois, since 1974.

Over the years, although the company has grown beyond recognition, its commitment to innovation and customer service has never changed. Slide Products remains dedicated to formulating high quality industrial products and processing aids that make manufacturing tools and equipment more productive. And they are as focused on delivering the highest level of customer service as they always were. Today, a network of 200 fully trained local distributors provides customers with on-site technical support and standard 1-day shipping to nearly any point within the USA.

In April 2004, the company further demonstrated its commitment to quality when it achieved ISO 9001 certification with the help of IMSM Business Manager, Scott Mersch. Slide Products' Sales Manager, Michael Muth, explains why achieving the internationally recognized quality standard is important for the company's future growth: "Many of our customers are Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive suppliers. Consequently we have been asked more and more often whether we have ISO 9001:2000 certification. We saw ISO as an opportunity to gain a leg up on our competition. Additionally, Slide Products was the classic case of a company that did things for the sole reason that we had always done them that way. The ISO program gave Slide a reason for and a means to change our methods. We have used ISO as a tool to increase departmental communication and to enact procedural change in all departments from production to shipping to order processing".

Michael continues, "The ISO certificate has also opened sales doors. Since April 2004 we have seen our sales grow at a rate of 8%, even though our base of potential customers has become smaller. Cost savings from increased efficiencies, reduced scrap, and reduced rework volume has helped to offset the commodity price increases we have experienced. Our ISO program could not have come at a better time since we were beginning a period of raw material price inflation".

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