Continuous Improvement
Without the right playbook, transformation is just a dream
Like a professional football team’s playbook, an organization that is committed to continuous improvement (CI) needs a visual game plan that gets and keeps everyone pulling in the same direction. At The C.A. Lawton Co., that playbook is the transformation calendar. It’s a key tool the company uses to manage its commitment to continuous improvement…
Read MoreISO 9001:2015: The never-ending quality journey at C.A. Lawton
When you make a commitment to LEAN and organizational excellence, your work is never “done.” To satisfy customer needs, the C.A. Lawton team must continually improve our processes. That’s why we decided to transition from ISO 9001:2008 to ISO 9001:2015 in 2017. We achieved compliance on February 5, 2018. What does this mean? Why is…
Read MoreLawton raises the quality bar high with ISO 9001:2015
In most industries, quality has never mattered more. Our customers are raising the bar on specifications and quality expectations. To satisfy their needs, we must continually improve our processes. This requires a culture change where all workers expect that our methods and processes can always be better. Here are some of the changes we’ve made…
Read MoreHow a 139-year-old foundry is “LEAN-ing” into the future of castings
Several years ago, C.A. Lawton faced a significant challenge: Become dramatically more capable to meet customers’ rising expectations for quality and speed, or begin a slow slide into irrelevance. Its solution? Make a complete commitment to LEAN, a methodology that emphasizes simplifying and accelerating work processes while simultaneously improving product quality. It’s very fundamental –…
Read MoreC.A. Lawton Co: New Approach to Old Method
The C.A. Lawton Co. constantly strives to meet or exceed its customers’ needs. Often, it involves meeting very short customer lead times. Making the core and core boxes required to produce a casting is the most time-consuming step in the process. This step can add many weeks to the casting production time. In order to…
Read MoreThe Lawton Difference: Quality and On-Time Delivery
At The C.A. Lawton Co., we are proud of the reputation our foundry has built over the last two centuries: a reputation for quality, on-time iron casting solutions alongside high-touch customer service. Through this series of blog posts, we have provided details that further reveal the “Lawton Difference” and the areas in which we excel.…
Read MoreThe Lawton Difference: A Culture of Flexibility and Urgency
At The C.A. Lawton Co., we take pride in what sets us apart from other foundries and manufacturing companies. This includes our culture of flexibility and urgency, integrated offerings, dedicated customer advocates, and our focus on quality and on-time delivery. Through this series of blog posts, we have provided details that further reveal the “Lawton…
Read MoreThe C.A. Lawton Co. to offer manufacturer direct plates, work holding, platens, and weld tables
After producing its own angle plates and work holding fixtures for more than a century, The C.A. Lawton Co., a De Pere, WI-based foundry, pattern, and heavy manufacturing machine shop, will now offer these highest-quality products through a Lawton-branded consumer product line being sold directly to machinists and fabricators. The new products will complement Lawton’s…
Read MoreMaking Large Castings and Saving Energy Too
The C.A. Lawton Co. was recently featured in Wisconsin Public Service’s November newsletter as saving energy. Energy Savings
Read MoreThe Lawton Difference: Integrated Offerings
At The C.A. Lawton Co., we are proud of the reputation our foundry has built over the last two centuries; a reputation for quality, on-time iron casting solutions alongside high-touch customer service. In this series of blog posts, we will be highlighting the “Lawton Difference” and how Lawton makes the difficult task of procuring castings…
Read MoreHow one US manufacturer is buffering against China
Despite a Strong Dollar, the U.S. Retains a Big Manufacturing Cost Advantage Over Europe, Japan, and Other Developed Countries
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/despite-a-strong-dollar-the-us-retains-a-big-manufacturing-cost-advantage-over-europe-japan-and-other-developed-countries-2015-07-23
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