It’s not hard to figure out where the pipe — fitting apparatus at Empire Industries are manufactured. The large banner affixed to the one-story white cinderblock all but boasts:
“Made in the USA; Proud Employees Manufacturing American Made Products.”
Similar banners are also prominently displayed throughout the 55,000-square-foot building in Manchester. Pride in craftsmanship and efficiency are hallmarks of this 70-year-old company, whose pipe-support fixtures can be seen buttressing piping systems that are residential, commercial and industrial. Look at any home, school, parking garage, sports stadium or power plant and you’ll find an array of steel and stainless steel supports — brackets, clamps, bolts, lugs, guides, shields, plates — that keeps a system of piping in place. The company’s tool and dye machines churn out fixtures of all shapes and sizes, from half-inch copper tube straps to 30-inch in diameter supports for piping in power plants,
In recent weeks, Empire has been widely lauded by state leaders as a Connecticut manufacturer that is innovative, employee-friendly, increasing profits and growing its employee ranks. In the last two years Empire’s employee rolls increased 48 percent, from 48 in 2010 to 71 now.
“We’ve invested in our employees,” said John Feeney, Empire’s vice president of sales and marketing. “We’ve invested in new equipment; we invested in a whole new computer system. We expanded geographically and we’re working to improve our web site as well.”
But, make no mistake, the Made in the USA brand — unabashedly emblazoned on all the products and packaging — is something that Empire believes is critical to its success because of the pride in workmanship it promotes.
“We’re proud of that,” Feeney said. “We feel there are good workers in the state. And if they are trained and treated well, they help produce a good product.”
The family owned business was founded by Joseph Schauster in 1942. The company has been in the family for three generations. Mark Schauster, Joseph’s grandson, is now the president. Mark’s brother, Matt, is also an owner, as is Feeney.
On the book shelf at the company’s entrance are dozens of book that tell a story about the Empire focus — efficiency, productivity and employee engagement. Among the titles are: “Keeping Good People” and “The Process of Excellence,” by Roger Herman, and “1001 Ways to Reward Employees,” by Bob Nelson.
One way Empire rewards its employees is with a profit-sharing program. Feeney and Controller Dave Erb say the perk is a meaningful incentive that compels employees to think with the mindset of efficiency and cost savings.
“The more we make, the more the employees share in that,” Erb said. “So, they have that mindset that they can impact profit if they can save on improving a process or reducing expenses.”
At a time when jobs are scarce, the economy unpredictable and companies reluctant to expand, Empire Industries is recognized as a Connecticut model for how strategic investments in employee training, innovation and productivity can spur growth. Empire’s success has received kudos from U.S. Rep. John Larson, Gov. Dan Malloy and Capital Workforce Partners, among others.
The company also recently reduced its importing business from China by manufacturing those items in-house. Feeney estimated that about 8 percent of the company’s products were previously imported from China, but Empire was able to change that practice through better efficiency, cost cutting measures and inventory control.
The bulk of Empire’s business is in the United States and Canada. It sells to wholesalers and distributors and has warehouses across the country, including Texas, Denver and Atlanta. The company generates annual revenue of about $24 million and profits in the last year grew approximately 25 percent, Feeney said.
Exporting is the “next frontier” on company’s growth plan, and that will likely include adding a second shift to the manufacturing operation. The current work shift is 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., though sometimes it can extend to 6 p.m.
Empire’s success is more proof that indeed manufacturing is very much alive, but in a different way, in the state. Precision manufacturing — also known as “advanced manufacturing” — is the new emerging industry. Connecticut manufacturers have put the word out that they are hiring.
“Manufacturing is hot in Connecticut,” said Tom Phillips, president/CEO of Capital Workforce Partners. “There probably has never been a more collaborative, concerted effort to ensure that Connecticut will be a manufacturing powerhouse in the years to come, and Empire Industries is a classic example of how one company uses the financial and educational tools and resources available to it to blaze a path of growth and long-term prosperity both for the company and its employees.”
Feeney and Erb have been meeting with potential partners to exchange ideas about state-funded programs to assist companies in expansion, efficiency and employee training. Empire credits a training program on “lean manufacturing,” sponsored by Capital Workforce Partners, in helping it develop systems that make the manufacturing process more streamlined and cohesive.
The pipe-support industry provides an interesting platform to measure the economy. When construction is booming, contractors need piping. And when they need piping, that means they’ll also need the support structures for those pipes.
His take so far? “It’s still pretty tenuous.”
In turbulent times, Empire Industry is showing that a company can survive and thrive if it learns how to build a leaner, more productive operation, while still increasing profits — and the work force.
Stan Simpson is host of “The Stan Simpson Show” (www.ctnow.com/stan and Saturdays, 6:30 a.m., on FoxCT) and senior executive adviser at the Hartford Journalism & Media Academy. His ‘Faces of business’ column appears monthly. Know someone who’d make a good subject for ‘Faces of business’? Contact Simpson at Faces@stansimpson@comcast.net.
