Brian Sprinkman became the CEO of Molded Dimensions this past August. Here are his thoughts on the past several months and what lies ahead for both the company and our valued customers in 2021:
Q. What accomplishments stand out for 2020?
A. For any company 2020 presented challenges, but our team at Molded Dimensions really shined. We lost some production hours early in the pandemic as we adjusted for workplace safety and employees adjusted to quarantine or home-schooling issues. I’m proud at how our company rallied and navigated the challenges that came with COVID. We finished the year at about 95% of our 2019 numbers. We overcame a lot in 2020 while maintaining the high level of quality and customer satisfaction that equipment makers in the Midwest and beyond have come to expect from Molded Dimensions.
Q. What has surprised you most about Molded Dimensions?
A. I am amazed at the diverse customer base that we are blessed to have. We handle “everything from medical to mining” as we say. So, the ebbs and flows of certain vertical markets should give our customers peace of mind knowing that we aren’t top-loaded by any one customer or industry. This same diversity gives us a wide range of technical knowledge, which provides an edge when a new application presents itself. We have an in-house chemist and our library of formulas across the multitude of parts made over the years serves not only our customers well, but also tells us when an application is a match for what we do. This steers us clear from situations that don’t benefit the customer or us.
Q. What are your goals for Molded Dimensions in the 2021?
A. There are three primary keys to our future success:
- People — Satisfied employees make good parts. Good parts make satisfied customers. Satisfied customers widen their footprint with us. Growing our business with existing customers by delivering on time, with the right price and the right quality is our priority.
- Infrastructure — We are focused on continuous improvement and investing in our success. This includes updates to automation, systems and addressing physical constraints in ’21. The old adage, “what got you here, won’t get you there…” is certainly true when it comes to infrastructure.
- Products — Our oldest offering is, of course, rubber injection molding, and it remains steady. However, urethane and Glocal Source (a globally sourced, but locally supported offering) are in a prime position for growth. While we see onshoring becoming a strong movement, it’s about the ability to offer both local and overseas production which makes us especially attractive. Many of our rubber customers not only use us for on and off-shored products, they also may leverage our urethane business for those highly abrasive applications where rubber or plastic will not suffice.
Q. What new products, services or capabilities are you bringing to the market?
A. We have invested in some new technology in urethane which allows us to run certain parts through a higher-speed pouring process. Urethane is generally more expensive than rubber or plastic. We have the ability with this machine to cut down on labor, reducing the overall price for a given part that makes urethane a viable option where it may have previously not been considered.
We have also expanded our GlocalSource offerings outside of China, which will address some of the global challenges such as tariffs. We believe in growing our footprint both domestically and internationally which will allow us to provide our customers more options.
Q. As a customer of Molded Dimensions, what can I expect to see in 2021?
A. One thing our customers will notice is a more “active” Molded Dimensions. Working with our customers to better serve them by learning more about their business. Anyone can quote a part. With our engineering and chemistry staffs, we can do more than just quote a part, we can often improve it. We know that every part we make is destined to be a part of something greater.
