E3 Success Story - Getting Insight Into Our Organization and Processes at Beachley Furniture Co., Inc.

This case study was written by the Maryland Technology Extension Service (MTES). 

Beachley Furniture Co., Inc. is a manufacturer of fine upholstered furniture for both the residential and commercial markets. Additional services include reupholstery and furniture restoration. Beachley has 50 employees and is located in Hagerstown, Maryland in a 75,000 square foot facility. Since the company was established in 1887 by Ezra Beachley, they've grown and thrived due to their commitment and dedication to providing high quality furniture.

The situation

Beachley Furniture contacted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to participate in the Green Suppliers Network (GSN) program which is a collaborative venture among industry, EPA, and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program. The GSN program works with manufacturers to reduce environmental impacts and improve competitiveness through the application of lean manufacturing principles. MTES was contacted to provide the lean and green assistance for Beachley Furniture.

The solution

A team consisting of key Beachley personnel was formed to participate in the lean and green analysis and planning process facilitated by MTES. The project consisted of three phases. In Phase 1, Lean and environmental training on lean and green principles and techniques were provided to the Beachley Furniture team. In Phase 2, a value stream mapping session was held to identify and prioritize the improvement opportunities within a value stream, and in Phase 3, a project summary report documenting the project results and action plans was created. Then a meeting was held with the Beachley Furniture team to review the results.

"We were very pleased with the results of our Lean and Green project facilitated by MTES. Dave Rizzardo and Paul Gietka were quick to understand our production process and worked well with all our managers. They gave us insight into our organization and processes that proved very helpful in identifying ways to reduce costs, increase efficiency and eliminate waste. Through the process our team decided to change our organization from a traditional incentive based pay method to the team concept of cellular manufacturing. We have not only streamlined our process and reduced rework, but we have also seen a dramatic improvement in our quality." — David Beachley, President, Beachley Furniture Co., Inc.