Florida MEP: Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2004

For more information please contact:
Gene Lussier
Board Chair, Florida MEP
321-939-4000

Pompano Beach Company Pumped Up over Florida MEP

POMPANO BEACH, FL - As president of FPI Inc., Morgan Reeser has reason to be proud. His industrial water pumps are considered some of the most efficient and well made in the industry.

"If we had a problem with even one pump in a year that was a surprise," Reeser said. "Quality has just always been there."

But these days, knowing about your own product’s quality just isn’t enough.

"A year ago I was unable to bid on some projects because my company wasn’t ISO certified," Reeser said. "I also had intentions of bidding on some overseas projects that also required me to be ISO compliant. I knew I had to do something.

Reeser turned to the Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership for the answer. "They’re the experts on this stuff," Reeser said, "so I decided to contract with the Florida MEP to get the company certified."

"Getting an ISO 9001:2000 registration means FPI Inc. will now be better able to compete on an international basis and gain access to a large pool of potential new customers," said Maria Alfano, director of operations for the Florida MEP. "I congratulate everyone at FPI Inc. who was involved in the process."

While the process to become ISO compliant entailed a lot of work, time and effort, it was definitely worth it, according to Reeser.

"The certification has allowed me to keep existing customers by demonstrating our commitment to meeting and exceeding their requirements," Reeser said. "And, as hoped, it has allowed us to bid on new contracts in this country and overseas."

In fact, those new customers have allowed FPI Inc. to increase sales 20 percent during the first year alone, Reeser said. Finally, and just as important, being ISO 9001:2000 certified has allowed the company to decrease the time it takes to manufacture repeat orders, thereby decreasing lead time and increasing profitability.

"The project managers and consultants at MEP were just spectacular," Reeser said. "They were active in and very excited about the process. They pushed us along and made sure things happened when they were supposed to."

A 67-year-old company with 25 employees, FPI Inc. began in 1937 by making gigantic water pumps for the agriculture industry. "Our pumps are great for irrigation because they pump a tremendous amount of water, but they don’t lift it more than 20 or 25 feet," Reeser said.

However, while the market is changing and Reeser has changed the company’s focus from agriculture to flood control, his pumps are designed to be as versatile in their operation as client needs require. In fact, the company’s pumps are also used in the industrial, municipal and mining industries in both North and South America.

Reeser is convinced that without the folks at Florida MEP the ISO certification could not have been completed in the time it was, if at all. The project started with a company-wide awareness program, followed by documentation and implementation assistance. The Florida MEP also trained the employees on how to plan, conduct and audit a Quality Management System. FPI Inc. received ISO 9001:2000 certification in less than 10 months - which is almost record time.

Reeser said he would certainly use the Florida MEP again. "The people there were able to get the job done far quicker and with more emphasis on what truly is important to our business than we expected," Reeser said. "In addition, the consultant had a great amount of hands-on experience, not only in ISO, but specifically with manufacturing. That fact alone gave us a lot of confidence in our implementation approach."

The Florida MEP is an affiliate of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the U.S. Department of Commerce. The national MEP is a network of manufacturing extension centers that provide business and technical assistance to smaller manufacturers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Through MEP, manufacturers have access to more than 2000 manufacturing and business "coaches" whose job is to help firms make changes that lead to greater productivity, increased profits, and enhanced global competitiveness. For more information on the Florida MEP program call 321-939-4000.

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