The Transformation of a Small Manufacturer in Florida: A Lean Manufacturing Success Story

A small, family-owned manufacturer of custom metal parts in Orlando, Florida, was on the brink of crisis. Rising production costs, delayed orders, and excessive waste had eroded profits. Clients were growing impatient, and employee morale was at an all-time low. The future looked uncertain.

Desperate for change, the company owner decided to implement Lean Manufacturing. With guidance from a Lean consultant, they began with a simple, yet transformative principle: eliminate waste.

Step 1: Mapping the Value Stream

A cross-functional team of operators, supervisors, and managers spent a week identifying bottlenecks in production. They discovered that 40% of time was wasted on unnecessary material handling, while rework from quality issues consumed another 20%. This revelation was a turning point.

Step 2: 5S and Visual Management

The team introduced a 5S system, clearing cluttered workspaces, labeling tools, and establishing “everything in its place” zones. Visual dashboards were installed to track production flow in real-time, making issues visible to everyone. This change alone cut downtime by 30% in the first month.

Step 3: Kaizen Events for Rapid Improvement

Every Friday, a one-hour “Kaizen Blitz” was held. One week, the team redesigned the layout of the assembly line, reducing employee walking distances by 50%. Another week, they addressed setup times for their CNC machines, using SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Dies) techniques to cut changeover time from 90 minutes to 25 minutes.

The Results

Within six months, the manufacturer saw a 25% increase in on-time delivery and a 20% reduction in production costs. Customer complaints dropped, and employee engagement soared as workers felt more ownership of their processes. But the most remarkable result was this: the company landed a major contract with a new client impressed by their Lean transformation.

Today, the company owner reflects on the journey:

“We didn’t just change processes — we changed mindsets. Lean taught us that small, daily improvements create lasting impact.”

This small manufacturer is now seen as a local leader in operational excellence, proving that even small companies can achieve big results with Lean Manufacturing.