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Vestil Manufacturing is an industry leader in the manufacturing and distributing of industrial material handling equipment. We feature over 1,000 different product lines, many of which are in stock and ready for immediate shipment. We stand behind our products with people that listen to our customer’s needs and find the best solution for their application. We deliver value to our customers by engineering new designs and products which increase productivity, improve workplace ergonomics, and decrease worker injury. Vestil presently has over 1,000,000 square feet of warehouse and manufacturing space. We provide a broad product line to our customers in an efficient manner allowing for the best possible customer experience.

Vestil Manufacturing is a fourth-generation family-owned and operated manufacturer of industrial material handling equipment. We take pride in being a leader and frontrunner in providing the best content and quality product data in the industry. A team of 10 employees is dedicated solely to providing the highest quality content in the industry. This includes a state-of-the-art photo/video studio, product specification validation, digital imaging, portal management, and photo/video management. Vestil offers the most diverse product line in the industry through continual product line improvement and new product development. We believe that new product development is the life-blood of our organization. We offer the entire spectrum of products from our in-stock 48-hour quick-ship items to custom product manufacturing to fit your unique applications. Vestil products are manufactured using over 100 different pieces of equipment.

Situation:

In response to customer demands for faster service, Vestil recently expanded to include a new (fifth) facility to act as the company’s fulfillment center. The concept of a central distribution location is foreign to Vestil, as is the intricate warehouse management software that will be utilized to manage and ship inventory. In addition to these challenges, management needed to decide the best way to reorganize current departments throughout the other facilities to maximize efficiency while making room for the additional powder coat line, laser, and additional machinery that were purchased as part of the overall expansion. The company hoped Purdue MEP could help manage this expansion and provide valuable training to all departments.

Solution:

Purdue MEP provided several in-house training sessions on topics such as Project Management, Writing Effective E-mails, Contract Negotiations, Customer Service, and Supply Chain Cost of Ownership. This training was attended by employees from numerous departments including Sales, Customer Service, Engineering, Management, and Production.

Results:

Vestil’s engineering department is utilizing the Project Management skills obtained in the MEP classes to improve process efficiencies. The Customer Service and E-mail writing skills learned by the Sales and Customer Service staff have helped Vestil improve internal and external communication and enhance current customer relationships. This has led to a five percent increase in new customer recruitment.

The Contract Negotiation and Supply Chain Cost of Ownership classes have resulted in more favorable purchasing contracts—ranging from three to five percent savings--as staff has utilized the skills learned in the training. Not only were these classes helpful to the company’s commodities purchasers, but also to the managers negotiating contracts for new equipment related to the expansion.

Morale is difficult to measure, but part of Vestil's goal in offering the training was to reinforce their commitment of investing in their people. The company has no doubt that offering the MEP classes helped accomplish that goal. 

“We have seen an increase in process efficiencies and a large improvement in closing the loop on engineering-based projects.  We have taken several concepts from the Project Management class and implemented them into our daily processes. I would highly recommend the Purdue MEP program to anyone looking to advance their team.”                

 - Penny Daler, Managing Director of Engineering