 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
         |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| navigate: home: magazine: winter 1999: article | |
| Training helps company win award | ||||||
|
When McClure Co. was looking for a way to improve its competitiveness, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer William McClure sought advice from Penn State’s Management Development Programs and Services. Three years of Total Quality Management (TQM) training later, the company is reaping financial rewards and earning industry recognition for its TQM efforts. McClure Co. was named the 1997 Mechanical Contractor of the Year by the Mechanical Contractors Association of America. Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., the company also has offices in Allentown, Pa., and State College, Pa., and employs 600 people (100 in its offices and 500 in the field). Its projects involve plumbing, piping and heating/ventilating/air conditioning. The company ranked 38th in Contractor’s 1997 Book of Giants with annual revenue of $72.9 million, an increase of 32.5 percent from 1996. “The company has grown from $30 million in revenue to $73 million in three years, without adding any people,” said Dr. Michael Gerfin, assistant professor with Management Development Programs and Services, based at Penn State Harrisburg. “This success is due to the way the company has used Management Development’s training to streamline its processes.” Gerfin serves as McClure Co.’s TQM consultant. He trained employees in six areas: performance improvement, teamwork skills, process improvement, structured problem-solving, data collection techniques, and benchmarking. “The company has focused on cost reduction, cycle-time reduction and customer service,” Gerfin said. “Through total quality management, the company has significantly improved its competitive position and almost doubled its sales.” Gerfin continues to work with McClure Co., organizing the company’s annual Quality Day for its subcontractors and customers and providing evaluations of the company’s performance throughout the year. | |||||
| ||||||
