Rotational Molder MOD Speeds Lead Times By Up To 93% And Cuts Shipping Costs Up To 50% For NuCanoe Watercraft manufacturer NuCanoe, Bellingham, Wash. (www.NuCanoe.com), was swimming in sales after earning rave reviews from several key sport fishing publications and from hundreds of customers. But customer demand had outpaced its manufacturing capacity. Many of its retail dealers were growing concerned about lead times that sometimes approached an entire month from order to delivery and occasionally left them feeling up the creek without a paddle – or a NuCanoe to sell. NuCanoe Director of Business Development Blake Young began looking for a rotational molder with the production capacity to meet demand and the track record for quality that would rival his own meticulous commitment to quality. Young turned to custom rotational molding and design firm Meese Orbitron Dunne Co. (MOD), Ashtabula, Ohio (www.Rotomolding.com). MOD operates 23 rotomolding machines in four plants nationally and has earned several awards for manufacturing excellence from the Association of Rotational Molders International (ARMI) for both industrial and consumer products including the Twin Troller fishing boat. "Turning over day-to-day control over manufacturing to another company was a huge consideration since it's our reputation on the line," says Young. "But I've been very impressed with the level of quality and professionalism from everyone at MOD, it surpasses that of other molders we've worked with and feedback from our dealers has been superb." With its in-house tooling repair shop, MOD first checked the tooling and then brought it back to OEM specifications. Then MOD design engineers devised a method of processing the approximately 30 molded-in, threaded inserts per NuCanoe that strengthened the integrity of the inserts and enabled the molding process to move faster. Once manufacturing began, MOD engineers quickly began delivering the NuCanoe to specifications without experiencing distortions in the hull that could occur due to the hull's shape and the plastic material, according to Young. "MOD gets the true shape of the NuCanoe," he adds. MOD rotomolds both the 10- and 12-foot NuCanoes, assembles each one to meet model specifications for fishing, paddling, hunting or rowing, then installs hardware and ships directly to the dealer ready for retail sale. With MOD's capacity, faster production rates and by shipping directly to dealers from MOD's Ohio facility, NuCanoe is able to deliver in quantities as low as one unit at a time in only one or two days. Previously, the company had to bundle several orders on a truck and later separate them for delivery to each dealer. Sometimes, this required up to a month to reach the eastern dealers who account for 66% of sales. The streamlined logistics has cut lead times by up to 93%. Shipping costs have been cut by up to 50%. "Now our dealers can stock our product in the size, color and style they want at all times, we have consistent production quality and at less cost," says Young. "MOD understands the end result we want and figures out the best way to get it done." Call 800.772.POLY (7659) to discuss your project or idea. Get our new literature