Lean Manufacturing Training help Hydra Pro Improve Their Bottom Line

Company Profile

In December 2017, MacGregor signed an agreement to acquire Rapp Marine Group (RMG) in order to strengthen its offering for the fishery and research vess

As part of this acquisition, Hydra Pro was brought under the RMG umbrella and began operating as RAPP-Hydra Pro. 

Our engagement was with Hydra Pro, a manufacturer of AP12C-monogrammed marine and offshore cranes for the oil and gas industry. The company also produced ship cranes, hose-handling cranes, subsea cranes, and dock cranes. At the time, the company employed 30 people at its facility in Seattle, Washington.

Situation

Hydra Pro faced challenges with late deliveries and narrow profit margins. Seeking a solution, company President Ed Ramberg explored Toyota Production methodologies and realized its potential for improvements. To support this transformation, Ramberg reached out to Impact Washington for guidance and assistance.

Solution

Impact Washington's regional Account Executive collaborated with South Seattle Community College, to develop a JSP funding package that enabled Hydra Pro to receive Lean Training and apply those methods to improve their operations.

Impact Washington brought in process improvement specialists to train Hydra Pro employees and facilitate the Rapid Improvement Workshops (Kaizen events). Several Hydra Pro employees were trained to identify and eliminate waste in their workflows, increasing the amount of value-added time in each operation.

As a result of Impact Washington’s assistance, the company reduced inventory by 67% and adopted efficient purchasing practices, procuring only what is needed for specific projects. The company also saw improvements in their profit margins and on-time delivery performance. 

Results

• Reduced inventory from $1.2M to $400,000
• Reduced on-time delivery time from 101 days to 38 days