Cate Machine and Welding’ Cogent Experience,
My name is Steve Cate, my brother Josh and I are in the process of purchasing our family’s machining and welding shop from our parents. Our business was started by our grandfather, so we are third generation owners that grew up working in the business. Our family always invested in new equipment but never really invested in the infrastructure of our company. Over the past four years we’ve doubled in terms of staff and revenue without making much more profit than we were at four years ago. At 22 employees we were really doing well. Now that we’re at 45 employees we seem to have flat lined.
When Griffin Roberts contacted us (which I considered a cold call) we were already looking at using a couple of other consulting firms to help us improve our efficiency rates and reduce stress within our business. We figured profit would automatically follow. The difference I noticed during my first conversation with him was that Cogent not only can help with all the shop floor operations but they can also help with the accounting and corporate structure to drive profit and cash flow improvement. It was a huge investment, but we looked at it as purchasing another CNC machine only this “machine” would help the entire business operate more effectively.
Arlon Albert came out to do our Business Discovery. This was a three-day deep dive into our operations where he looked at our accounting practices, ERP software, data tracking metrics, and culture. He interviewed employees, sat in on a few meetings and held a few meetings. These days were stressful to say the least but also gave us a glimpse at all the things we were missing. At the end of the three days, he reviewed the gaps he saw along with proposed solutions. Arlon clarified something for us: If you are interested in something you will do it when it is convenient. If you are committed to something, you do it no matter what. He told us Cogent will only work with us on the things we are committed to because as a company they don’t want to waste our money and their time. I went home that night and told my wife I feel like everything he told us I already knew but it was like a soup of problems and solutions floating around in my head with no structure. Arlon’s plan gave us a clear path of problems with a clear path of solutions and tied them all together.
Randolph Brauer showed up the following Monday. Randolph is an army veteran with experience in consulting as well as work experience at one of the largest companies in the world, so he was a perfect fit for a company like us who had experienced out of control growth. Randolph dove right into our operations, got to know our owners and key managers quickly, and recognized the dynamic our business had. He realized what our problems were and worked with us to develop solutions. We all realized we needed to delegate from my brother, myself, and two key managers that are involved in too many aspects of our day-to-day operations. We’ve tried to delegate things before but had a hard time gaining traction with it. With the accountability framework he set up it really made people take ownership of their area. He also helped us use our ERP software and some tricks in Microsoft Excel to start using data tracking and measurable metrics. Our biggest achievement was a working schedule with accountability framework tied into it.
Randolph’s time here ends this week, but we have signed up for the life cycle calls. I feel confident the new set of tools we have, the new roles our management team has defined, and the accountability framework that is set up has prepared our company to continue growing in a positive way. I highly recommend using Cogent Analytics to help propel your business to the next level.
Steve Cate – CEO
Cate Machine & Welding
www.CateMachine.com
Cate Machine and Welding is a second-generation family owned business established in 1970 by Paul Cate.
