Following diversification, Columbia Tech expects to grow 10%
Courtesy
Chris Coghlin, president and CEO of the Coghlin Companies and its subsidiaries.
Westborough manufacturer Columbia Tech, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Westborough-based Coghlin Cos., Inc., diversified its client base last year, and this year expects to add about 40 new employees and grow at least 10 percent. The company is a time-to-market-services firm offering product development, manufacturing, global fulfillment and aftermarket services to varied capital equipment innovation companies across several sectors.
Chris Coghlin, president and CEO of the Coghlin Cos. and its subsidiaries, spoke about hiring, industries served, and how the company’s culture drives its success.
How did Columbia Tech do in 2016?
Columbia Tech had an excellent year in 2016. We successfully added several new innovation clients to our roster and have had tremendous success in commercializing dozens of new products through our proprietary scaled product launch process. Significant wins in the life sciences, robotics, internet of things, and homeland security sectors are poised to assist in driving continued growth and success at CT.
What factors influenced Columbia Tech's bottom line last year?
Managing the bottom line is critical to the long-term success and viability of any business. t is essential to retain earnings in good economic times to assure strength and viability during challenging economic climates. We have been committed to this strategy for four generations and, with this understanding, our family continues to make major investments in cultural advancement and cross company collaboration as we are firm believers that employee chemistry and teamwork are the key ingredients to driving success.
In addition to significantly diversifying our client base in 2016, we launched several company-sponsored continuous improvement initiatives centered around lean manufacturing and 6S to drive deeper efficiency and improved communication and profitability throughout the company. Many of these improvement initiatives have occurred in alignment with our Massachusetts State Training Grant.
Are you hiring and, if so, how many people do you plan to hire in 2017? In what jobs?
This is a very exciting time in the history of our company. We are continuing to grow and are in the process of hiring about 40 new caring associates (employees) this year. We currently have hiring and recruiting requisitions for assembly technicians, material handlers, electrical engineers and program managers. We are also seeking additional quality, test and supply chain talent. Our strong backlog position has also afforded us the opportunity to expand our intern and summer work opportunities which is a tremendous win-win for next generation professionals and our company.
What are the company's plans for 2017?
2017 is already off to a very exciting start. We are expecting to grow 10 to 15 percent this year. Major investments in new equipment are driving operational efficiency, and continuous hiring across many key areas of our business have allowed us to further deepen our experience and knowledge base which significantly benefits our clients and competitive position in the time-to-market race...Warp Speed!
How does the company maximize its resources?
In order to be successful in our business, it is critical that we are continuously driving efficiency and maximizing resource utilization. In addition to leveraging tooling, equipment and facilities across multiple company divisions, a distinct market advantage of the Coghlin Cos. is our ability to leverage and rapidly deploy talented engineering and technical resources almost immediately upon client request. The immediacy at which we are able to deploy engineering resources and resolve technical challenges has a direct correlation to the probability of winning new work and deepening our client relationships. We also have a core competency in DFMA (design for manufacturability and assembly), which is a highly desired cost-reduction initiative sought after by capital equipment innovators. We will continue to invest in growing and strengthening this area throughout 2017.
Anything else you would like to share?
Last month, Columbia Tech successfully achieved its re-certification for ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 13485:2003. We are very proud of our quality team and the organization-wide commitment to quality and compliance. We are also in the midst of deploying a world class ERP, PLM and Manufacturing Execution System (MES) that will drive improved communication, automation, speed, serialization, traceability and client interactivity. I’m also excited to share that we will be formally launching a new marketing campaign centered around Coghlin Companies...Commercialization Personalized.
In an industry where transparent cost modeling, world-class quality and lean manufacturing are everyday expectations, we believe a core differentiating aspect of our business centers around our culture. Positive attitudes, treating people with respect and delivering an unmatched friendly, flexible and personalized client experience is what we strive for every day. It is something that others simply cannot replicate overnight. It’s a full team commitment and we will never stop iterating and improving.
This interview was conducted and edited for length and clarity by Laura Finaldi, WBJ staff writer.
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