Although Brodart has always produced custom items, the company is now striving to manufacture these products more efficiently.

For more than 60 years, Brodart Co. has been in the business of helping libraries function. Based in Williamsport, Pa., the company provides books, supplies, automation services and software, and furniture to libraries internationally.

"We view ourselves and describe ourselves as ‘the library company,'" states Randall MacKenzie, vice president of Brodart's furniture division. "[We] can provide a library with all the supplies, furniture and books necessary to operate."

Founder Arthur Brody invented the plastic book jacket cover while attending classes at Columbia University. The jacket became popular with students and led to the company's inception in 1939.

In 1954, Brodart began manufacturing its own line of library furniture. Today, MacKenzie says, the company is the national leader in library furniture.

"We have the highest sales and the most comprehensive product offering in our industry," he states. "We have the capability to integrate both wood and metal in our product, so we have more flexibility in terms of the types of designs we can offer."

Customer Concentration
Approximately 80 percent of Brodart's customer base is K-12 school libraries. "Much of our business is driven by new school construction and renovation," MacKenzie states. The remaining 20 percent is public and college libraries. The company sells its products through independent distributors in the United States, Canada and South America.

A substantial amount of the company's furniture is custom-made, MacKenzie says. Although Brodart has always produced custom items, the company is now striving to manufacture these products more efficiently.

According to MacKenzie, the company has invested in new 3-D drawing software with a relational database that streamlines the process of engineering custom furniture and reduces the possibility of engineering errors.

"We have also invested in new manufacturing equipment that is highly flexible with lower changeover times, so we can produce specialized, one-of-a kind products efficiently," he says. "In addition, we are implementing lean manufacturing concepts throughout our operation." These efforts for efficiency, MacKenzie explains, will allow it to offer custom products for nearly the same price as standard items and compete more effectively in the high-end market.

MacKenzie highlights Brodart's Epoch collection, which he describes as a "high-design, high-style furniture line." The collection, introduced in 2005, includes study carrels, rectangular tables, desk modules and circulation desks that are available in a variety of wood finishes.

Industry Experience
MacKenzie has been with Brodart for 20 years. During his time with the company, he has held numerous positions, including controller of its furniture division, director of marketing and national sales manager.

This has allowed him to experience different aspects of the business. "They've given me a lot of opportunity," he says. In recent years, MacKenzie says, Brodart's market has become increasingly competitive.

"During the early part of this decade, there was a real slowdown in school construction due to economic circumstances," he states.

"The states were in a financial crisis, the demand really shrunk and the competition became intense," he explains. To compete, the company has focused on such areas as price, quality and delivery service.

The focus on cost has resulted in the company becoming more efficient, MacKenzie says. "We are becoming much more flexible in the work that we do and the lead times that we do it," he states.

During the past few years, MacKenzie says, Brodart has been able to reduce manufacturing overhead expenses by 20 percent without reducing production capacity. "We did this by evaluating every process in our fulfillment system, including our shop floor operations, and eliminating waste and non-value added activities," he says.

Because Brodart serves a relatively small market, the company concentrates on customer service and maintaining long relationships with school and library districts. "You have to keep them satisfied," MacKenzie says. "They only build so many libraries in the country."

The company also has strived to provide products that are durable. "We manufacture our furniture to last for 20 years," MacKenzie says. "We have a very strong reputation in the market for offering a quality [product] at a fair price."

Gaining Efficiency
In the efficiency drive, Brodart has cross-trained its employees so they can perform multiple tasks. "We spend a lot of time moving employees from one work cell to another," he states, noting that this improves their ability to react to changes in demand.

"Cross-training is a key strategy for us to remain efficient," he states. In addition, MacKenzie says, the company has offered off-site training to its employees on lean manufacturing techniques.