"From Ashes to Production in 28 Days"
Milford Fabricating is a family-owned business founded in 1947 by Edward Pohl Sr., and is now operated by second and third generations of the Pohl family. On March 31, 2009, their Milford, Connecticut manufacturing facility was destroyed by a devastating fire. In a story of amazing dedication, the factory was re-built within 28 days and back to producing aerospace parts. This rapid restoration was made possible by strong leadership and the utilization of the foundational policies and procedures outlined in AS9100 Certification.
On the morning of March 31, 2009, while the company’s team of highly skilled employees produced precision Aerospace sheet metal and commercial parts and assemblies, a fire broke out on one of the machines. The employees were able to evacuate safely and without incurring any injuries.
Although the building was lost, the heart and soul of the operating system was still alive and well.
The management team rallied together to develop a plan using the procedures laid out in AS9100. The next day, the team executed the plan to reconstruct the company while staying focused on the customer’s needs and the company’s commitment to provide quality parts.
On Friday, April 3, they signed a lease to move into an alternate manufacturing facility located near their previous location. While one team secured the location, the other teams identified the type of machines, equipment, benches, and hand tools needed, along with office furniture and computers. Other team members talked to the customers and suppliers.
Throughout the incident, the strong leadership of the management team, along with the safely documented procedures, kept Milford Fabricating in operation. As an AS9100 certified company, their policies and procedures were clearly defined, documented and focused on their customer’s specifications, which made it easy to build compliance into the new factory.
By the following week, the new machines were defined and delivery was in progress. An army of electricians were working around the clock to wire the state-of-the-art equipment.
In October 2009, Milford Fabricating completed its first AS9100 surveillance audit since the fire. The company received a score of 92%. Milford Fabrication credits this achievement to the strong foundation built on AS9100 Certification.
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