Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
2008 Letter to customers and friends
Just before Christmas, Bob and I personally signed and sent this letter to many of our customers and friends, along with our annual calendar. If you didn't receive either, let me know and I'll remedy that!
Colin
Dear Customers and Friends,
Like many of you, we have found this to be an interesting year. As we wind the clock forward to 2009, we all have questions that need to be answered, and a vision of the future to be understood.
Has the sky fallen?
Our answer is No. Some of our customers are up, and some are not – none have filed for bankruptcy, and we don’t expect any will. We remain positive about the long-term direction of manufacturing and, for our part, we will continue to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations as we have for 58 years.
Concerned about costs?
Twice this past year a major customer of ours was faced with escalating costs and asked us to join them in the pursuit of cost containment. We readily agreed, and through a co-operative design process we reduced our customers’ costs by 20% for upwards of $60,000 in annualized savings. How can we help you control costs?
What are you planning for the 2009?
Earlier this year we purchased a Flexible 4000W Laser Manufacturing System. This system delivers speed, agility and lights-out 24/7 automation. It is another significant and strategic investment that keeps us firmly at the forefront of metal processing capability. We are planning our future and, while we do not expect it to be easy, it is a bright future. Come see for yourself!
We are a diverse organization, not beholden to the Big 3 and we do not need a bailout!
With you, our customers and friends, we are working our way towards a stronger, more resilient manufacturing industry. At the core of our relationships is a belief in collaborative effort and partnership. It is in the melding of our strengths with yours that we both grow stronger and help each other remain at the competitive edge of industry.
For questions about our new laser, our plans for the future, and for more on how Laystrom can help you meet your goals, call me at 773.852.3863, or email me at colin.cosgrove@laystrom.com.
Lets make it a prosperous 2009 together!
Colin
Friday, December 19, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Automation
It gets bigger! We have begun to add the automation capabilities to shuttle material to the laser and shuttle parts away...
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
The result of a lot of hard work
More progress...
It may look like bobcat rodeo or bobcat demolition derby, but it's really just a bunch of guys working hard!
Colin
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The steel pile moves out... what will move in?
Space is starting to be cleared... but what could be put into this space???
Stay tuned :)
Colin
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Changes - first there was a lot of steel...
This are images from our factory floor in mid-June 2008
Stay tuned for changes!
Colin
www.laystrom.com
Monday, June 23, 2008
Photos
As can be seen above, a photograph can say a thousand words!
We recently brought in a professional to get product shots, as well as people and machinery. The results will be posted on our website (http://www.laystrom.com/) as will as in some sales and marketing literature. We expect this will show the diversity of industries and markets that we serve, highlighting our capabilities in stamping, fabrication and, as always, in quick-turn prototyping.
More to come soon!
Colin
colin.cosgrove@laystrom.com
We recently brought in a professional to get product shots, as well as people and machinery. The results will be posted on our website (http://www.laystrom.com/) as will as in some sales and marketing literature. We expect this will show the diversity of industries and markets that we serve, highlighting our capabilities in stamping, fabrication and, as always, in quick-turn prototyping.
More to come soon!
Colin
colin.cosgrove@laystrom.com
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
PMA Sales and Marketing Roundtable
Looking forward to reporting next week on the PMA Sales and Marketing Roundtable in Nashville, which is taking place this Thursday 5/15.
Topics for discussion will include - among other things - Market Trends, Quoting, Material Pricing, International Opportunities & Strategic Planning.
Topics for discussion will include - among other things - Market Trends, Quoting, Material Pricing, International Opportunities & Strategic Planning.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Tooling and Manufacuring Association
We are also listed with the Tooling and Manufacturing Association - although this listing is permanent!
I am currently serving on the Marketing Committee with TMA as we work together with our peers to find the best ways of marketing this industry to the public, as well as to our customers!
Colin
I am currently serving on the Marketing Committee with TMA as we work together with our peers to find the best ways of marketing this industry to the public, as well as to our customers!
Colin
PMA Member of the Month
On the website of the Precision Metalforming Association, we are now listed as the "Member of the Month!"
Click on the title of this post to get to the site and scroll down just a little.
Click on the title of this post to get to the site and scroll down just a little.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Another selection of samples
Quick-turn prototypes - we made these in 3-5 days to help our customer get their product to market quickly
These were a fun project - we produced a multitude of these for the telecommunications industryAcquisition of th
ese upright parts was a dire emergency for our customer, so we turned them around in rapid fashion and helped them close the deal with their customer.
A 20-piece assembly, often called a "card-cage" for the electronics industry 
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Engineering examples
The frame - critical to machine stability! - for an industrial packaging customer
Industrial packaging - 7 ga. construction
. This particular item is part of a major project where we are working together with our customer to reduce costs - even in the face of increased steel costs! 
Industrial packaging - 7 ga. construction
. This particular item is part of a major project where we are working together with our customer to reduce costs - even in the face of increased steel costs! Friday, April 4, 2008
We came across this article written about the incredible depth and diversity of the Chicago manufacturing base. Best I can figure, this was written in the early 1970's. Have things changed since then in Chicago (and at Laystrom - see the highlighted section on page 3) - yes and the rate of change is constantly increasing. For those of you who are 'seasoned' like I am, seeing a few of the old company names serves as a reminder of how much things have changed.
I would argue that the Greater Chicago area still has the most depth and diversity of any US manufacturing center. Many of the company names mentioned are gone, but we still have a lot of talented companies!
Has Laystrom changed -- sure. Just like Chicago, we have developed a lot more depth and diversity to what we do. Back then, we made metal stampings for 'aircraft and automotive' markets. In 2008, we still make metal stampings but our processes are just as much CNC sheet metal fabricated parts (lasers/turret press/robotic welding) and short run type metalformed parts as it is stampings. And we do very little these days for the automotive marketplace and instead concentrate on other markets - Among many other market segments, we service medical, telecom, ag. and construction equipment, packaging systems, and lab testing equipment. We do a lot of prototyping today. Bob Laystrom
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
New Amada Press Brake!
With 130T of forming power and a 10' bed, our Amada HDS is versatile and productive every day!
Not just a big hammer, but a practical and efficient machine!
The ability to program offline, as well as form multiple bends in one set-up is critical to our success in meeting and exceeding customers' expectations.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Interesting article from MPO
http://www.mpo-mag.com/articles/2008/03/a-guide-to-outsourcing-highmix-lowvolume-manufactu
This article is related to EMS, but the principles it speaks of apply at multiple levels.
Some good advice from Medical Product Outsourcing on choosing a supplier, and how Laystrom can help:
1. Clearly define your expectations.
This is great for both customer and vendor, creating a win-win scenario right from the start. As a manufacturer, the better we understand what the expectations are, the better we can customise solutions to fit that customers' needs.
2. Ensure that a prospective supplier’s technologies for product and process mirror your own.
Currently we are working with some customers to help align our processes with theirs. Sometimes the best option is for us to add more value by incorporating higher-level assemblies into our processes so that that customer can focus more on their areas of expertise. We have spent time with our customers helping them develop their designs so that they can best manufactured in the most efficient manner possible.
3. Since quality is the top priority, guarantee that it will remain superior at the EMS company.
I think quality has to be a given these days. Not having the appropriate standards to validate top quality production standards will create a mismatch of technologies and culture.
4. Look for a culture fit.
An excellent point! How can you do business with people you can't communicate with on all levels? This ties really strongly to an alignment of expectations and establishing that value is being created for both vendor and customer.
5. Decide if you want a supplier that will partner with you actively as you introduce the medical device.
The level of interaction between vendor and customer can be critical to success on any project. Overloading a supplier can create delays, and not outsourcing enough may overload the internal systems creating a backlog which affects time to market. This balancing act is something to consider early on with the setting of expectations and the alignment of resources. We work with many different vendors to provide multiple levels of complex solutions to help our customers make the best decision about how much to do in-house and how much to outsource.
6. Identify how a supplier ensures reliability and business continuity.
Laystrom has been around for over 50 years and has a very diverse customer base, allowing us to ride out the variations in the marketplace. We use the knowledge that we gain from all those different customers (medical, agriculture, telecommunications, packaging, appliances) to build systems that ensure we can remain competitive and consistent.
7. Don’t buy just on price.
Excellent point! Bravo! :) Seriously, this is something I have recently heard our customers talking about more and more. The "total cost" of product solutions, and the idea that proximity and embedded-engineering and service and reliability and, sometimes, just being able to pick up the phone and communicate, in critical to success. price has its place, but not at the very real cost of productivity and quality.
This article is related to EMS, but the principles it speaks of apply at multiple levels.
Some good advice from Medical Product Outsourcing on choosing a supplier, and how Laystrom can help:
1. Clearly define your expectations.
This is great for both customer and vendor, creating a win-win scenario right from the start. As a manufacturer, the better we understand what the expectations are, the better we can customise solutions to fit that customers' needs.
2. Ensure that a prospective supplier’s technologies for product and process mirror your own.
Currently we are working with some customers to help align our processes with theirs. Sometimes the best option is for us to add more value by incorporating higher-level assemblies into our processes so that that customer can focus more on their areas of expertise. We have spent time with our customers helping them develop their designs so that they can best manufactured in the most efficient manner possible.
3. Since quality is the top priority, guarantee that it will remain superior at the EMS company.
I think quality has to be a given these days. Not having the appropriate standards to validate top quality production standards will create a mismatch of technologies and culture.
4. Look for a culture fit.
An excellent point! How can you do business with people you can't communicate with on all levels? This ties really strongly to an alignment of expectations and establishing that value is being created for both vendor and customer.
5. Decide if you want a supplier that will partner with you actively as you introduce the medical device.
The level of interaction between vendor and customer can be critical to success on any project. Overloading a supplier can create delays, and not outsourcing enough may overload the internal systems creating a backlog which affects time to market. This balancing act is something to consider early on with the setting of expectations and the alignment of resources. We work with many different vendors to provide multiple levels of complex solutions to help our customers make the best decision about how much to do in-house and how much to outsource.
6. Identify how a supplier ensures reliability and business continuity.
Laystrom has been around for over 50 years and has a very diverse customer base, allowing us to ride out the variations in the marketplace. We use the knowledge that we gain from all those different customers (medical, agriculture, telecommunications, packaging, appliances) to build systems that ensure we can remain competitive and consistent.
7. Don’t buy just on price.
Excellent point! Bravo! :) Seriously, this is something I have recently heard our customers talking about more and more. The "total cost" of product solutions, and the idea that proximity and embedded-engineering and service and reliability and, sometimes, just being able to pick up the phone and communicate, in critical to success. price has its place, but not at the very real cost of productivity and quality.
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