Formic

““It’s probably the only project where the supplier said exactly what the process would look like and what the results would be. Formic came through with every aspect of the installation of the project, and the support has been excellent and the communication has been excellent.””

““Formic’s commitment to make a smooth transition and to assist us every step of the way was very helpful and the performance of the equipment has been just like it was predicted”, said Santana.”

“Getting started with automation opened our eyes. We’re now looking at every step in the production line for opportunities to improve efficiency, safety, and flexibility,” Kunach said.”

“It’s not about cutting labor, we’re focused on growing the company and helping employees work safer and more efficiently,” Kunach said.”

“Most palletizers we looked at for our facility ran over $150,000, and the ROI isn’t immediate,” Kunach explained. “With Formic, I don’t have to spend capital upfront. I pay monthly and continually improve operational efficiency. It frees up capital we can use to make improvements elsewhere.”

“The efficiency of the automated palletizer has been impressive. Some SKUs move through the line quickly, and the palletizer keeps up, building pallets that are ready for the forklift driver to stretchwrap,” he said. “Job changeovers are now faster and simpler.”

“The big thing for us was wanting to try automation without making a huge upfront investment,” Kunach said. “We didn’t want to buy a palletizer and then realize it wasn’t going to run as promised, or be left to figure it out on our own. We were looking for a partner who would stand behind the system and support us. With Formic, it’s on their team to make it work, and they have.”

“Having someone handle the maintenance, it’s not something that we’re used to, but it’s definitely one of the key points for us. We’ve had very minimal downtime on the units because they’re being maintained by Formic.”

““Automation allows us to operate more efficiently, protect our people, and continue innovating,” VanDuyne said. “The advantages gained through Formic automation are fully aligned with our core values of Safety, Honesty, and Excellence.””

““One of the best organized, smoothest transitions we’ve had converting to automation.””

““We heard how reliable the Formic units were. Knowing that it’s going to be a repeatable and reliable system is key to moving forward,””

““We're always looking to grow. It's about growing the business and bettering the families that work here and the community that we live in. And whatever industry that we can get into and grow in, we're looking to automation to help with that.””

““Growth is what we live for here at ICON,””

““Having this automation cell, it's a really beautiful piece of equipment out there and it's just a real showpiece. I hope to have other show pieces like that for people to see. And again, despite the stigma, it's not replacing people, it's enhancing our productivity. It's a productivity enhancer for our business and our people.””

““We’re so heavy on internal promotion. Almost all of our supervisory positions were filled with internal promotion in the last year, and about 80% of our management positions were also filled from internal promotion. It doesn't matter if somebody has a criminal history or they weren't successful at their last job. We are willing to give everybody the opportunity here at ICON and give them the training and the resources to build a career for their family.””

““At ICON, it's really about creating a place where people from all walks of life can flourish,””

““We’re getting these parts to the customer faster than ever before,””

““I oversee our Safety Committee, and I’ve seen injuries decline relating to this process. We're also getting a more consistent product and our Quality Department is seeing that we're checking these parts, we're noticing that they're better, they're more consistent, and it's allowing the work to flow faster.””

““We definitely enjoy the fact that we have these long running jobs that now we can guarantee are going to run 24/7 as opposed to having to shut them down here and there depending on who showed up for the day.””

““The reason that we went with them is just the flexibility that they offer and their contract was not detrimental to us in any way. It didn't lock us into anything. We went with Formic because it is a really symbiotic relationship for both of us.””

““When we were considering Formic, it was all reward, no risks. I couldn't come up with a good reason to say no.””

““Formic allows us to start small and dream big,” he said. “We plan on automating more with Formic down the line.””

““Fully supported automation with no capital was ideal for us,” Klimm said. “You can buy an automation system, but you never know what tomorrow will bring. There is no risk for us with Formic. If you have a shortfall or the needs of a customer change, the equipment doesn’t just sit there idle. We didn’t need to spend money up front. Most troubleshooting is done remotely. The service is there, and the reliability is there.””

““We have to stay competitive and continue selling product at the right cost,””

““That’s a testament to the impact Formic’s made here.””