The Company
Drake Extrusion dominates the yarn and fiber markets in production of polypropylene products. Drake was founded in 1995 and is a 171-employee company owned by Chapelthorpe, a U.K.-based company known as the world leader in colored polypropylene staple production. Operations at Drake have sustained a 20 percent growth rate each year since inception - with projections for the same growth rate continuing in the foreseeable future.

The Situation
Drake was experiencing pressure from their customers and parent company to achieve ISO 9000 compliance - a key to future market growth and stability. Management believed the time was appropriate to pursue ISO 9000 certification and contacted VPMEP for their assistance and guidance through the process.

The Response
VPMEP project manager Michael Levy, with assistance from project managers Russell Thurston and Robert Schwabik, worked with key staff at Drake to develop an implementation plan for the project and help Drake's management team develop a better understanding of the ISO 9000 standards. Processes were developed and task teams were created to help the company achieve certification.

The Results
Operations at Drake are conducted with a lean manufacturing approach, which easily transferred the integration and implementation of ISO 9000 tasks into daily activities. With ISO 9000 certification under their belt, Drake proceeded to expand their production lines by creating 36 new jobs and investing over $11 million in production line equipment.

Management's Comment
"We had a difficult implementation process for the ISO 9000 certification that with VPMEP's experience and background became easier and more effective," said Plant Manager Thomas Ward. "Because of our growth from achieving ISO 9000 certification we are able to pass on more opportunities to the community, which creates a win/win situation for everyone."

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