Last year, in its 40th year of business, stamper/fabricator Norlen Inc., Schofield, WI, invested 2.5 million dollars in capital equipment and in a brick-and-mortar addition to support its expanding customer base. It's grown by nearly 15 percent per year since 2001. Corey Suthers, Norlen president and third-generation owner of the family business, believes that investing in the newest technology is the key to maintaining a competitive edge. Among its newest equipment, the firm counts Link Systems' Omni Link 5000 press and automation controls, and new Aida straightside presses. "We're very diversified, with the ability to produce goods from the first prototype part to high-volume production and distribution," Suthers says. "We offer short lead times and support integrated demand-flow manufacturing with on-site forecasting and replenishment of customer parts. Along with the new controls, we invested in Link Net shop-floor management software to raise our efficiency levels and help reduce downtime. And the new presses increased our capacity and flexibility, essential ingredients to sustaining a high level of customer service while continuing to grow."
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