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out state," says Jim. However, <br />that's beginning to change as news <br />of the cost-effective service starts to <br />travel. <br /> <br />"We weren't one of Carbon <br />Products' first accounts," says Dick <br />Nelson of Detail Tool, Ramsey, <br />Minnesota. "But we caught on <br />fairly quickly. In the seven years <br />we've used them, there hasn't been <br />a single flaw or glitch in the <br />operation." <br /> <br />Although Detail Tool has not <br />replaced the in-house equipment <br />they used for cutting and grinding <br />carbon, it is now being used to <br />support their main business--to <br />build molds for the plastics <br />industry. "We don't use our own <br />labor for cutting carbon any longer, <br />so we've basically expanded the <br />size of our shop," says Nelson. For <br />Detail Tool, Nelson got what he <br />was looking for: fast delivery, less <br />cost, and the elimination of in- <br />house grinding. <br /> <br />Carbon particles are immediately drawn <br />into vacuum hoses during the grinding <br />process, eliminating downtime for <br />extensive clean-up. <br /> <br />What Goes Around Comes <br />Around <br />Regardless of their anonymity to <br />the Minnesota area, Carbon <br />Products has managed to not only <br /> <br />stay in business, but grow steadily. This past year, the company has moved <br />from the multi-tenant building it occupied when it first started, to breaking <br />ground and building a 10,000 square foot facility in Ramsey, Minnesota <br />(See cover photo). With this <br />move the company doubled its <br />square footage, added <br />equipment and increased <br />warehouse space. <br /> <br />With this additional space, <br />Carbon Products plans to add <br />a complementary capability in <br />order to become a one source <br />shop for carbon electrodes and <br />accessories, like filters and <br />dielectric oil. "The two <br />products go hand in hand," <br />says Jim, "so we'd be doing our customers a service to be able to stock <br />accessories as well as machine graphite blanks." <br /> <br />A large inventory of carbon materials allows Carbon <br />Products to give customers 24-hour delivery. <br /> <br />Proceeding with Caution <br />Even with expansion and added capacity, growth is something that Carbon <br />Products develops cautiously. "As with the entire manufacturing <br />industry," says Jim, "employees are difficult to fLnd. We don't want to bury <br />our current workforce, and we also have to maintain our quality and odr <br />service to current customers." <br /> <br />That dedication to service is backed by action. Here's just one example of <br />how they've built their reputation for responsiveness: <br /> <br />A number of years ago Otsego Tool had a customer who made a very <br />costly mistake-about $15,000 worth of having to remanufacture a product. <br />They needed to correct the error ASAP. "I called Jim at 6:30 in the morning <br />and told him what happened," says Voght. "The graphite order was out to <br />me at 10:30 that same morning so we could redo the job for our customer as <br />fast as possible. And they do that for everybody." <br /> <br />For Carbon Products, that's just business as usual. "We owe our success to <br />our customers," says Jhn, "and want to thank them for their business. The <br />best way to show our appreciation is to give them 'what they need, when <br />they need it." <br /> <br />With a service attitude like that, expect Carbon Products to be around for a <br />long, long time. <br /> <br />For more information, contact Jim DeLalley at 612-421-8400. <br /> <br />October 1996 Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association Journal 29 ]~'~ <br /> <br /> <br />