And the MMT 2018 Leadtime Leader Winner Is

Maximum Mold Group of Benton Harbor, Michigan.

This year not only marks the 15^th anniversary of our Leadtime Leader Awards competition, but it also marks the closest race we’ve ever had among the scores of the top three contenders. In the end, Maximum Mold Group took the 2018 title.

There is nothing quite like an unscripted, honest reaction: “OMG, we are so excited! OMG. I freaked out and screamed that we won!” Those were the words of Cindy LaGrow, CFO of Maximum Mold Group, when I told her the news. That type of reaction is priceless!

This decision was not made lightly. It took our select judging panel a few rounds to complete its review of each finalist on performance in lead time and deliveries, investment in technology, innovation in business strategy, manufacturing efficiency, commitment to workforce training and development, industry involvement, customer satisfaction and presentation material.

Maximum Mold Group comprises Maximum Mold, Max 2 and Max 3. Overall, the group specializes in project management and injection mold and die cast die manufacturing while achieving average on-time deliveries of 95 to 98 percent and lead times from six to eight weeks for small molds and 25 to 30 weeks for multiple, complex molds. Maximum Mold Group accomplishes this by capitalizing on the skills and experience of 83 employees across the three facilities.

Maximum Mold Owner and President Dave LaGrow says it’s the people who push this company forward and helped earn this year’s Leadtime Leader Award.

The standout items that stole the win for the shop include its:

Growth from a small mold builder into a business group,
Team and family environment,
Shorter lead times from the increased capacity of the business group, increased in-house design and engineering capacity and investment in high-speed machining centers,
Investment in technology and manufacturing efficiency,
Presentation material that showcased its mold and machining work,
Commitment to international travel to work with customers,
Diversification,
Service,
Workforce development and training efforts, and
Sales team comprising journeyman moldmakers.

However, according to Maximum Mold Owner and President Dave LaGrow, it’s the people who push this company forward and helped the company earn this year’s Leadtime Leader Award. “Every good shop has a good team, and Maximum Mold Group has a good team. We are a family, and we treat each other accordingly. Team members say that I run a family-owned business. I take pride in that. I believe it takes more than the owner to run a business that is family-oriented. It’s all about the people who work for the company and how they treat each other.”

It’s all about the people who work for the company and how they treat each other.

Read more about Maximum Mold Group on here in our Leadtime Leader feature, take a virtual tour of the companies via our video feature that Creative Technology produced, and listen in to our MMT/The Manufacturing Alliance two-part podcast below: