Worcester Business Journal

24 Worcester Business Journal | October 12, 2020 | wbjournal.com M A N U F A C T U R I N G A W A R D S MANUFACTURING S U M M I T & EXCELLENCE AWARDS WBJ Worcester Business Journal PROUD SPONSOR OF THE PO Box 1203 South Lancaster, MA 01561 978-368-0131 www.jamesmonroewire.com The James Monroe Wire and Cable Corporation is a privately held company with forty years of industry experience manufacturing electronic and electrical wire and cable products. • Commercial Wire and Cable • Custom and Specialty Wire and Cable • Elevator Wire and Cable • Industrial Wire and Cable Mercury Wire has reached new heights in the past few years through a culture overhaul putting people and learning first Overall Manufacturing Excellence, small company M e r c u r y W i r e P r o d u c t s , I n c . Location: Spencer Industry subsector: Electrical equipment Employees: 105 Founded: 1967 Top executives: Robert Yard and Chris Yard Primary product: Custom cable and assemblies M ercury Wire in Spencer bills itself as a diverse manufactur- ing organization. Operating in the wire and cable industry, the company works with everything from high-de- sign custom cables to value-added assembly cells, where the company puts together customer products using company-produced cables. "We work in the automotive industry on wire harnessing, military applica- tions, oil and gas exploration – a host of different markets and products," said support team member Scott Bishop. Founded in 1967, the crux of the company's business model is providing manufacturing support for custom- ers and helping them design custom cables. But Mercury Wire's priorities Sticking with the fundamentals BY MONICA BUSCH Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer exceed the basic manufacturing dictum to make and sell. e compa- ny implements lean manufacturing principles and employs expansive use of visual controls in its factory, said Bishop, but the company leaders also heavily invested in the quality of their workforce. "We've developed over the past couple years strategies for high-per- forming teams," said Robert Ferraro, value stream champion. "And those strategies govern how we work togeth- er in groups." e biggest impact in that realm, Ferraro said, is found in its sup- port for the growth and learning of team members. Every employee at Mercury Wire, he said, is assigned a coach-mentor to help them man- age not only their time working at Mercury, but also their own person- al growth. Although the company works with wiring cable, in a lot of ways, that's just how it fuels its greater mission, which is developing Mercury Wire into what the two employees called a learning organization. "For us, the highest level is saving humanity from business as usual," Bishop said. Five years ago, Bishop said, the company hired consultants to help develop a more intentional workplace culture at Mercury Wire. Part of that process involved developing what the company calls its 30 Fundamentals. "In order to be a family member here at this house, you have to know, live and breathe the 30 Fundamen- tals every day and learn from them," Bishop said. Fundamental No. 1, for example, is work on yourself and make sure you're constantly working to improve yourself. at might include pursuing education or expanding your knowl- edge within the business. at prioritization – on the qualita- tive development of its workforce – has produced tangible results in through- put and scrap reduction, as well as day-to-day operational value, Bishop said. In Bishop's estimation, it's that peo- ple-centric orientation that makes the company stand out. "For me, anyway, and for a lot of people in the house here, it makes an impact," he said. Mercury Wire employee Phil Atwood puts together a wire and cable assembly. Workers outside the Mercury Wire facility in Spencer Mercury Wire employee Joan White on the company's production floor W PHOTOS | COURTESY OF MERCURY WIRE

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