Mainebiz

V O L . X X I V N O. V I M A R C H 1 9 , 2 0 1 8 22 has worked with Leonard on lean process management since 2011. "I get emails from her at 3 o'clock in the morning," Messer says. "I don't think she ever sleeps. She understands her business very well. And she's a great spokesperson not only for Auburn Manufacturing but for manufacturing in general for the state of Maine and for New England." Hot products Auburn Manufacturing develops, manufactures and markets textile prod- ucts for extreme-temperature industrial applications. Industries served include oil-and-petrochemical refi ning and drilling, steel and aluminum found- ries, paper-making plants and power- generating facilities — all extreme-heat situations requiring super-protective materials to protect workers from burns and facilities from fi re, while providing energy-saving insulation. More recent applications include glass and mirror manufacturing, data centers for fi re pro- tection and fi re safety in the use of pyro- technics in the entertainment industry. Its textile forms include tapes, ropes and fabricated blankets, curtains and pads. Leonard started the company in 17 in a small space above a public library. With asbestos having been banned, there was an immediate need for heat-resistant materials. Today, Auburn Manufacturing is a leader in its fi eld, turning 1.5 million pounds of fi ber per year into over 2 million yards of fabric, in turn supply- ing multiple industries with hundreds of product lines. In recent years, Leonard took on China in a trade lawsuit that chal- lenged subsidized products dumped on the U.S. market — and she won. Not an obvious choice Manufacturing was not an obvious choice for Leonard when she started her career. e Michigan native's intro- duction to textiles was when she was 22, working as an executive secretary at W.S. Libbey in Lewiston. Asbestos was on its way out and Leonard realized new fabrics had the potential to fi ll that market. In 17, at age 27, she founded Auburn Manufacturing along with a colleague, making fabrics for insulation, clothing and welding safety that could withstand extreme temperatures. In the beginning, the company subcontracted the manufacture of fabric, then con- verted it into smaller rolls. "We started selling what's called 'tapes.' It looks like masking tape, only it's fabric," she says. "We only needed one piece of equipment to do that. at was our manufacturing plant. e rent was only $110 a month, so there wasn't a whole lot of overhead." In the fi rst year, the company had revenue of $50,000, then $300,000 in its second year. Expanding the market With sales rapidly picking up, Auburn Manufacturing initially moved to a 5,000-square-foot building in Mechanic Falls, then within a few years built a Mechanic Falls plant of 10,000 square feet. In 16, she built a 30,000-square-foot plant in Auburn. e two plants have since expanded to 50,000 square feet each. In 2000, Leonard bought out her partner, who was retiring. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 2 4 » [Early on we'd] get a list of all the petrochemical [Early on we'd] get a list of all the petrochemical [Early on we'd] get a list of all the petrochemical [Early on we'd] get a list of all the petrochemical [Early on we'd] get a list of all the petrochemical [Early on we'd] get a list of all the petrochemical [Early on we'd] get a list of all the petrochemical [Early on we'd] get a list of all the petrochemical [Early on we'd] get a list of all the petrochemical [Early on we'd] get a list of all the petrochemical [Early on we'd] get a list of all the petrochemical [Early on we'd] get a list of all the petrochemical [Early on we'd] get a list of all the petrochemical [Early on we'd] get a list of all the petrochemical plants. You'd call and say, 'I make a product that plants. You'd call and say, 'I make a product that plants. You'd call and say, 'I make a product that plants. You'd call and say, 'I make a product that plants. You'd call and say, 'I make a product that plants. You'd call and say, 'I make a product that plants. You'd call and say, 'I make a product that plants. You'd call and say, 'I make a product that plants. You'd call and say, 'I make a product that plants. You'd call and say, 'I make a product that plants. You'd call and say, 'I make a product that plants. You'd call and say, 'I make a product that plants. You'd call and say, 'I make a product that replaces asbestos.' — Kathie Leonard Auburn Manufacturing Inc. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Kathie Leonard, president and CEO of Auburn Manufacturing, talks with Kim Cushman, laboratory supervisor, about amorphous silica fabric used for welding protection in the testing lab at the Auburn facility.

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