ROMEOVILLE, Ill.  – In order to keep up with high customer demand while maintaining stringent quality requirements, Laser Products Industries (LPI) has implemented strategic processes that have increased its manufacturing capacity by 40%.

LPI created cross-functional teams and incorporated various aspects of lean manufacturing and Kaizen, the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvements as a collective whole. Each team evaluated and identified process improvements and manufacturing enhancements from inventory management to final product assembly, including advanced forecasting and streamlined production methods.

"This is an exciting new way of thinking for our company,” said Erik Louis, executive vice president of engineering and operations for LPI. “Our new cross-functional teams mean that our employees have a vested interest in the outcome of decisions that are made in all areas of the company, not just their own. It’s a very exciting time of progress and employee involvement that will impact every aspect of our company’s operations moving forward.”

According to Louis, this collective approach has not only increased manufacturing capacity, but also efficiency, which has kept production and operation costs down. “We are proud to be able to maximize the value and rapid return on investment for our customers.”

LPI recently made the 2018 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States for the second-consecutive year with nearly 70% sales growth over the last three years.