SUN Automation Invests in New Facility
- Published: November 01, 2016
SPARKS, MD | SUN Automation Group, a global provider of value-added solutions to the corrugated industry, announced today it will relocate operations to an expanded facility in Glen Arm, MD. The company says this move comes on the heels of recent product innovations and a renewed focus on customer needs that has resulted in increased demand.
“When I came out of retirement and returned to SUN two years ago, it was clear we needed to move to a more customer-centric business model,” says Sun president Ron Diedeman. “And with a great team of employee-owners and a shared vision, we made great strides in service and manufacturing. Our customers are rewarding our efforts by placing more orders and we now find ourselves, thankfully, out of room.”
Due to rapid growth over the years, SUN met its need for additional work space by spreading its operations over three different facilities in the Baltimore, MD, area. And while increased demand is a positive problem to have, floor space is essential when designing and building large corrugated equipment. SUN’s employee-owners recognized the challenges their current facilities presented and decided to invest in one facility in Glen Arm. The new building will house all departments under one roof as well as triple its manufacturing space.
“In the past, if we had multiple machine orders or more at once, we struggled building them efficiently in one place,” says Chris Kyger, Sun VP. “This move changes all that. ”
The new facility’s streamlined layout was designed to maximize productivity and further Lean Manufacturing, the company reports. New parts racking system and a more efficient production floor combined with access to an on-site warehouse will simplify entire production and manufacturing process and will reportedly foster collaboration between SUN’s team members, which in turn helps the company create solutions to new market challenges.
In conjunction with the move, SUN also welcomes William Burlingham, manager of manufacturing. According to company, Burlingham brings extensive expertise in both manufacturing management and team development within the corrugated industry. He will assist in identifying client needs and oversee much of the growth and innovation spurred by the move.
“Bill is an important addition to SUN leadership, as we re-organize and improve our operational efficiencies,” Kyger says. “His acute understanding of the corrugated market is invaluable as we take steps into the future.”
