Since 1983, Scag Power Equipment, a division of Metalcraft, has been manufacturing "Simply the Best" in commercial mowers. From the beginning, Capitol Stampings has been Scag’s provider of choice for pulleys.
Scag is an excellent example of Capitol’s emphasis on partnerships. “Capitol Stampings supplies us with good quality pulleys for our commercial lawn mowing products. Their engineering staff gives us the support we need to develop the type of product that is required,” says Dave Sugden, Scag Power Equipment.
Capitol works closely with Scag, using what it learns to engineer and assemble products that meet not only Scag’s commercial strength needs but also their cost needs. “If we have a product that we’re putting into the marketplace where it’s especially important for us to have certain costs - lower costs than we are able to maintain here in our facility – Capitol uses their engineering resources to meet them.” Through engineering expertise, quality products and assembly capabilities, Capitol focuses on bringing Scag the product they want at a lower cost and as high on the bill of materials as possible.
When Metalcraft wanted to bid out sheet metal work associated with the Scag Freedom Z series of mowers, Capitol was right there with them. “The Freedom Z is directed at a different market than what we go after with our other products. It is much more cost sensitive. So we made a strategic decision to bid out some of the sheet metal work rather than tie up our production. Capitol was able to give us a quality, cost effective alternative to in-house production,” says Sugden.
As Capitol changed owners in 2005, the partnership with Scag continued to strengthen. “We’ve seen improved production and processes along with a renewed commitment to engineering and support, and to learning about our equipment and the needs we have in our segment of the marketplace. That being commercial product and how that differs from residential product.”
Capitol has also expanded its engineering focus into future product development that will result in even higher quality pulleys and assemblies, or to do so more cost effectively than what is currently available. “They are willing to make adjustments to meet our needs. Whether it’s tooling changes or working with their suppliers to determine ways to make a better pulley. We’ve worked jointly in these efforts,” notes Sugden. “We take their concept and design, and field test it. Together we learn what works and what doesn’t.”
For Sugden, Capitol’s commitment to service and quality goes beyond engineering expertise and value-added services. “Delivery, purchasing and managed inventory are also very important to us. Capitol keeps a pre-determined amount of inventory ready to ship to us. Using the KanBan ‘trigger-pull’ system, we are able to purchase product and keep our production lines stocked without a lot of unnecessary interaction,” says Sugden. “I consider Capitol a first-rate company to work with.”