Hoops and Doors
With the distressed economy, BCI, like other manufacturers, is fighting to keep its customers, but Brown said that fight will not be at the expense of the company’s profitability. He refuses to agree to price decreases on a per pound basis and is not interested in turning in the lowest quote.

“Our niche is intricate castings that other people don’t like to do, and we’re doing it with less than 5% scrap,” Brown said. “If a customer is coming to BCI with a price range in mind, I probably won’t be there. I’m okay with that, because we have our niche.”

Rather than cut price per pound for a casting, BCI will work with the customer to provide value in another way, perhaps by providing assembly, painting, machining, etc. At the same time, the metalcaster is quick to respond to customers’ emergencies. For example, when a customer called BCI in a panic because it did not have enough inventoried castings and had to shut its line down, the metalcaster shifted its production schedule and shipped the customer new castings
the next day.

“Whether we like it or not, if we don’t get them castings, we get a black eye,” Brown said. “We don’t break procedure, but we do jump through hoops for our customers.”

Whether jumping through hoops or leaping through open doors, BCI takes an active approach to growing its business. Halfway through its fiscal year 2010, the company is maintaining its position in the market with the help of its value-added capabilities.

“We map out a path and stick to it,” Menke said. “We’re feeling the economy, but I don’t think we are feeling it as bad because we do stick to our path.”