Mercury Corporation

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“In addition to the marketing benefits which are very obvious, getting ready for the AS9100 certification process created a structure that enabled our employees to raise the bar on standards, to step up to a new level.” We can’t say enough good things about AM&T. The work produced an impressive QMS system which passed the certification audit. We would recommend AM&T to anyone who wants to go through this process.

— Joseph F. Meade, III, President

RESULTS

  • Customer base increased by 20% within the first five months
  • Sales increase of over $500,000
  • $200,000 in Capital Investments

COMPANY:

Founded in 1920, the company is into its fourth generation of Meade family ownership and management, and has 175 employees at its Hammondsport, NY headquarters. Mercury generates annual sales of $90 million from six locations worldwide by providing design, build, and ship services for industries that include defense, electronics, medical, energy, and transportation. In addition to its 1.5 million sq. ft. facility in New York, Mercury has subsidiaries in Florida, North Carolina, Minnesota, and Mexico, and alliance partnerships in Europe and Asia. The contract manufacturer’s products range from a simple metal cabinet to complex, highly engineered business products requiring assembly of plastic, metal, and electronic components.

SITUATION:

Mercury has had a long tradition of customer satisfaction and loyalty, with some customer relationships enduring for over 60 years. Part of the reason for the company’s strong reputation is a commitment to employing various approaches to managing quality such as MIL SPEC, AWS certification, UL and FCC standards, and Zero Defects. However, as Joseph F. Meade, IV, Assistant Vice President, explained, “Parts of our traditional business were disappearing, so we had to step back and determine where we would fit in the future of manufacturing in the US. Historically our customers came to us based on our reputation; but we increasingly have to have a more proactive marketing strategy.” This meant, among other things, that the company would be ramping up the use of trade shows, sales representatives, and other new channels, and that more differentiation would be necessary to set Mercury apart from its competitors. And the company was also discovering that having additional certifications was increasingly necessary just to qualify to bid on jobs.

SOLUTION:

Mercury had used AM&T to guide the company through the process of becoming certified to the ISO 9001:2000 standard. Based on the previous work done by AM&T staff, Mercury decided to go with AS9100. AM&T did a gap analysis, helped with Mercury’s risk management procedures and improved its configuration management procedures.