Grow Your Business, One Pole at a Time
Did you know that the most reprinted article in the history of the Harvard Business Review is “The Core Competence of Corporations,” which was published in 1990? Some would argue that this article on core competency is even more relevant today, as it argues that every organization needs to “focus its scarce, limited, and valuable resources at being the best at one specific thing.” The idea is that by trying to be the best at too many endeavors, you’ll eventually underperform at everything because your resources will be spread too thinly across many areas. At DWM Holdings, we tend to agree with this philosophy. As the umbrella company for a portfolio of pole manufacturing brands, including United Lighting Standards; General Structures, Inc.; Lyte Poles; and UniPost Systems, we’ve been designing, engineering, building, coating and shipping poles for nearly 50 years. It’s safe to say we’re experts in the business. This emphasis on our core competency allows us to make continuous improvements and create operational efficiencies, such as shortened lead times, improved quality, accurate shipping, and unparalleled service. Your core competency is lighting fixtures. As such, you might view light poles as a necessary evil – something you should offer, but not within your area of deep expertise. However, what if we told you that light poles could represent a huge opportunity for your company – with the right partner, that is? If someone can do it better, faster and cheaper than you, why wouldn’t you outsource your non-core competencies? This not only leaves you with more resources to focus on your primary business, but allows you to expand your product offerings without overextending your team, or trying to tap into under-developed internal skills and competencies. Companies are outsourcing logistics, transportation, distribution management, purchasing and segments of production due to economies of scale, equipment/technology needs, and lack of capital.1It can be a smart and economical tactic, freeing up your staff to focus on their core competencies and deriving the maximum benefit from their talents. Of course, productive outsourcing should always add value, simplify your operations and reduce workload. That involves choosing the right partner – one that not only provides quality, worry-free products, but meets deadlines, budgets and fits well with your company culture. Adding to your product line-up not only gives you more to sell, it can add tremendous value for your sales channel partners and help differentiate you from your competitors. However, bringing additional product capabilities in-house comes with a high level of capital investment. Outsourcing to a trusted manufacturer frees up this capital for investing in your core business. High-quality steel and aluminum light poles are a natural fit with your lighting fixtures and offer the potential for high profit margins with smart outsourcing. From high-volume poles to specialty products, we offer a wide variety of choices, including decorative and custom light poles. And, as an independent manufacturer, we’re nimble enough to react quickly to changes and special requests. Just think: Our product line could be your product line! When partnering with DWM Holdings, you don’t have to worry about quality. We produce upwards of 40,000 poles each year. Admittedly, the humble light pole does not seem very exciting at first blush, but ensuring a structurally sound and safe structure is more involved than most tend to think. Our brand companies are dedicated to the design, fabrication, finishing and packaging of high-quality steel and aluminum light poles using the most qualified structural materials available. We also proudly back our products with an incredible team of skilled welders and production managers, and consulting engineers, along with a skilled inside sales team equipped to assist in the selection of the correct poles for any application. Aesthetics, structural integrity and economics are given full consideration for every job. When building our poles, we adhere to AASHTO, ASTM International and NEMA standards, using fabricating and welding procedures outlined in the American Welding Society (AWS) manual for steel and aluminum to eliminate welding defects and ensure structural integrity. And, all our products are proudly manufactured at our two facilities in Warren, Michigan. What’s more, our expert team can use our knowledge of the lighting industry sales channel to help you be more competitive around poles for your agency partners, improving both sales and profit margins – and potentially opening new doors for your company. In fact, teamwork, collaboration and transparency are key components to something else we excel at – partnerships. In a commodity marketplace, where customers expect aggressive pricing and manufacturers can do little to differentiate themselves, we believe in adding value in unexpected and uncommon ways. In addition to providing outstanding service levels and a laser-like focus on quality, we use technology to provide an unheard-of-level of transparency into our operations for all our business partners. Our commitment to mutually-beneficial partnerships is at the center of everything we do. (Find out more our company purpose and how it positively impacts our business partners here. Our team is highly qualified and trained to deliver the most efficient and pleasant partner service in the industry. From the technical to the mundane, we focus on building the greatest possible relationship at every touch point. If this sounds good to you, let’s discuss how we can begin to build a valuable partnership. Contact us at 586.541.0013 or info@polemfg.com. You can also visit us online at dwmholdings.com 1“What is Your Core Competency?” Industry Star Solutions, 2016 (http://www.industrystarsolutions.com/blog/2016/07/what-is-your-core-competency/)
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