Gilbert is a job shop focused on precision machining for customers nationwide in the aircraft, aerospace and communications industries. Vista is used for tracking Gilbert's workload, managing bottlenecks, and storing labor information.
“Vista software has enabled us to double our volume of business while adding only one more employee to keep up with purchasing,” says Steven Palmatier, president of Gilbert Machine & Tool in Greene, New York. “I’m confident we can double our business again in three years with only a modest increase in overhead,” adds Palmatier.
Located in upstate New York, Gilbert is a job shop focused on precision machining for customers nationwide in the aircraft, aerospace and communications industries.
Over the last five years, Gilbert has also added new customers in the laser and infrared camera industries. Several of these companies were started by engineers laid off from larger companies in the area. “These offshoots of established customers have grown into good customers themselves,” notes Palmatier.
Palmatier says infrared cameras are gaining in popularity in Europe as traffic management tools for streets and highways. When mounted on traffic lights, infrared cameras detect engine heat to help determine the speed of approaching vehicles. The information is relayed to computers that adjust traffic lights accordingly. This enhances safety, improves traffic flow and reduces air pollution from idling engines. Other applications of infrared cameras include helping firefighters rescue people in smoke-filled buildings and aiding the nighttime vision of soldiers or police.
Another Gilbert product, a chassis for an aircraft engine control, begins production as an 84-pound piece of aluminum. The finished product weighs just 17 pounds. “We also make power supply heat sinks,” explains Palmatier. “Although they’re not much bigger than a shoe box, they can have as many as 2,200 inspectable dimensions when complete.”
Although working primarily in aluminum, Palmatier says Gilbert also has experience with exotic materials like titanium and Kovar. Because it doesn’t expand when heated, Kovar is uniquely suited for semiconductor applications. It also can be bonded to glass.
Steven’s father started the business in 1970 in the family basement. “Dad was working for a large company and was transferred from the shop to the office,” says Palmatier. “He disliked the new assignment and decided to start making parts on his own.” Steve took over running the business at age 22, in 1979. Almost 20 years later, he bought his father’s share to become the sole owner.
Since beginning in a basement, Gilbert has occupied three different buildings. The current facility is 10,000 square feet and Palmatier is considering an addition next year to expand the assembly area and add plating capabilities.
“There is an increasing amount of assembly work available,” explains Palmatier. “Customers are asking us to handle more steps in the production process, such as delivering finished assemblies ready for mounting.”
Gilbert’s revenue has doubled over the past two years, which Palmatier credits both to economic factors and good management.
“The economy fosters a positive business climate and our management provides the right people and equipment to perform the work,” explains Palmatier. “Our corporate culture is relaxed -- we work hard but have fun, too.”
Palmatier says much of the company’s growth comes from current customers. “Often it’s just word-of-mouth, with buyers recommending me to buyers at other companies.”
Before selecting Vista shop management software six years ago, Palmatier spent 250-300 hours designing his own system using a Paradox relational database. “When I realized how much more work would be required, I decided to look at the different packages out there,” explains Palmatier. “I studied all the top contenders and decided that Vista by Epicor suited my needs the best.”
Labor collection was an important consideration. “Manually entering timecards each day was simple when we only had a dozen employees,” remembers Palmatier. “It was pretty easy to keep track of what everyone was working on. However, that doesn’t work with 32 employees.”
“Running a job shop is not an easy task,” notes Palmatier. “But Vista is a powerful tool for tracking our workload and managing bottlenecks.” An over-estimate report is run each morning, tracking each job’s costs. This enables Palmatier to spot potential problems before they become expensive.
Palmatier says Gilbert’s profitability has improved using Vista, which is particularly important when margins are slim. On-time deliveries have also risen from 60 to 90 percent.
“I’ve recommended Vista to a number of people. The system is easy to use and customer support is very good,” explains Palmatier. “I buy a lot of software and Vista is some of the best I’ve ever purchased. Microsoft and Bill Gates could take a lesson from it -- Vista’s a terrific product.”
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