GF: 'Domestic manufacturing allows us to meet needs'
By HME News Staff
Updated Mon July 6, 2009
ATLANTA - Playing off a song made famous by Chuck Berry, Graham-Field (GF) launched its “Back in the USA Strategic Initiative” on July 7.
As part of the initiative, GF has moved select manufacturing back to the United States.
“Our customers are looking for unique products, greater flexibility relative to product features and more efficient logistics,” stated Lawrence de la Haba, senior vice president of business development, in a release, the first in a three-part series. “Domestic manufacturing allows us to meet these needs.”
Domestic manufacturing means streamlined logistics, improved product run flexibility and more easily customized products, GF officials say.
GF's Patriotic Homecare Bed is the first product line manufactured under the initiative. The bed integrates headboards and footboards manufactured overseas with sleep surfaces manufactured at GF's Fond-du-Lac, Wis., facility.
“With the volatile cost of transportation, eliminating the need to ship the large sleep surfaces across the ocean offset our outbound freight cost to the Graham-Field distribution centers and significantly improved our service levels for our customers,” stated de la Haba.
Next in GF's “Back in the USA” series: The manufacturer will detail how a joint venture with one of its supply partners became its newest manufacturing facility.
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