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The Lean Post / Articles / What’s the Problem?: Andrew Lingel Discusses Transforming a Family Business through Knowledge, Grit, and Outrage

WLEI podcast UPF

Executive Leadership

What’s the Problem?: Andrew Lingel Discusses Transforming a Family Business through Knowledge, Grit, and Outrage

By Matthew Savas

June 1, 2022

In this What's the Problem? podcast with Matt Savas, President Andrew Lingel of United Plastic Fabricating shares how he helped lead a transformation in this family business that makes polypropylene products primarily for the fire industry.

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Editor’s Note: In case you missed it! This Lean Post is an updated version of a podcast post published on February 10, 2020, just before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Executives who join LEI’s Lean Leadership Forum on July 13­–14 will learn from United Plastic Fabricating (UPF) CEO Andrew Lingel and have the chance to visit the company’s headquarters and manufacturing facility.  

Since 2017, Lingel has led the mid-size manufacturer on a lean transformation encompassing the entire enterprise from sales to fulfillment. Despite the pandemic’s enormous challenges, UPF has continued to set record productivity numbers and increase revenue by diversifying its business. Lingel credits the company’s improved productivity to relentless kaizen in manufacturing and its transition from craft to flow production in design engineering. Meanwhile, hoshin kanri has been instrumental in aligning the executive team around new markets to pursue. 

The original post and interview follow. 

Three years ago, Andrew Lingel took over as the second-generation president of United Plastic Fabricating (UPF), a maker of polypropylene products primarily for the fire industry. Generational transition in a family business is not a trivial matter. And Lingel made the challenge even harder by choosing to lead the organization through a lean transformation not long after assuming his new responsibilities. Also, as if that were not difficult enough, he did not isolate the transformation to the shop floor; instead, it encompassed the entire enterprise through sales, engineering, and manufacturing.

The results have been impressive. UPF recently reported record output in back-to-back months. The organizational strategy has shifted from focusing on cost reduction through kaizen to strategic growth, leveraging the capacity they have freed up through kaizen.

In the podcast, Andrew discusses his approach to engaging the organization in transformation. He has whittled UPF’s success down to three components:

  1. Knowledge – an understanding of basic lean concepts;
  2. Grit – an environment where employees can be resilient;
  3. Outrage – a deep dissatisfaction with the way things are going because you know that they can be better.

Relevant Articles

  • Lean Thinking for the Family Business, Jim Womack

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Written by:

Matthew Savas

About Matthew Savas

Matt serves as content director at the Lean Enterprise Institute responsible for the institute’s content strategy in all mediums. He also serves as Director of the Lean Global Network, where he supports the network’s 30+ institutes and partners to spread lean thinking around the globe.  Matt has a BA in East…

Read more about Matthew Savas
Comments (1)
William Sotosays:
June 2, 2022 at 8:11 am

Wonderful educational and very helpful posts. Much appreciated

Thank you

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