The world has become an IoT hub thanks to recent unfathomable technological advancements, which have also optimized numerous industries, including manufacturing, retail, and healthcare. One such technological advancement is RFID, or radio frequency identification, which can be used to track goods, animals, or any other lost items. RFID tags are advancing numerous industries and simultaneously storing a variety of data, from tracking objects and protecting valuables to using them in medicines and cosmetics.
Stock optimization is crucial for your company’s long-term success. A well-oiled process will enable you to save both time and money. Using RFID tags, one’s data can be quickly read from a distance. These tags are perfect for keeping track of your goods and automating inventory control.
Since 1950, Metalcraft has offered solutions for property identification. Metalcraft, as we know it today, was born out of a solution to the identification needs of the Bostitch Stapler Company. For Bostitch, the solution was to have Metalcraft supply nameplates with printed copies of Bostitch customers’ names that were attached to their staplers with solvent-activated adhesive. Since that first Bostitch stapler solution in 1950, Metalcraft has provided thousands of businesses and industries throughout North America and around the world with a wide range of choices in durable nameplates and labels to meet the needs of the ever-evolving industry of tracking and controlling. These customized products may include consecutive numbers using barcode and/or RFID technologies.
Made from the toughest materials, including polyester, anodized aluminum, stainless steel, polycarbonate, ceramic, and more, Metalcraft nameplates and labels are built to withstand environments ranging from mild to extreme and resist abrasion, caustics/acids, solvents, salt air, high temperatures, and UV rays.
Below are highlights of the interview that put the spotlight on Metalcraft’s leadership in the identification market and how it has simplified the complex task of tracking goods by optimizing the whole process for reliability.
Please brief us about your company and the notions that encouraged its inception
Metalcraft is an international company that works with major companies, manufacturers, schools and universities, and governments, helping them unleash the power of their data using the most effective technology for the application.
Metalcraft was originally organized over 70 years ago to solve a unique problem for a particular company. By finding a solution for that customer, we transformed from a small start-up business into a dynamic, growing company.
Kindly tell us about the featured person(s) and their professional journey so far.
Colynn is Metalcraft’s RFID Business Development Director. He started his Metalcraft journey as an RFID Technician, moving on to being an RFID Lead/Technician, an RFID Engineer, and then his current role. He enjoys being able to utilize his technical skills and experiences to aid Metalcraft in acquiring new partnerships and customers.
What are the core values, vision, and mission of your company?
Metalcraft is a values-driven company with our Member-Owner Focus our most important value. We actively support our members in their personal and professional development. We follow our Metalcraft Compass, which includes our Why, How, and What statements.
Why Do We Exist? – Metalcraft thrives on challenges and makes the complex simple.
Our “Why” statement is straightforward and to the point. At Metalcraft, we love solving identification problems for our customers and try to make it as simple as possible for them, even if that means making it more complex for us.
How Are We Unique – Our mission is to understand customers’ ID applications even better than they do to provide a superior customer experience.
Our “How” statement describes the process we go through with every customer to ensure the product we recommend is the right fit for their application. Our Customer Experience team works with our engineers and production to ensure a smooth transition from start to finish.
What Do We Do? – We inspire customers to unleash the power of their data with the most effective ID technology.
Our “what” statement really gets at the core of our business. Not only is Metalcraft a numbers company, but we are also technology agnostic, meaning we can provide different technologies, i.e., barcode and/or RFID, to help ensure our customers’ success. Our Identification Specialists work with customers to educate them on best practices and share their vast experience with different technologies to help them truly unleash the power of their data.
What are your company’s key offerings that make it different from the rest of the printing companies?
Metalcraft incorporates tracking technologies like radio frequency identification (RFID) into our label constructions in such a way that the printing is integral to the function of the overall product. Our DuraDestruct RFID tag is an example of this, as the majority of our RFID tags have the information printed on the tag and also encoded into the integrated circuit or chip on the RFID inlay.
How is Metalcraft enhancing the printing industry with its user experiences?
Simple. We listen to our customers. We have an NPS (net promoter score) of 85 and act on any constructive feedback we receive. In addition, we listen to what our customers’ needs are and tailor our new product offerings to meet those needs. Our innovation and product development teams make this a priority.
How is Metalcraft adapting to the evolving technological advancements to expand in the printing niche?
We keep abreast of what is going on in the printing industry and adapt it to our product offerings. Recent examples of this include incorporating digital inkjet printing technology into a product line we’ve offered for more than 70 years. In addition, we continue to push the boundaries of radio frequency identification and printing to meet our customers’ ever-changing needs.
What are the challenges that your company faces in its daily operations? How do you strategize your ways to deal with them?
The challenges that Metalcraft faces are common across the manufacturing industry in today’s world. Supply chain issues and finding skilled labor top the list. As I mentioned previously, Metalcraft is always looking to evolve by continually improving its products and processes. This includes finding functionally equivalent materials and strategizing ways to automate processes. We are also always looking at the next technology in the printing world and how we can incorporate it into our product line.
As an experienced leader, what advice would you like to give to aspiring entrepreneurs who wish to enter a similar niche?
Never stop evolving—always look to improve your products and processes. Keep pushing the boundaries. With DuraDestruct, we went through several iterations of the product until it was destructible enough and up to Metalcraft standards. Listen to your customer—both what they are saying and, perhaps more importantly, what they aren’t saying. That is where some of the best ideas originate.
What are the future goals for the company? How do you envision its upscaling and global outreach in the future?
Our plans include continuing to grow and expanding our market share in both the printing and technological spaces because of our unique capabilities to combine the two. As for global outreach, we already have a global customer base, but we see this continuing to expand as well.
Please share any clientele, awards, or recognitions that correctly highlight your current market position.
We recently received the Organization of the Year award from AIM, the Automatic Identification and Mobility Industry Association. In addition, we hold several different patents related to our products and/or processes.
What Client Says
“Metalcraft has serviced our company for over 10 years and has always been a great company to work with. They have exceeded any expectation we have had with customer service and quality, and if an issue arose, they responded and rectified the situation in a timely and effective manner. With all of the sample orders and production order files we issue, Metalcraft has always been able to provide us with what we needed even if we had a very short lead time. Normal lead times at Metalcraft are well within my expectations and usually achieved earlier than presented.” -Lee Aho – Commodity Manager Team Industries
About the Leader/strong>
>Colynn is Metalcraft’s RFID Business Development Director. He started his Metalcraft journey as an RFID Technician, moving on to being an RFID Lead/Technician, an RFID Engineer, and then his current role. He enjoys being able to utilize his technical skills and experiences to aid Metalcraft in acquiring new partnerships and customers.
Colynn is married to his wife, Allie, and he has two children named Cruze and Ella. He enjoys being outside, working with his hands to build things, working on his car/boat, golfing, ice fishing, reading, and wrestling with his son.