FLEMING ENGINEERING Ltd is a fifth-generation family business which designs and manufactures roller shutter doors. The company employs 15 people at its St Johnston base in Co Donegal.
"We market our products to industrial and commercial businesses right across the island," said Andrew Fleming, general manager. "Some of our better-known clients include Ladbrokes, the Western Education & Library Board, Donegal and Derry Councils, and high-street outfits such as Subway."
Fleming heard about Fusion in 2007 from a colleague who had recently completed a project through the InterTradeIreland programme. The company needed to help to meet growth in demand for its products and needed additional manufacturing expertise. "The best way to achieve this was by employing a graduate, and Fusion seemed like the answer to our needs as it offered a very cost-effective way of bringing this knowledge into the business," says Fleming.
The company engaged in a two-year project, paired with the University of Ulster and manufacturing management graduate Ryan McLaughlin, with the aim of increasing productivity and addressing the market more effectively.
Since commencing employment with the company through Fusion, McLaughlin has achieved a post-graduate diploma in management from the Michael Smurfit School of Business, UCD. He has also undertaken a number of training courses in lean manufacturing, leap management, health and safety, organisational behaviour and Sage Accounts.
McLaughlin's introduction of a more structured approach to the manufacturing process has seen the company's level of production increase by 30 per cent. "This increase in productivity has enabled us to ensure a much faster and more efficient manufacturing process which allows us to sustain production of a certain level of shutter doors each week. Ryan has become an indispensable part of the management team - his skill and expertise have been invaluable and, as a result, we have now employed him on a full-time basis as the company operations manager. I would strongly recommend Fusion to other companies", says Fleming.
