Customer Spotlight: Making & Sustaining Operational Improvements in Uncertain Economies

Draper Incorporated is a family-owned manufacturer of commercial and residential shading, audiovisual and gymnasium solutions since 1902. 

During this time, Draper has survived and thrived through World Wars, depressions and recessions, cyber-attacks and pandemics without having to lay off an employee. 

But what sets Draper apart from many companies, is that they were able to survive, thrive and grow despite these obstacles.  A lean shop since the early 2000s, Draper leadership realized that the improvements they implemented were not being sustained and therefore impacting profitability.  The President of Draper, Chris Broome, the fourth descendant in the Draper Family chain, contacted TBM to implement Lean tools and a management system that would help the company:

• Create visibility into strategic progress and the impact of improvements on the business
• Increase productivity through employee collaboration
• Improve efficiencies to sustain profitable operations in the U.S.

About the Company:

Draper Incorporated is a leading manufacturer of commercial and residential shading, audiovisual and gymnasium solutions, operating out of Spiceland, Indiana since 1902. The company remains family owned and operated by the decedents of Luther O. Draper, and currently employs 700+ people. 

Key initiatives that helped Draper thrive through economic times over the past 2-3 years.
(Timestamp 1:10 – 3:53)

Draper began its Lean journey in the early 2000’s that worked well for a while, but the company needed better visibility and discipline to sustain the improvement efforts. With growth a priority for the company and with economic challenges and other obstacles since 2020, they needed to refocus their lean efforts to create a company culture and discipline for daily improvement, productivity, and sustainability.

Listen to the Chris Broome talk (timestamp 1:10 – 3:53) about the key initiatives implemented with TBM that were critical for driving success over the past 2-3 years.

The positive impact of a management system for sustaining improvements on operations and on employee engagement.
(Timestamp 3:54 – 6:23)

Draper partnered with TBM to implement its Management System that is designed to translate company strategy into an executable plan that drives visibility and accountability from the top floor to the shop floor.

The second segment of this video (timestamp 3:54 – 6:23) will dive into the impact the management system had on Draper’s operations and employee engagement.

Advice to other business leaders on how to succeed and grow even during economic uncertainty.
(Timestamp 6:24 – 8:15)

In this third segment (timestamp 6:24 – 8:15) Chris Broome shares the critical initiatives for Draper to ensure they stay focused on their growth priorities and entering into new markets regardless of economic obstacles.

How the management system sets Draper up for ongoing success and growth.
(Timestamp 8:17 – 10:02)

An unstable economy brings on business pressures to be more efficient, reduce costs, and increase productivity.  In this final segment of the videocast (timestamp 8:17 – 10:02), Chris talks about the important role of the management system in driving improvements that keep Draper on top of their competitive game in any economic environment.

Chris Broome
President, Draper, Inc.

David Pate
Vice President, TBM Consulting