FAB 40: Team approach helps Robinson Metal scale up

When customers call Robinson Metal’s fabrication division—No. 8 on this year’s FAB 40—they don’t call a main number but instead the cell phone of a member of a crew. That person then talks to other members of the crew. These people don’t deal with hundreds of accounts; they probably know the customer, the job history, and common questions. That’s because the crew works mainly with only specific accounts.

That one team member is the single point of customer contact for the company’s fabrication division. Our internal structure makes it very easy for us to adapt to growth,” said Paul Leicht, manager of the fabrication division at the De Pere, Wis., company.

The fabrication division added two crane bays to handle large industrial projects, including a major one in the water treatment arena, one of the firm’s strongest markets right now. Leicht added that the paper business is rebounding.

Besides its fabrication division, Robinson also has an enclosure division dedicated to fabricating custom enclosures; a machining division; and a heating and cooling division, a commercial and residential HVAC installation service that operates as a separate entity.

Following increased customer demand, Robinson launched yet another division about a year ago, this one dedicated to processing piping and vessel work. This division, which employs people with ASME Section IX and related certifications, remains the smallest in terms of revenue but, according to Leicht, has the greatest potential for growth in the coming years.