Since 1951, Cubbison Company has been offering nameplates, labels, overlays and signage for industrial and commercial applications across the globe. Its 30,000 square-foot facility is located on Victoria Road in Youngstown.

The top customers served are original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) but also include military/defense, transportation, aerospace, medical, oil and gas, and agriculture. There are currently about 70 employees at Cubbison.

Chief Operations Officer JC Kocjancic says the company is fortunate to have a long-standing workforce and isn’t dealing with shortages or turnover. He’s been with the company for 14 years.

“It hasn’t been as bad for us as other places have experienced. We’ve been able to attract good employees even when we do lose people,” Kocjancic said.

Importance of MVMC membership

Kocjancic also ran Cubbison’s sister company, Drake Industries, in Austin, Texas for more than three years. That’s where he recognized the importance of interconnectedness among businesses.

“I learned a lot about the manufacturing industry through Drake and realized there were organizations like MVMC out there.”

Kocjancic knew about MVMC for a while before joining. He believes the company’s good culture and reputation helps with employee retention, but it never hurts to be part of a manufacturing-focused organization.

“We get to talk with the right people, make connections that will help us with the customer side, vendor side and anything else we may need.”

Products and technological advancements

Cubbison’s metal nameplates, labels and overlays have been primary staples for years. The company has also grown its capabilities to match the changing technology.

Barcodes for nameplates and label designs help with product tracking and asset management needs. In addition, the company offers user interface products like membrane switches, sensors and touch technologies that incorporate the Internet of Things (IoT) and Manufacturing 4.0.

Kocjancic says the type of material used for a product and how it’s made comes down to what’s most efficient and cost-effective for the customer.

“There are variations of nameplates and labels. In the printing process, you might need UV or chemical resistance, or the product might be subject to corrosive environments. There are also different adhesives that depend on surface requirements. The longevity of products is paramount to a lot of our industrial customers.”

A new age in printing

Kocjancic adds that Cubbison has come a long way from decades ago.

“A lot of people usually think large equipment. We’ve transitioned from old school ways. We have high-speed digital printers now. They’re fun to run. It’s not a tedious process anymore, and it’s more efficient.”

That includes a printing press and converting equipment installed at the end of 2022. It can handle large-volume orders and makes the printing process faster and much more efficient.

Even with a growing business and a loyal workforce, Kocjancic wants to remain prepared to handle whatever curves might come down the line.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next 15 years, but having the outreach to MVMC is a good thing,” he said.

A steady spike in business has hit Eddie Kane Steel over the last couple of years. Plant manager Matt Knauff says 2024 is expected to be the best yet for the Masury company.

With just over 60 employees, the plant needs to add more staff as it continues to grow.

“We’re working on adding a third shift since we have an expansion coming,” Knauff said.

Positions that need to be filled include burn table, threading and saw operators, welders, galvanizing line, and general labor. Most employees work four, 10-hour shifts and have Friday through Sunday off.

Branching out, building up customers

Eddie Kane’s local plant is among seven locations coast-to-coast that serve thousands of national customers. The distributor of flat plate steel also makes parts for trampolines, forklifts and dumpsters.

“We provide probably the most quality counterweights you can buy. We do about 2.5 million pounds per month of burned weight, 150 tons or more of flat plate steel and between 150 to 200 steel cages,” Knauff said.

He noted that preparations are underway for the growth that’s expected this year.

“We put $2.5 million into the building. We’re redoing offices, some outside work and other various renovations.”

RB Steel, also in Masury, is Eddie Kane’s woman-owned branch, which is looking to expand. It specializes in anchor bolt cages for the construction industry, as well as telephone poles and power towers.

Connecting to MVMC

Knauff had a personal link to MVMC before joining the organization.

“I worked with Alex Hertzer when he was at ClarkDietrich for a while. Eddie Kane has been looking at ways to help bring people in and get more involved in the community. I knew Alex went to MVMC, so I gave him a call.”

What also attracted him to MVMC were the networking and best practice sharing opportunities.

“We like to help a lot of people who are trying to get their lives on track, so we’re interested in programs like WorkAdvance,” he said.

Eddie Kane supports diversity in the workplace, prioritizes hiring veterans and encourages women to apply for jobs.

“We have female welders. We’ll help and train anyone who is willing to try, and we’ll even help people get jobs somewhere else if they aren’t a good fit here.”

Knauff says the company is implementing automated machines in 2024 to alleviate some of the physical labor for the manual grinders.

“It’s a difficult job, but this will make it easier for anyone to be able to do. It allows us to move employees around where gaps need to be filled.”

Although satisfying customers is top of mind, he says it’s just as important to keep employees safe, invest in them and be as supportive as possible.

Fireline, Inc. in Youngstown realized it needed a better system to control mixers at the plant. The company was able to come up with a solution through Industry 4.0 concepts, assistance from the Youngstown Business Incubator and the organization MAGNET.

Fireline produces a wide range of slip-cast refractory ceramic shapes used to make parts in the aerospace industry. Manually controlled mixers are required in the process. Like many manufacturers, the company is dealing with being short-staffed, which can leave room for error due to employees taking on multiple tasks.

Automation to the rescue

Mark Peters is the director of engineering and has been with the company for more than 20 years. He says when a mixer is on high speed for too long and overheats, it’s a waste of material, time and costs a lot of money for repairs. That’s why Fireline wanted to develop a more automated system.

“We got an email notification from YBI about the funding for Industry 4.0 pilot projects and jumped on the opportunity,” Peters said.

Fireline then partnered with MAGNET and its engineers for about a year to develop a Wi-Fi connected mixer control system. It can be set on a certain recipe, run unattended and default to a slow speed when it would time out.

“MAGNET made it easy. Their engineers asked really good questions. We weren’t locked into specific equipment or systems. We figured out what was best for us.”

Fireline wanted to be able to monitor the mixing system, so specific data points are communicated to a central dashboard for the team to view.

“We spent a lot of time with this, gave them a mix tank for testing, and they came up with this system. It allows us to be proactive rather than reactive,” he said.

Ready for a trial run

The completed system was delivered to the company in November 2023. It’s being stored until it can be installed. Peters says other plant priorities have caused delays, but he’s hoping to start the trial run in the second quarter of 2024.

“We also need get people comfortable with the system before it’s implemented. Change can be hard, and there are specific ways this needs to run for monitoring.”

It will take about six months to determine its effectiveness. Now that Fireline knows the materials and design elements involved, the company plans to use the system on other mixers.

“Moving forward, this makes implementation easier. We now have the platform to eventually integrate other equipment,” Peters said. “MAGNET gave us a relative shortcut to getting it done. We would’ve used more resources and time doing the project on our own.”

Benefits of implementing IIoT

He noted the company has also been using IIoT to monitor power and air compressors. Industry 4.0 is something he recommends to manufacturers that need to streamline production, save time and money.

“Technology pricing is down, and capabilities have increased. There are challenges, but the services MAGNET and YBI provide make it worthwhile. This is a time investment, but companies should take advantage. The money won’t be there forever.”

Peters says the total cost of the project was $35,000, but Fireline only paid $15,000 out-of-pocket. MAGNET also helped the company obtain some extra money through the Ohio Defense Community Grant – as it’s part of the defense supply chain.

“It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. But when you look at an IIoT system like ours, this solves all the issues. The payback is immediate on something like this.”

YBI funding for Industry 4.0 pilot projects runs through 2024. Contact Daniel Longo or Stephanie Gaffney to begin an assessment or for more information.