How perseverance, marketing and the V-Process paid off for Jack Pohlman.

Pushed by a slow economy in the early 1980s and problems associated with employing a new casting process, Taylor-Pohlman, Inc. (TPi), Vice President Jack Pohlman capitalized on his marketing skills, using them to boost his company through tough times. Pohlman, age 47, has turned the "uniqueness" of the V-Process into an asset, and, with an emphasis on service, he's helped his company to find its niche.

The V-Process

A number of foundries tried their hand at the V-Process in the 1970s, but today there are probably less than 10 in the country still using it. In 1978, the Pohlman Foundry Co., which Jack's family owned and operated before TPi was formed, began using the V-Process for molding both steel and aluminum. "Many times I wondered if this was the right thing to do or if we were crazy," he said. Today, TPi is one of only three aluminum foundries in the country successfully using the process, in large part due to the company's persistence in working with the process through some "slower" times.

In the V-Process, a heater softens a thin plastic film that drapes over a pattern on a hollow carrier plate. A vacuum then draws the film tightly around the pattern, a flask is placed on the pattern and the flask is filled with dry, unbonded sand. After a vibration compacts the sand and the mold surface is leveled, the back of the mold is covered with an unheated plastic film, and a vacuum is applied to the flask. Atmospheric pressure hardens the mold, the pattern is removed and metal is poured into the plastic-lined cavity. After cooling, the pattern is released, and free-flowing sand drops away, leaving a clean, very smooth casting.

Pohlman's company experimented with the V-Process in its steel foundry at first, but that operation lasted only a few years, and the plant shut down in 1981. "It was a dismal failure in steel, mostly because it was a new technology with absolutely no technical support to be had from anyone," he said. "Sure, there were ideas from the people in Japan that licensed the process, but for a jobbing foundry it was a struggle."

Pohlman said that perhaps the biggest problem was finding a niche, and refining the process for steel was not the answer. "Nobody really needed good-looking steel castings for the front end of a payloader," he said.

However, Pohlman didn't give up on the process, shifting efforts instead to the firm's aluminum plant, Alum Casting Co. "We thought the market was there for good-looking, smooth, close-tolerance aluminum castings," he said. "As it turned out we were right, except it has taken a lot longer than anticipated."

As Alum Casting continued to refine the process, business took a downturn due to a sluggish economy. "The early 1980s left us without a lot of work," he said, stressing that declining orders made him take a good look at how the foundry was marketing itself. "It left me with an empty feeling, and it's something that stuck with me. That's something we don't want to repeat again."

Focus on Marketing

"I was always perplexed why foundries were not aggressive sellers and marketers," Pohlman said. "In my opinion, new customers and new patterns from existing satisfied customers are one of the most critical elements of success."

In the interest of expanding their customer base with the addition of value-added services, two family businesses merged to form TPi. The Taylors wanted to diversify the grinding services and screw machine work provided by their Buffalo Grinding Service, and they saw an opportunity in the CNC machining market. Alum Casting had been subcontracting its machining work, and Pohlman saw machining as just the type of service that could boost orders. The new 55-employee company was formed when Buffalo Grinding acquired Alum Casting in 1985.

"Customers like the services you provide, as long as you are doing them well," Pohlman said. "These types of services make it easier for them. Make the process as comfortable for customers as you can. Some mom-and-pop-type companies don't have value-added services because progress isn't the number one part of their game. I think it's really important."

Even though the company took a big risk in pursuing the V-Process, the gamble paid off and it has been able to surmount its technical and awareness problems, mostly because machining services had defined its niche and Pohlman made sure all his customers knew it.

Pohlman said that he faced TPi's problems with "bullheaded unawareness" and once the fledgling company hired some "able-bodied help" he was able to devote more time to his forte, sales and marketing.

Pohlman has expanded TPi's marketing network to 15 sales representatives throughout the country, and the business exhibits at 10-12 trade shows per year.

Management Ideals

Pohlman said that he focused his efforts on external communications because of the environment - he was trying to help the new firm establish itself in the marketplace with an unfamiliar process. Even though marketing was his number one concern for growing the business at the time, he has since shifted his priorities to include internal communications.

He said that he's been working on being more worker-oriented, something he considers very important, but added that he has a long way to go. For example, he said that in the past he hasn't done a good job of communicating with his shop, often leaving supervisors out of the loop when talking with workers on the plant floor. "It's nice to be hands-on, but don't work around your supervision," he said.

Pohlman also recommends that managers never lose sight of a company's biggest resource - its workforce. "Focus on growing, but not to the detriment of your employees," he said.

"I think we need to get a better handle on our training and have better goals and objectives in mind when it comes to training - not training for training's sake alone," he said.

Another way TPi is striving to be worker-oriented is through its incentive programs. When TPi was started, Peter Taylor had an attendance incentive that rewarded employees for being on time. Employees now receive an extra $130 every tour weeks for having perfect attendance. The company also has a point system that penalizes those that take too much time off. As a result, TPi's absenteeism rate has decreased to about 0.75%.

"The other thing I encourage is constructive criticism or constructive dissension," he said. "It's better if we don't have a whole bunch of 'yes men' around the place. If everyone agrees with me all the time then I don't need anyone but myself."

Family Values 

Pohlman defines himself in terms of his family, and it's easy to see why: his family has played a huge part in shaping both his career and his home life. Jack was a fourth generation addition to the family business, and he had been exposed to the foundry his whole life. "Following in my father's footsteps was always something that interested me," he said. "I had a great deal of respect for him, and we got along well."

Pohlman said that he never felt pressured to enter the business. "Throughout college I worked in the foundry during summers and holidays and I guess it was just in my blood," he said. "I often wonder about why I didn't look at other options or if I should have, but it's easy to second guess, and hindsight is always 20/20."

Both of Pohlman's children, Jack, Jr., age 19, and Kim, age 16, have worked with him, so they have an idea of what he does day-to-day. Even though they're welcome to join the company, he'd like them to explore their opportunities. "At this point I think they are both inclined to look at other careers, which is fine with me," he said. "Even if one decided to enter the business, it's very important that they go somewhere else first."

Even though Pohlman, who is currently AFS vice president, describes himself as dedicated to his work, he still feels that it's important to balance work with outside interests and family.

"Working at TPi is something that I really enjoy," he said. "It's great to see success with customers, growth, employees and profits. When I was younger, I don't think I would ever have thought of work this way. I mean it was more of a job than part of my life like it is now. But, it's really important to keep a balance - and my wife is good at pointing that out to me."

JACK POHLMAN Vice President, Taylor-Pohlman, Inc.

Education/Degree: Univ. of Toledo/BA, 1973. Univ. of Buffalo/MBA, 1987.

Immediate Family: Wife-Patty, Son-Jack, Jr., Daughter-Kim.

Work Experience: 1973-1985-Pohlman Foundry Co. 1985-Present-Taylor-Pohlman, Inc.

Professional Assns.: AFS, CMI, FEF, Erie Community College Industry Advisory Board.

Company Information

Year Founded: 1985

Location: Orchard Park, New York.

Metals Cast: Aluminum.

Molding Method: V-Process.

Markets: Medical devices, instrumentation, and communications, electronics and automotive prototyping.

1997 Sales: $15 million.

Employees: 170