Steely Products has a reputation for being a flexible company. We can change designs to suit the end user better, alter the delivery date or location, change the colour of equipment or the quantity ordered, all without fuss. What makes flexibility so important in our business?
Adapting to change
All industries go through change and evolution. The material handling and storage equipment business has perhaps undergone fewer changes than many other industries.
When Steely Products was founded in 1970, we pioneered the use of powder-coated tubular steel to make trolleys, instead of the wood and plastic that our competitors were using. Our trolleys became to be known as “steelies”, which gave our company its name. Our equipment is still made from tubular steel, which is coated with powder, bent, cut and welded using similar methods to those used in the 1970s.
The most significant changes are those to the design of our equipment. In partnership with the industries that use our equipment, we have adapted and modified our designs. For example, when we first began manufacturing our equipment, computers were very large boxes. We can now add brackets on equipment to hold a flatscreen monitor or tablet that runs warehouse management software.
Unforeseen circumstances
Flexibility is about adapting to unforeseen circumstances. The biggest unforeseen factor that has affected business in the 2020/2021 period is the COVID-19 pandemic. Steely Products and our customers have had to adapt working conditions to accommodate social distancing. Aisles have been widened to allow more distance between workers. Narrower trolleys have allowed pickers to stay further apart from each other.
A positive effect of the virus has been an increase in online sales. This has meant businesses have needed to add extra storage capacity or move to a larger warehouse. We supply the equipment needed to handle the extra inventory requirements of online operations.
The pandemic has made long-term planning difficult. Equipment orders have been modified depending on how the business has fluctuated. At Steely Products, we understand this, and we will change order details without complaining.
Don’t get stuck
Business cannot afford to be stuck – they need to constantly innovate and grow. We could simply carry on making our wide range of material handling and storage equipment, but we choose to invent new equipment to meet the changing needs of our customers.
Bespoke equipment
Perhaps the flexibility that our end users value the most is the bespoke solutions we come up with. We don’t require expensive retooling to modify equipment. Specify a custom size, and our skilled metalworkers will easily cut and shape the tubular steel to that size.
If you need extra shelves or equipment holders, we’ll add them without significantly raising the cost.
If you find that no products in our range of equipment fit your exact needs, don’t worry, we’ll work with you to come up with an original bespoke design.
Talk to Steely
If you appreciate a business that is flexible and reliable, talk to us about your equipment needs by giving us a call or using the contact form below.
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