Starrco President Bryan Carey Interview on "Business in Focus"
-
Upload
greg-lerdahl-starrco-company -
Category
Engineering
-
view
36 -
download
2
Transcript of Starrco President Bryan Carey Interview on "Business in Focus"
2
Starrco is a leading manufacturer of high-quality, efficient, easy to install and cost-
effective modular systems that create enclosures, rooms and offices. Starrco modular systems provide
solutions that streamline construction projects and simplify the end users’ day-to-day operations.
Written by Jessica Ferlaino
A commitment to customer service and quality products has been at the core of Starrco’s
success since its founding in 1965. “It was maybe twenty-five to twenty-eight years ago
that we got into interior systems, and that really kind of launched the growth of the
company,” said Starrco President Bryan Carey. The company originally served the parking industry
before it expanded to include interior systems and accessories.
The company designs and manufactures its products to address the needs of the eventual
users of the space. Starrco’s pre-assembled buildings and modular systems include administra-
tive offices, shipping and receiving offices, laboratories, cafeterias and break rooms, conference
rooms, sound, paint and dust enclosures, coordinate measuring machine rooms (CMM), modular
machine enclosures, plant foreman offices, computer and engineering labs, two-story offices
and cleanrooms.
Some of the features include tall walls and wide spans to house large equipment, load-bearing
capabilities, glass doors, sound, temperature and dust management, two-story options and
various configurations .
“Starting about twelve to fifteen years ago, we focused on our distribution networks related to our
different products,” he continued. “Then we got into the cleanroom business. We started the clean-
3
room division six years ago, and we took another leap. That
product has really been a big focus of ours over the last couple
of years, and it has really paid off.”
Starrco’s modular systems come in a variety of materials, finishes
and configurations. The options help comply with unique stan-
dards and requirements. The products also meet all ASTM and
ANSI standards.
Starrco has undergone a recent rebranding to communi-
cate with its market. “We completed a rebranding effort.
We started internally by taking a look at the company right
now, asking who are we? What do we do? Who do we serve?
What’s important to us? And then we took that externally,”
Carey noted.
To better understand the needs of its end users, Starrco drafted
and distributed a survey to its distribution network and their
clients who use the interior systems.
“It’s easy for us to identify what we think we’re doing and the
problems that we think we are solving, but the truth of the
matter is, it’s our customers – our distributors – that really hold
the key to that. So, the first thing we did was a customer survey,”
Carey explained.
“It was five open-ended questions. It wasn’t yes or no answers;
they actually required a little bit of writing – not much but a little
bit of writing – and we sent that out to our customers and our
dealer base – the people that know us – the people who do
repeat business with us. We asked them to fill this out, and it was
totally anonymous, and we had an overwhelming response.”
Carey is very pleased with the response rate but even more
flattered by the nature of them. The company was credited
with superior manufacturing and quality standards, integ-
rity, loyalty and service of the highest level. One respondent
went as far as to say that Starrco is the best manufacturer they
have ever dealt with, not just in terms of modular systems,
4
“The company designs and manufactures its products to
address the needs of the eventual users of the space.”
but manufacturing in general. The information provided the
foundation for its changes in branding and marketing.
Starrco depends on its over forty employees and satellite
offices across the US as well as its wide distribution network
to deliver its modular systems to customers around the world.
“We sell through distributor networks, but if you look at our
end users: it’s Intel; it’s Coca-Cola; it’s Sikorski. It’s really pretty
amazing the end users that we service. There’s a big effort in
the workplace for speed and flexibility and the fact that we
offer that in spades compared to permanent construction. In
fact, there are tax advantages – the fact that the product is
sustainable,” Carey said.
There are many benefits to Starrco’s modular solutions. The
use of recycled materials makes systems sustainable while
being of the highest quality. As well as the tax advantages,
easy install means less stress, less downtime, faster comple-
tion and flexibility for future reconfigurations.
“Construction projects are tough. Construction projects are
time-consuming from the speed to all the things that can go
wrong, so we’ve really created some modular solutions that
streamline construction. That’s what we do,” said Carey.
“We streamline construction, and we offer a way for the end
users to occupy their facilities faster. With speed and flexibility
they have the ability to change things when the situation calls
for change,” Carey added. “The reason that we’re in business is
exactly aligned with the problems that we are solving for our
customers in the workplace.”
Using Starrco systems avoids the messes associated with con-
struction and minimizes the downtime created by construc-
tion projects. Carefully labeled, precisely manufactured parts
are accompanied by CAD drawings for easy assembly and
installation. No finishing or painting is required.
“We’ve worked really hard on process and systems, and
we’ve come a long way for a small company. We are utiliz-
ing technology for processes and for systems, and we’ve
streamlined, and we’ve really improved at every turn, but
when it comes down to the employees, it comes down
to the people who are here – who make it happen. That’s
the bottom line. It’s Starrco folks executing at an amazingly
high level.”
More than just a manufacturer of choice, Starrco’s work culture
also makes it an employer of choice. “From the plant floor to
5
Revolutionizing Interior Construction
PROUD PARTNER OF
Supplier of products tailored to themetal building industry since 1989
• Commercial Steel Doors• Builders Hardware• Aluminum Windows
• Roof Vents and Curbs• Wall Louvers and Fans• Canopies and Cupolas
P: (800) 284-9016 • F: (318) 397-1089 • [email protected]
www.ecommodityproducts.com
the front end, it’s amazing the longevity of the folks that have
been here that make it all happen,” said Carey.
“We can’t compete with the bigger companies in terms of
what we are able to pay our employees, but being small does
make it easier to compete with how well you treat people,
and we try to treat people very well,” Carey explained. “We’re
demanding. We expect people to show up while they are
here and crank it out with a smile on their face. But we treat
people the way they deserve to be treated, and that has been
key to our success.”
This success has been acknowledged industry-wide. Starrco was
named the most valuable supplier last year by Material Handling
Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA), one of the many
awards and recognitions it has received from its distribu-
tors. Though it is a small company, it is represented on several
industry boards, giving it a further impact on the industry.
For Starrco, it hasn’t been growth at any cost. “We have rela-
tionships with distributors that really got us to where we are
now. They can work in harmony and not take business away
from each other. That’s a beautiful thing for us,” said Carey
referring to the company’s plans for the future.
“We want to be able to handle all the demands that are on
us at this point, and then we’ll continue to look for the right
people to help us promote our products,” he said.
Carey sees potential in the cannabis industry as well as other
sectors. As word of Starrco’s capabilities continues to spread,
so too does its international reach. “We did a job not long ago
for a US Embassy in Africa. We did a complex for the Oracle
America’s Cup Racing Team in Bermuda,” Carey recalled.
For decades, Starrco has proven the value of its modular
systems. Customers continue to rely on the company for
flexible, efficient solutions that are time and cost effective.
PRO
JECT
SU
PPO
RTER
11700 Fairgrove Industrial Blvd
Maryland Heights, MO 63043
P: (800) 325-4259
www.starrco.com
As featured in February 2017
www.ecommodityproducts.com
Revolutionizing Interior Construction
PROUD PARTNER OF
Supplier of products tailored to themetal building industry since 1989
• Commercial Steel Doors• Builders Hardware• Aluminum Windows
• Roof Vents and Curbs• Wall Louvers and Fans• Canopies and Cupolas
P: (800) 284-9016 • F: (318) 397-1089 • [email protected]
www.ecommodityproducts.com