Building a More Efficient Future at TAG Manufacturing 

Building a More Efficient Future at TAG Manufacturing

When production lead times at Chattanooga-based TAG Manufacturing grew from about four weeks to an average of 15, the heavy-equipment attachment manufacturer knew it needed a new approach.

Since 2005, TAG Manufacturing has produced buckets, couplers, and attachments for heavy equipment used in demanding applications. Today, the company employs more than 70 people and operates approximately 400,000 square feet of manufacturing space across two Chattanooga facilities.

Like many manufacturers, TAG faced significant challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supply chain disruptions and workforce shortages contributed to a six-month production backlog, while lead times stretched as long as 20 weeks. With hundreds of active orders moving through production at any given time, high levels of work-in-process inventory added complexity and made efficient material flow increasingly difficult.

TAG turned to the UT Center for Industrial Services (UT CIS) and its Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Partnership (TMEP) to help identify opportunities to improve its operations.

The engagement began with Lean fundamentals training led by a UT CIS manufacturing consultant. TAG employees learned how to identify waste and examine how products and materials move through the manufacturing process. The team then used Value Stream Mapping to document the company's current processes and develop a vision for a more efficient future state.

The work went beyond the production process itself. UT CIS also worked with TAG on plant layout and material flow, examining the company's facilities and identifying opportunities to improve how materials move throughout the operation.

Together, these efforts gave TAG a roadmap for reducing lead times and inventory, improving production and material flow, and eliminating activities that did not add value to customers.

The impact was significant. TAG reported $5 million in retained sales and $1 million in cost savings as a result of the engagement. The company also reported investments of $1 million in information systems, $300,000 in plant equipment and $200,000 in workforce practices—investments that support its continued growth and operational improvement.

For TAG, the work represents more than a single improvement project. It is part of an ongoing commitment to manufacturing excellence and continuous improvement—and a partnership the company expects to continue.

“UT CIS is a wonderful organization with great expertise and customer-oriented focus,” said Brady Umberger, chief operating officer at TAG Manufacturing. “We will continue this partnership over the long run as opportunities arise.”

Through TMEP, UT CIS works alongside manufacturers across Tennessee to help them solve problems, strengthen operations, and compete for the future.