MANUFACTURING said Thomas . “ They don ’ t take breaks . You don ’ t have to feed them . They just go .”
Although Thomas acknowledged the decision has a tremendous financial benefit for the G . I . Sportz , it doesn ’ t overshadow the importance of the company ’ s human employees .
The majority of employees at G . I . Sportz have been with the company for several years , and Thomas said protecting them from a health and safety aspect is among the company ’ s top priorities .
“ We treat our people very well and the people are important to our business , especially on the skilled labor side ,” said Thomas . “ Adding robots was a no-brainer , not only because of the economic benefit ,
but really because of the reduction of work injuries .
Thomas pointed out that even with the best safety procedures , the manual labor aspect of the job took its toll on employees . “ Our cases of paint weigh 15 pounds apiece and we ’ re stacking those six feet high ,” he said . “ Over time , you ’ re going to have a sore back . It ’ s really just identifying these types of processes and saying , ‘ Hey , can we automate that ?’”
Ahead of the game G . I . Sportz is in the process of introducing new products to the shelves . Thomas said the company has 12 about major product launches planned for as early as October 2015
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