BRAUNABILITY

unchanged , with all suppliers located within 200 miles of the company ’ s manufacturing area . Morgel says , “ A lot of that was because this company was founded on quality . If we could not make it or manufacture it here locally , we wanted to buy it from someone locally so we could always control the quality of the product .”

Since joining BraunAbility , Morgel has remained loyal to the suppliers he inherited , with around 80 core suppliers . However , he ’ s recruited more , including within the RV market , to provide new innovative products and solutions for new technologies . Morgel explains , “ I adapted the supply base to fit better with our low-volume , high-mix environment . We partnered up with the right folks who can continue to add value as far as technology and innovation . We also look to partners who keep us cost competitive while ensuring quality stays high .”

Continuing with core suppliers has enabled the company to throw things out to bid and drive lower costs . But BraunAbility understands that keeping track of quality , deliveries and other metrics is paramount . “ We have a

110 January 2017