Success Stories - Long Haul Folding Kayaks


ABOUT CAMT CLIENT SERVICES UPCOMING EVENTS SUCCESS STORIES CONTACT US NEWSLETTERS	Long Haul Folding Kayaks- Cedaredge, CO Mark Eckhart has achieved the dream of merging personal interests of adventure traveling with his work to form Long Haul Folding Kayaks. As a fireman in the 1980’s and ’90’s, Mark hand made kayaking accessories and repaired folding kayaks on the side. By 1998 he made a full-time business of it, and added conducting kayaking trainings for the U.S. Army. Within a couple years of going full-time, Long Haul Folding Kayaks had three employees and a 5,000 square foot facility. Business was split between manufacturing accessories for recreational kayakers and repairing commercial grade German-made folding kayaks for the U.S. Army. In 2001, Long Haul Folding Kayaks began manufacturing its own kayaks to rival the German kayaks, and began manufacturing approximately 50 hand-made kayaks a year. In 2004, Long Haul Folding Kayaks secured a contract with the U.S. Army to manufacture 150 folding kayaks. Mark knew that to fulfill the contract, and manufacture over three times more product than average, he needed help. Long Haul Folding Kayaks was referred to Monty Rutherford of CAMT by the Grand Junction Small Business Development Center. CAMT provided training in the principles of lean manufacturing, analyzed and implemented changes to the facility lay-out, and assisted in the identification of proper manufacturing equipment to cut manufacturing lead times. The facility lay-out was rearranged to better complement the flow of work, and three large pieces of manufacturing equipment were added to the shop floor: a conveyor system, a punching press, and a sanding jig. Previously, every task was completed manually: material was cut with scissors, sanded by hand and carried from station to station. Long Haul Folding Kayaks was able to increase its production by over 300% and now has the capacity to fulfill large contracts. Since the initial U.S. Army contract, Long Haul has procured contracts from both the U.S. Navy and Marines, and is now in negotiations with foreign militaries. These changes also afforded the company the time to develop a new product line: sewn medical bags for the medical and emergency response industries. “CAMT can help people like me—a small business owner in rural America with entrepreneurial drive, but without all the business and manufacturing background—tackle obstacles to success.”-- Mark Eckhart, Owner Results: - Retained $680,000 in sales - Saved $8,000 in labor costs - Increased productivity by over 300%

Long Haul Folding Kayaks- Cedaredge, CO

Mark Eckhart has achieved the dream of merging personal interests of adventure traveling with his work to form Long Haul Folding Kayaks. As a fireman in the 1980’s and ’90’s, Mark hand made kayaking accessories and repaired folding kayaks on the side. By 1998 he made a full-time business of it, and added conducting kayaking trainings for the U.S. Army.

Within a couple years of going full-time, Long Haul Folding Kayaks had three employees and a 5,000 square foot facility. Business was split between manufacturing accessories for recreational kayakers and repairing commercial grade German-made folding kayaks for the U.S. Army. In 2001, Long Haul Folding Kayaks began manufacturing its own kayaks to rival the German kayaks, and began manufacturing approximately 50 hand-made kayaks a year. In 2004, Long Haul Folding Kayaks secured a contract with the U.S. Army to manufacture 150 folding kayaks. Mark knew that to fulfill the contract, and manufacture over three times more product than average, he needed help. Long Haul Folding Kayaks was referred to Monty Rutherford of CAMT by the Grand Junction Small Business Development Center.

CAMT provided training in the principles of lean manufacturing, analyzed and implemented changes to the facility lay-out, and assisted in the identification of proper manufacturing equipment to cut manufacturing lead times. The facility lay-out was rearranged to better complement the flow of work, and three large pieces of manufacturing equipment were added to the shop floor: a conveyor system, a punching press, and a sanding jig. Previously, every task was completed manually: material was cut with scissors, sanded by hand and carried from station to station.

Long Haul Folding Kayaks was able to increase its production by over 300% and now has the capacity to fulfill large contracts. Since the initial U.S. Army contract, Long Haul has procured contracts from both the U.S. Navy and Marines, and is now in negotiations with foreign militaries. These changes also afforded the company the time to develop a new product line: sewn medical bags for the medical and emergency response industries.
“CAMT can help people like me—a small business owner in rural America with entrepreneurial drive, but without all the business and manufacturing background—tackle obstacles to success.”-- Mark Eckhart, Owner

Results:
- Retained $680,000 in sales
- Saved $8,000 in labor costs
- Increased productivity by over 300%