Hickory Hardware (Portland, Tenn.), a designer, manufacturer and marketer of decorative and industrial hardware, will centralize operations into a new facility in Nashville. The move is part of an overall investment to improve operational efficiencies and combat continued increases in commodities used to manufacture Hickory Hardware’s products.
In addition to housing its corporate offices, the new premises will include a 300,000-sq.-ft. distribution center, featuring a best-in-class material handling system designed and built by sister company FKI Logistex (St. Louis) John Westendorf, president of Hickory Hardware, said the move and resulting efficiencies will enable the company to reduce costs and avoid having to pass along a major portion of its commodity cost increases to its customer base.
"Zinc prices have almost tripled in the past year; brass and copper prices have nearly doubled; aluminum has soared by over 60 percent," said Westendorf. "During this same period, energy costs have also increased with oil feedstock and natural gas at or near all-time highs. With raw material costs expected to remain high and even increase in the future, we are looking at our entire operation for ways to cut costs and increase efficiencies."
Source: Hickory Hardware.
