HVAC Coil Maker Lifts Focus-Line Productivity 37% in 90 Days

Coil Specialist, Inc., a family-owned manufacturer of high-quality fin and tube heat transfer coils for the HVAC industry, increased productivity 37% on its HVAC refrigeration focus line within 90 days of deploying Redzone's Connected Workforce Solution and coaching program. 

The 25+ year old growth-minded company, located in Gilmer, Texas, operates two production lines for its heat transfer products. To meet customer demand, Coil Specialist sought to grow its frontline workforce from 67 to about 100. That meant giving operators better visibility into the floor, bringing them into process improvement, and competing for workers in a tight hiring market. 

The Challenge: Manual Tracking in a Tight Labor Market

Before Redzone, Coil Specialist's frontline operators tracked all production data manually. It ate up time and still left them without real-time visibility into what was happening on the shop floor. Company leaders wanted a more nimble operation, where everyone on the floor could see performance and progress against hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly goals.

Competition for frontline workers in Gilmer is tight, too. Coil Specialist competes with distribution warehouses and service industries. Digitizing key operational processes would make for a better job, one that could attract people, keep them, and grow more leaders locally.

Why Coil Specialist Chose Redzone

James Averett, VP, Operations and Sales, and Brian Pasquier, Operations Manager, began searching for a digital solution that would help the company boost OEE and throughput. A trusted customer recommended Redzone Connected Workforce Solution, so they took a closer look. 

“I liked the way Redzone allows you to look inside your business,” Pasquier says. "The thing that really excited us about Redzone was the level of transparency it helped create and the levers it gave us to improve performance.”

He and Averett also valued Redzone's culture of continuous improvement, where frontline workers suggest and drive operational changes. “We are on a Lean manufacturing journey, which emphasizes having self-directed work teams, and Redzone fits perfectly with that,” Pasquier says. 

Averett concurs: “As we visited with the Redzone team, we quickly saw that the software could help us move in the direction we wanted to go in and solve a lot of issues on the horizon. Investing in technology now could eliminate the stress of keeping up with our numbers, so we can continue to grow and develop leaders.”

The Rollout: How Coaching Drove Adoption in 90 Days

Coil Specialist started by rolling out the Connected Workforce Solution on its HVAC refrigeration focus line, with the first 90 days focused entirely on that line.

Operators now see production status, product quality, and material waste as they happen, on overhead TVs, tablets, and smartphones. Instead of waiting on a report the next morning, they can spot a problem on the line and talk through a fix while the shift is still running.

“I’ve been involved with other initiatives, such as ERP or MRP rollouts, where you work with a consultant who is spread so thin that they can’t really help you maximize new software capabilities. Redzone does a really good job of having different experts engage with you to launch and sustain their platform.” Brian Pasquier | Operations Manager, Coil Specialist

“One of the things that is unique about Redzone is that you work with different experts on specific modules, like productivity and compliance,” says Pasquier.

Redzone coaches worked with the teams one-on-one and in groups, practicing key scenarios and working through obstacles together. They also pushed Coil Specialist team members to speak up in daily huddles. Many were hesitant at first, then realized the huddle was their shot at getting ideas heard.

“We told our frontline teams that Redzone would enable them to work smarter, not harder,” says Pasquier. “We wanted them to know that we were 100% serious about creating a culture where they could share their daily struggles with production. Then, we’d work together to put action items in place, and they’d benefit from new processes.” 

The encouragement worked: During the deployment, Coil Specialist created and closed more than 150 action items.

The Results: 37% Uplift, Stronger Employee Engagement

Productivity and Throughput

In the first 90 days with Redzone, Coil Specialist saw:

• 37% productivity uplift: Output on the HVAC refrigeration focus line rose 37% within 90 days, and daily throughput climbed 68%. 

What Changed for the Team

• More voices in the huddle: With live numbers in front of them, operators had something concrete to point at. “Team members that didn’t speak up before are now speaking, participating, and championing activities,” says Pasquier. “Seeing our team members come out of their shell is encouraging, because I don’t have the answers for everything that they experience day to day.

"Since we’ve gotten Redzone, it’s a lot easier to communicate and get things done. We’re getting a lot more problems solved now than ever before, which is great." Jeffrey Davis | Expander, Coil Specialist

• Friendly competition: Expanders Jesse Meis and Jeffrey Davis took ownership of their manufacturing cell and coined the catchphrase “Loyal to the Coil.” Meis says he values seeing the duo’s performance on the overhead TVs and getting high-fives for good work.
• Faster troubleshooting: Teams can tell hour by hour whether a process is on track. “We’re able to take pictures and share information with each other to quickly troubleshoot issues,” says Meis.

• Less pressure on leadership: Pasquier says coaching his team got easier. “I’m not the one trying to create images of the issues. Our teams can see them, and they’re already involved in creating solutions.”
• Recognition that lands: Leaders can send a digital high-five to anyone who shares a good idea. “It’s really about catching somebody doing something right and then shouting it to the masses because that makes them feel good,” Pasquier explains. “That makes our frontline workers realize that they do add value and are valuable members of our production team.”
• A culture that pays: Coil Specialist teams earn bonuses when they hit production targets, and they track progress toward payouts directly in Redzone. “This creates a culture that attracts new talent and encourages existing teams to continue improving processes,” says Averett.

Next Steps: Compliance and Growth

“We’re looking at how we can take this solution and use it to its full potential, so the newest hire and most seasoned employee are helping to move our business forward,” Pasquier says.

"We’ve created a sustainable business to the point that we’re investing in our local economy and labor pool to train workers so that they can learn about our industry and how to operate our technology. By doing so, we can develop leaders for generations to come.” James Averett | VP, Operations and Sales, Coil Specialist

Coil Specialist plans to tackle compliance next, moving to paper-free processes and giving frontline workers real-time quality data they can act on.

Beyond that, the company’s leaders plan to use Redzone to grow the business. “Increasing our throughput in the HVAC refrigeration part of our business allows us to say 'yes' to more customer business. Our business model is very deliberate. We only want to commit to new business if we can build the products and keep lead times low. Redzone will enable us to accomplish that goal,” concludes Pasquier.

Conclusion

Coil Specialist is one of 2,000+ factories that rely on Redzone. Book a demo for a no-obligation look at the platform.