KWS Manufacturing has becomea leader in the design and manufac-ture of conveying equipment for thebulk material-handling industrybecause of a commitment to provid-ing high-quality equipment and serv-ice. Founded in 1972, the company isISO 9001-2008 certified and strivesfor high levels of customer satisfac-tion and continuous improvement.

Based in Burleson, Texas, KWS hasa 125,000-square-foot self-sustainedmanufacturing facility that includes amachine shop and steel fabrication.From there, the company manufac-

tures products that are marketedglobally to many industries and adiverse customer base.

“We are in the middle of some con-tinuous improvement projects thatwill expand our capacity and squarefootage, as well as allowing us to bet-ter utilize existing space while addingadditional capabilities,” PresidentBill Mecke says.

Diverse Opportunities

The company’s customers includeend-users, power transmission dis-tributors, engineering firms, system

suppliers and original equipmentmanufacturers. The industries servedby KWS include agriculture, chemi-cals, food products, lumber and woodproducts, mining, oil and gas, power,pulp and paper, wastewater, stone,glass and concrete.

“We’ve also seen a lot of growthrelated to the alternative fuels indus-try and have several big projects goingon in that sector right now,” Meckesays. “We are also doing more oilfield-related work, as well as doing a betterjob of penetrating our markets andseizing marketshare.”

Its product line includes made-to-order components, engineeredequipment, Conveyor EquipmentManufacturing Association (CEMA)standard components and OEMreplacement parts. Made-to-orderproducts include everything from

KWS Manufacturing

www.kwsmfg.com / Headquarters: Burleson, Texas / Employees: 145 / Specialty:Conveying equipment / Bill Mecke, president: “We are committed to customer satisfaction.”

kws manufacturing’s 125,000-square

foot, self-sustained facility includes

a machine shop and steel fabrication.

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Made to Orderengineering expertise and exceptional customer service

have helped kws come out on top. by eric slack

South

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modified CEMA standard compo-nents to custom-manufacturedscrew conveyor assemblies with spe-cial abrasion-resistant hardsurfac-ing. Engineered bulk material-han-dling equipment includes screw con-veyors, shaftless screw conveyors,belt conveyors, bucket elevators, ver-tical screw conveyors, screw feeders,live bottoms, drag conveyors, heattransfer screw processors and pres-sure vessels.

In addition, KWS maintains a largeinventory of CEMA standard compo-nents. It can also produce OEMreplacement equipment and parts toexact customer specifications. Alltold, the company can manufactureconveyor screws and assemblies fromtwo-inch to 168-inch diameter. It reg-ularly uses carbon steel, 300 seriesstainless steels and abrasion-resist-

ant alloys, as well as high-nickel alloysfor corrosion resistance and alu-minum if weight is a concern.

“We are finding better solutions forour customers, and we have a veryrigid quality program and a progres-sive continuous improvement pro-gram,” Mecke says. “We can respondto customer needs quickly, and ourwork doesn’t end until the customerhas functioning and installed equip-ment. Then we check with them to besure they are satisfied.”

Adding Value

The company’s products are used in avariety of applications and under awide array of conditions. The KWSengineering team is capable of deter-mining the right solution for its cus-tomers’ circumstances.

KWS designs conveyors for many

harsh environments, including corro-sion- or abrasion-resistant, explo-sion-proof and temperature-sensi-tive conditions. In many circum-stances, these applications requirethe system to be sealed from the exte-rior atmosphere and to be fabricatedfrom functionally specific alloys.Because the KWS sales and engineer-ing staff understand how to properlyapply their products in a varied

KWS Manufacturing South

MECO Seals The staff at MECO Seals works with KWS Manufacturingtoward a common goal of providing customers with high-quality, effec-tive machinery that exceeds their need for efficient, safe and reliable pro-duction equipment.

MECO is a maker of full-contact, soft-face mechanical shaft seals,which combines case-specific engineering and design with superior man-ufacturing quality and first-rate customer support.

MECO's custom-engineered shaft seals handle abrasives, vacuum andpositive pressure, thermal expansion and aggressive chemistry on smallto large shaft diameters. MECO seals also tolerate diametric run-out andeliminate the problems of leakage and product contamination commonwith mechanical packing and lip seals.

array of industrial applications, they can design bulk materialhandling equipment that will provide a solution to satisfy cus-tomer needs.

“The type of work we do often requires custom-engineeredsolutions for our customers,” Mecke says. “Our equipment isconveying products that are often powdered or granular. Wehave 10 degreed mechanical engineers and four professionalengineers on our staff. That is more engineers than our com-petitors combined.”

That engineering know-how is part of KWS’s value-addedservices, which can improve plant processes while reducingmaintenance and downtime and increasing profitability.Engineering services include system design, process engineer-ing, process layout drawings, equipment drawings, generalarrangement drawings and engineering analysis. The companyuses state-of-the-art 3-D parametric technology to designequipment and provide layout drawings to customers. KWS canalso provide structural analysis for hoppers, bins, silos, supportsand other equipment.

Other services include process improvement, troubleshoot-

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KWS ManufacturingSouth

creating products for a variety of

applications, kws engineers can

determine the right solution for

clients’ circumstances.

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ing and plant survey services. On theprocess improvement side, KWS personnelcan observe customers’ processes in action,helping to determine current process issuesand find possible solutions. Troubleshootingservices can help customers nail down issuesrelated to equipment failure and providelong-term solutions.

Finally, plant survey services can measureand document all of the components andassemblies for the bulk material-handlingequipment in a customer’s plant. KWS canprovide dimensional component andassembly drawings of equipment, and canmanufacture and inventory spare parts.

Looking for More

KWS continues to look for ways it canenhance its operations. About a year-and-a-half ago, it invested in a new CRM softwaresolution that allows it to better documentevery touch of the customer.

“That allows us to get better feedbackfrom customers and to review it,” Meckesays. “If there are any issues, we can be noti-fied immediately and solve the problem.Those are things that customers remember.”

The company is also investing in the sup-port of its standard product offerings.Although around 90 percent of its productsare custom-designed for customers, theremaining standardized stock product mar-ket is a growing area for KWS.

“We’ve built manufacturing cells for each

KWS ManufacturingSouth

‘the type of work we do often requires custom-

engineered solutions. we have 10 degreed mechani-

cal engineers and four professional engineers.

that is more than our competitors combined.’

approximately 90 percent of its products

are custom-designed for clients, but the

stock product market is growing for kws.

stock product,” Mecke says. “That way, we canbuild the products in a short period of time,doing a lot of build-to-order instead of havingto inventory large product quantities.”

Ensuring the quality of its labor pool isanother ongoing focus for KWS. Mecke saysthere is a shortage of skilled labor, and KWSis working with local community colleges tohelp develop programs that can help to fillthe void. Good pay, benefits, equipment andadvancement opportunities are how Meckesays the company retains people once it getsthem in the door.

Mecke says KWS still only has about 15percent of its market, meaning it has plentyof room to grow. The company will look tobuild its salesforce so it can grow its cus-tomer base while also adding capacity so itssales efforts don’t overwhelm its manufac-turing capabilities.

“We are committed to customer satisfac-tion,” Mecke explains. “We know we are pret-ty good, but we want to be even better.”mt

KWS Manufacturing South

Published by Phoenix Media Corporation Tel: 312.676.1101 Fax: 312.676.1280On behalf of KWS Manufacturing © 2014 Phoenix Media Corporation. All rights reserved.

‘If there are any issues, we can be notified immedi-

ately and solve the problem. Those are things

that customers remember.’