Cobra Metal Works Elgin, Chicago, IL 60123

e ties to the automotive industry, Cobra continues to move forward and position itself for success as the recession subsides. When Cobra Metal Works President Anton Hirsch completed his 2008 International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) visit, he was upbeat. Plans were in place for equipment purchases and implementation of more innovative manufacturing practices. Little did he, nor did the other 92,000+ IMTS attendees, know that within weeks the financial services sector would crumble and take the housing market with it, and cast a pall over the entire economy. Historically, manufacturing and the machine tool industry have been the first to see the downturn so Hirsch, and even renowned analysts, didn't see what was coming. And for Cobra, auto wreck took on new meaning. The lion's share of Cobra's business is tied to the automotive industry. The shop is renowned for its engineering and machining expertise on airbag parts. "We think we've been through the worst of it," Hirsch says. "We're going to make it through 2009. We're driven by optimism and poised to come out of this strong. We're looking forward to IMTS 2010 as a rally point for our industry and the place we can go to get inspired to keep the forward momentum going." Hirsch recalls, "We started to see things slow just after IMTS," Hirsch says. "December was a disaster - we saw a 90 percent drop in sales. At the beginning of January our management team agreed this was no time to look back at what we could have or should have done. We made the very painful decision to reshape the company to match parts a week to 10,000 and we had 100,000 in inventory. That meant cutting until it hurt, and then even more to survive, and it was painful. We laid people off who had been with us a long time and those of us who remained took substantial pay cuts." Then in April, Cobra shut down the shop to work through the inventory. That appeared to be the bottom for the business. In 2008 Cobra shipped 62 million parts. For 2009 that number will be cut in half. Hirsch and his team are focused on forward steps to new growth. They have diversified into golf equipment and medical devices, and have successfully negotiated a three-year automotive contract. "It's a harder battle to diversify now because the shops that are still in business all have the same idea, Hirsch continues. "But we bring strong problem-solving skills to the table. That's what made us successful in the beginning and will serve us well for the future." Improving productivity and looking for better ways to accomplish tasks prevail at Cobra. IMTS is the place that sparks ideas for Hirsch and his team. He estimates that since the company's founding he has purchased $30 million in machinery and support products and software, many as a result of his experiences at the show. The Communications Center at Cobra keeps productivity at its peak. Operators, engineers, and managers can easily see where a job stands, status of machines, and what jobs on the floor are hot. Building on an idea that inspired Hirsch at IMTS 2006, following the 2008 show he purchased four additional Staubli robots (www.staubli.com) to load impact parts into six spindle screw machines. Ingenuity and a modest investment have resulted in Cobra realizing the same output normally achieved only by a $1 million-plus system. "Our engineers thought I was crazy," noted Hirsch. "I knew we could get these machines running 24/7 if we could keep them cool. So, in addition to making our own loading and unloading mechanisms, we developed a cooling system very economically. Our people are always up to the challenge and almost always find a great solution." "We've gone back to thinking like we did when we were a small shop," he said. Then we grew and had a bigger company mentality. Now, we're back to everyone looking out for each other, and that's a good place to be. Keeping the latest technology on the shop floor, coupled with teamwork, is Hirsch's formula for success. "No company can be successful unless there is complete teamwork," said Hirsch. www.cobrametalworks.com
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