By Jane Albright

Cable Assembly, LLC, in Graham can barely keep up with explosive growth and so many new orders that the 40,000 square foot facility can barely contain them. While the US economy founders and many manufacturing orders drop, Cable Assembly had to add a second shift. Their success lies with three strategic directions:

First, they excel in a niche market making complex cables for companies requiring hundreds, not thousands, in a high mix (they make up to 12,000 different parts), low volume assembly.
Second, the customer relationship is so important that clients often call the plant manager in charge of their project directly on his cell phone, without going through a call center or a sales office.
And third, they've embraced a lean culture from management to floor, thanks to a jump start with IES lean specialists. . .

"What can I say? We're doing great in a lousy economy," said Jon H. Clements, general manager.