During the weekend after the 4th of July holiday, rumors were buzzing in Milwaukee about a possible trade that would bring Cleveland’s ace pitcher, CC Sabathia, to the Brewers.   While those rumors were buzzing, activity was going on in Bangor, Pennsylvania.

The trade deal was finalized late Monday afternoon, and CC was scheduled to pitch on Tuesday night before a sell out crowd at Miller Park.  When that crowd arrived, the souvenir stands were filled with Brewers #52 Sabathia baseball jerseys.  Magic?  No, it was Majestic.

Majestic Athletic Wear is a 3rd generation, family owned business, that earned an exclusive contract in 2005 to supply jerseys for all Major League baseball teams, as well as the replica jerseys that sell at souvenir stands and sporting goods retailers.  Against the big guns like Addidas, Champion, Russell, and Nike, Majestic earned this contract with its intimate knowledge of baseball and its use of Lean Manufacturing concepts to quickly respond to the frequent changes that occur in baseball.  The business has grown tenfold over the past 10 years.

Majestic manufactures all of its products at its single plant in Bangor, Pennsylvania., while the competition has shifted its production overseas.  Could any of those big name competitors have been able to deliver those #52s by Tuesday when they had to come from Asia?  While the rumors were buzzing, Majestic was developing new dies, patterns, designs, and tooling, and was in a position to quickly respond when the deal was finalized.

With their leaner operations, Majestic was able to leverage their competitive advantage as a domestic supplier. Now with increased transportation and energy costs, this makes that advantage even greater. Wisconsin manufacturers can also leverage this same advantage by successfully applying Lean strategies.

So next time you watch the Brewers, look for that Majestic logo on the jerseys, and think about how this David was able to beat the Goliaths with service, response, and Lean Manufacturing.

If you are interested in Lean or would like to know more about it, contact WMEP today at 877-800-2085.