Golf cart maker turned coater adds customers through quick color change

摘要

Augusta Coating and Manufacturing finds itself in the geographic heart of America's golf industry. Its 6-year-old Thomson, Ga., plant rests a chip shot away from the fairways of nearby Augusta. Nearly 85 percent of all the golf carts produced in the world come from Georgia, and more than 75 percent come from within a 30-mile radius of the Thomson plant. The company's manufacturing course led it to the green of powder coating. Making golf cart accessories such as rooftops and windshields for a major cart supplier initially drove Augusta Coating into contract coating. To pursue the path of excellence, the company wanted to invest in a first-class manufacturing and coating operation. To this end, the company installed a finishing line that applies electrocoat (e-coat) and powder coating. Then and now, the line's production capabilities exceed Augusta's production demands. "Three years ago, we were an upstart company," said Wayne Wallace, company president. "Now, we're at 50 percent capacity, which means we still have capacity to find the right customers who match our capabilities."