Lateral

As experts in strategic planning facilitation, we have significant experience in the manufacturing sector.

Our company President Marc Emmer facilitates a peer group of precision parts manufacturers in the Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley. We have also had numerous other strategic planning clients in the food manufacturing, aerospace and defense, and medical device sectors.

Our clients supply the world’s largest OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), from Boeing to GE, Boston Scientific, Toyota and BMW. Succeeding in today’s world of professional procurement requires a unique mindset, in which the supplier must provide quality and timeliness (the cost of admission), and have a maniacal focus on continuous improvement, cost reduction and the development of cutting edge products.

These companies must not only out-operate the competition, they must outsmart them through superior business strategy. It is through lessons learned from such leading manufacturers that we have been able to help our clients achieve market leadership.

We have also been successful in helping manufacturers achieve scale (often through acquisition), which is critical in a business with razor thin margins. Most of our manufacturing clients are global, either sourcing materials or selling their finished goods abroad. Business strategy has been critical as they mitigate significant risks (from execution risk to currency risk), while identifying opportunities for growth.

As expert strategic planning facilitators and consultants, we have assisted clients who have achieved extraordinary outcomes. In addition to facilitating strategic planning, we have supported clients by:

• Helping a multi-national wheel supplier make key decisions on their manufacturing footprint, while remaining competitive in Europe and Asia.
• Conducting an analysis on an industry leader’s addressable market, supporting key decisions on investing in core and adjacent markets.
• Conducting an analysis for a California-based company seeking to expand into new markets. The client ultimately concluded that they had adequate runway and did not need to make an investment in additional infrastructure (and boots on the ground), realizing a cost savings of over $1 million.
• Creating a long-term growth plan for an industry-leading ecommerce platform, including expansion throughout the U.S.
• Deploying a full assessment of an aerospace and defense supplier’s internal capabilities, providing recommendations on its management system, sales and marketing process and manufacturing operations.

Marc has also been active as a member of the Vistage Manufacturing affinity group based in Los Angeles.

To learn more about how we can help you, contact us.