DOING BUSINESS THE PERSONAL WAY
The fiberglass product line continued to grow into the 1990s, now comprising nearly 80% of the company's business. Ralph Gatti and Aden Miller, along with other company leaders, began to recognize the need for a facility that provided advanced technologies better suited to the demands of the industry. They also saw an ever-growing demand for more of what A.R.E. was becoming known for - quality products, innovative designs and on-time service. This meant analyzing the direction and commitment of suppliers of raw materials like resins, paints and window components. Suppliers like Dupont and Ashland Chemical proved to be valuable partners to A.R.E. in pursuing excellence in the finish quality of the A.R.E. truck cap. Component parts were also addressed with suppliers such as Alumax, Creation Windows, and A.L. Hansen. The need for component parts that met the rigorous specification demands of the automotive industry was as significant as the need for quality finishes. A.R.E., along with its supplier-partners, was raising industry standards at a fast and furious pace.
With this kind of activity, A.R.E.'s 108,000 square foot facility was bursting at the seams. With more growth on the horizon Gatti and Miller began considering plans for the development of a satellite facility to serve western markets. They entertained offers and plans to build a possible new facility in Oklahoma, Mississippi, New Mexico and Nevada. While each locale considered presented many advantages the reality of the effort and resources required to recreate the management and labor team present in Ohio, as well as pressing concerns with complying with stricter environmental regulations, led A.R.E.'s leadership to choose Ohio for expansion once again. A new "state of the art" production facility and corporate office complex was to be built in nearby Massillon, Ohio. This facility would meet growth projections and environmental commitments into the next century. The plant would cover 256,000 square feet and would produce fiberglass truck caps in the most environmentally conscious facility in the industry. Every piece of knowledge gained over 25 years would be employed in creating the best facility of its kind.
In Massillon, experienced craftspeople and management could quickly transfer from Mount Eaton in order to handle the higher production volume. Miller, Gatti and their close associates visualized and designed the production flow and space required to have 300 caps produced from raw materials, painted, assembled and loaded every 24 hours. With the input of everyone from line workers to design engineers, they created special equipment, tools and conveyors needed by production personnel to make it happen on time, every time. The first truck cap rolled off the assembly line in August 1995, to the excitement and relief of everyone throughout the company.For the next five years A.R.E. continued its trend of controlled growth, averaging 20% production increases annually. This growth led to various modifications at both plants resulting in increased production capacity for the company.
During these five years A.R.E. products were also modified, in order to meet the market's growing demand for OEM design and function. The extremely popular L-Series Fiberglass Tonneau Cover received painted trim, a new locking system, a more contoured design, and an award winning "lift-assist system". The redesigned LSII-Series has set the new standard for fiberglass tonneau covers. And the highly anticipated Z-Series fiberglass truck cap, which was released in 1999, is quickly becoming A.R.E.'s best selling cap to date, due to its functional and stylish design.
A.R.E. is maintaining the same business practices and goals that have brought it to its current level of leadership in the industry. They have achieved ISO 9001:2000 Certification at all facilities, and now have a third manufacturing plant, located in Fernley, Nevada.From that quiet beginning in 1969 with a vision and one dedicated employee to today with over 800 employees and 550 independent dealers, the importance of true friendship and relationships are still paramount at A.R. E. It's still about people knowing people.
