Creating a Community

View This Article in BOSS Magazine

Trim-Tex Drywall boasts a half-century of innovative construction materials, education, and outreach.

In 2019, Trim-Tex will celebrate 50 years in the construction materials industry—a cause for celebration for the family-owned business that has developed more than a dozen patents and boasts facilities in Lincolnwood, Illinois and Orange County, California. Just don’t expect them to rest on their laurels as they remain committed to innovation, learning, community, and sustainability.

Continued Innovation

Trim-Tex is a solutions-based company that is in constant contact with contractors in the field, a quality that helps push new developments. One such product is Magic Corner which is an expansion bead for any inside corners with movement. Originally developed for houses that could move due to settling, the product has found further use with the advent of tiny homes and prefabricated houses that need to be transported.

Additionally, Trim-Tex has originated the 093X-V, a fire-rated expansion bead that is ready for quick installation without the need for additional backing or flame retardant, and a deflection bead that prevents dry wall from cracking along the ceiling. Seeking answers for their customers’ needs continues to push Trim-Tex to design new products as they move into their next half-century of existence.

Inventory and Supply Chain Success

Keeping 60,000 units on hand for same-day shipping from both facilities is no easy task, but Trim-Tex has found solutions to maximize their speed to market. Utilizing their ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system Sage, along with a visual inventory system, operators at Trim-Tex always know where a product is and how to get it.

Similarly, the company has built solid relationships with its carriers over the years and is able to do all their production, marketing, engineering, tooling, warehousing, and more in-house. This allows for cross-training employees and increased flexibility. As George Sobota, Strategic Supply Chain Manager, explains, “If a piece of equipment is down, a lot of people call off from work, or a vital raw material is delayed, we know what to do to make sure we can provide our product to our customer.”

Practicing Sustainability

Working towards sustainability is of immense importance at Trim-Tex. According to Sobota, their products are made of anywhere from 70 to 80 percent recycled material. Much of this is credited to employees who know what materials to seek out and inspect, eventually making their vinyl from clam shell packaging, window profile, recycled credit cards, and more.

Additionally, Trim-Tex reuses scrap from its production line and sources locally whenever possible in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. A switch to LED lighting and high efficiency motors has helped the company—who will also be looking into solar paneling—be more green.

A Commitment to Learning and Community

The cross-training of employees that helps keep inventory stocked is more than just a way to improve workflow, it also exemplifies the importance the company places on learning. Employees who receive extra training are more engaged and can see potential new doors open for them during their tenure at Trim-Tex.

As the company looks to incorporate technology, this too presents a learning opportunity. Trim-Tex is adamant about not using autonomy to replace humans but rather to enhance the jobs of human operators, allowing them to learn and acquire new skills while eliminating tedious work. Sobota explains, “We’re trying to take out the most difficult parts of their jobs and help them be ‘knowledge leaders’ in what they do. Instead of packaging a box all day, a machine does the packaging and they monitor quality and become more of an inspector.”

This commitment doesn’t stop at the office door. Speaking on the topic, Marketing Manager David Hunt explains that his company often wonders, “How can we extend this learning to our community?” Well, it seems Trim-Tex has found at least one way: working with Shore Community Service.

The long-time partner of Trim-Tex provides services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, helping them achieve independence and find their place in the community. Many of Shore Community Service’s clients find jobs with Trim-Tex, packaging abrasives and tools. The two businesses have been linked since 2002 when Shore Community Service lost funding for their transportation and Trim-Tex stepped in, buying vans so Shore’s clients could get to and from work.

Fostering Creativity

Another way in which Trim-Tex promotes education is through the “Drywall Art” section of its website which displays incredible works of creativity using their projects and even names a Drywall Artist of the Year.

Of course, this is not to say that Trim-Tex products can’t handle tougher commercial jobs. As David Hunt explains, “We are looking to expand the artisan aspect of drywall with expanded engineering solutions.” The hope is that by educating installers to incorporate elements of functional creativity, their jobs will remain challenging and fun.

Going into the Next 50 Years

Trim-Tex continues to focus on finding new solutions for their clients and creating new products, accepting the challenge of staying at the forefront of their industry. Hunt states that the company is always “trying to make the customer experience the best we can, to make our product the best we can, and to make our company the best we can while also doing everything as efficiently as possible.”