The CPS Way – One Client at a Time

By Jeremiah Carter, Project Manager

When embarking on a large-scale manufacturing endeavor, clients usually know what they need to accomplish, and they most always have a compelling reason why—but the how is where they often find themselves at a standstill.

Putting a plan in motion is daunting for any organization, yet the “how” is probably the most important part of the equation. The implementation is what really can make or break a project.

When you invest in multi-million-dollar equipment inside a multi-million-dollar facility, you need a team of experts to guide you through proper implementation.

Corporate Project Services knows the magnitude of planning for extrusion processing and related facilities construction projects, and we know there’s not a single approach that fits every client. That’s why we exist—to bring customized plans and solutions tailored to each client’s goals and vision.

CPS doesn’t come into any client meeting with a pre-conceived, fully baked plan for the project—the plan is determined wholly by the client’s articulation of goals and needs. We spend most of our time listening and responding to needs and questions, and the plan is put into motion once we know what the client needs to accomplish. Every plan is customized to the client’s unique situation.

Our team has thousands of hours of challenging projects under our belts—there’s not much we haven’t already experienced and mastered. By tapping into the lessons we’ve learned along the way, we can cover the areas where your own internal team may not have the depth of experience or time to handle on their own.

One thing is certain, there’s nothing simple about an extrusion-based project. The sophistication of the equipment and the processes themselves are one thing, but then you add in safety regulations and quality considerations—producing food has never been more complex. Project planning must be executed meticulously.

Building a manufacturing facility requires keeping watch over hundreds of moving parts and entails following a very distinct sequence of tasks to achieve the end goal—there are resources to plan, safety considerations to address, timelines to meet, and of course, budgets to plan around.

When a client invests in building a process facility for specialized products, it’s important they understand what equipment is needed to make these specialized products, from incoming raw ingredients to outgoing packaged goods. How much will this equipment cost? How does the footprint need to be laid out to accommodate all this equipment? How should they incorporate food safety into the design and process? What will the operating costs be once it’s up and running? What is the return of investment for this facility going to look like?

Knowing all of this conceptual information helps identify next steps. CPS outlines project solutions from the initial concept stage based upon the customers goals and objectives and then creates strategically tailored deliverables ready to be put into action.

Communication is of utmost importance. Having open and quality conversations is critical—we know the right questions to ask, and we listen more than we talk. We leave no questions unanswered, and we won’t just tell you we’ll show you with detailed visuals.

CPS has an arsenal of tangible resources to offer clients that help projects progress smoothly and help clients really understand and visualize the project from start to finish (and beyond). We create comprehensive visuals with precise measurements. From process flow diagrams to recipe formulations and everything in between, we have the bases covered.

When presenting new factory designs, CPS creates 3-D layouts clients can use to show the Board of Directors or lending institution what the facility will look like, what the flow is going to be, what a day in the life of an operator looks like, and why it’s a good investment.

CPS maintains a food safety library that clients can tap into to quickly get up to speed with required documents and be ready to pass FDA inspections.

These are just a sampling of the resources we use to ensure we’re providing clear and comprehensive guidance and solutions to our clients.

No two clients are alike, and no two projects within a company are alike, so CPS tailors the solution to the situation. We are able to do this because of the rich and diverse experience of our team.

Our team’s bench strength is deep. Where the skills and background of each CPS team member don’t already overlap, they complement one another for the benefit of our clients. This is how we can be nimble and draw upon the knowledge of individual team members to do what’s best for each and every client. We incorporate these specialized skill sets and experiences into conceptual project deliverables that align perfectly with each customer’s unique goals and objectives.

CPS can align anywhere your project calls for expert guidance. Collectively, our team has more than 120 years of experience in the industry with expertise in management, engineering, sales and international factory integration, all which give us unequaled know-how in project planning services. We stay on top of trends and best practices and share that insight with clients and vendors. From cost analysis through implementation and everything in between, Corporate Project Services is equipped to lead clients every step of the way to ensure a factory has good payback during its lifetime.

And nobody else is backed by Wenger’s 80+ years of process system supply to the industry. We follow the same principles that have led Wenger to be the trusted partner for clients across the globe—driven by our shared vision to be the best partner our clients can retain.

Because of the vast experience of our team, the comprehensive services and resources we have in our repertoire, and our connection to Wenger, we have many services to “sell” to clients. But it’s not about making the sale, it’s about doing what’s right for the client. It comes back to our mission statement—we concentrate on our client’s best interest. Being able to tailor our services to client’s unique needs is how we create that value partnership. How do we do this? We listen, and then we respond accordingly.

Goals, objectives and needs come in all shapes and sizes—no two clients will strive for the exact same thing and that’s what makes our work exciting and dynamic. CPS brings personalized guidance to navigate the complex waters of setting up a manufacturing process or building a whole factory to make your installation successful and profitable.

If you have an upcoming project you’d like to discuss with an outside expert, please reach out to our team and we’d be glad to help.

Corporate Project Services, a division of Wenger Manufacturing, is a dynamic group of planning specialists backed by Wenger’s more than 80 years of process system supply to the industry. Our knowledge base and breadth of experience in extrusion processing and facilities construction is unsurpassed – and our commitment to excellence is recognized around the world.

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