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Summit Treestands Expands With 41,760-Square-Foot Addition

The 34,000-square-foot addition at Summit Treestands will allow more space for the company to continue expanding its new all terrain vehicle (ATV) accessory division.

In an effort to streamline manufacturing processes and create much-needed floor space at Decatur, Ala.-based Summit Treestands, PRADCO Outdoor Brands has opted to build a new 34,000-square-foot addition that will offer more warehouse, manufacturing, research and development space and a 5,760-square-foot office addition combined in one facility.

Ron Woller, operations manager of Summit Treestands, explained that the addition has evolved from a need for all PRADCO divisions to consolidate ideas, research, manufacturing and manufacturing sourcing. Currently, there is great overlap that could be eliminated for increased efficiency among the companies.

“Within PRADCO, manufacturing efficiency and time-to-market are critical to stay competitive in this marketplace, and the primary goal is to improve the bottom line by focusing on improving these areas,” Woller said.

Aside from streamlining production in all PRADCO divisions, the new facility will also provide Summit Treestands with additional square footage for product storage. Products produced by Summit are seasonal, meaning the company typically must produce and ship an entire year’s worth of products in less than six months.

Woller explained that storing products that are as large and bulky as treestands is difficult. The addition will allow Summit to store its inventory on site, eliminating 14,000 square feet of rented warehouse. "We have developed a process to minimize our raw material and sub-assembly storage that allows us to meet peak demands during the summer months,” Woller said. “This addition will give us more flexibility to build and store sub-assemblies and finished goods, thus eliminating unnecessary overtime and temporary labor.” Summit is experiencing additional space constraints after the recent introduction of an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) accessory division. Woller said the added space will allow this new division to operate without the inefficiencies of manufacturing in two locations. The new facility holds great potential for the future of Summit Treestands and all PRADCO divisions. Woller said the key to having a successful future in any manufacturing environment is to embrace technology. The new research and development facility will allow Summit and PRADCO to take full advantage of new developments made in manufacturing technology and apply them to all aspects of their production line. “Technology is the future to our success,” Woller said. “By focusing on various engineering developments, we hope to make PRADCO Outdoor Brands’ products premier in their field.” Summit Treestands is the No. 1 treestand company in the United States and is a division of PRADCO Outdoor Brands. For more information on Summit Treestands, visit www.summitstands.com.

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