“They back up what they say,” Bob Buescher says. “When there are issues, they step in and make it right. We’re happy with the service, and that’s definitely one of the reasons that we went back to them and didn’t shop around to 10 people. We trusted that they would give us the equipment and the services that we needed.”
Wienhold echoes that sentiment, saying he can count on the equipment dealer to help keep operations running and limit downtime.
“The fact that I call them at 7 in the morning and at 9 o’clock, [Maverick’s] pulling in with whatever we need, that makes a big difference,” he says.
Looking ahead
The company’s installation of a brand-new washing spread is just one example of how R.W. Sidley looks to modernize and improve operations.
For example, the company prioritizes preventive maintenance to stay on top of how equipment is performing. Beyond that, the company looks to employ predictive maintenance strategies to gain further insight about when equipment might fail. With demand as high as it is, Bob Buescher says the company is simply too busy for excess downtime.
“We’ve been trying to do things to be more proactive on preventive maintenance, bringing in third parties to assess our equipment and predict when equipment will fail,” he says. “We’re starting to get into predictive maintenance, which is a step beyond preventative maintenance, because we just can’t afford the downtime.”
Additionally, R.W. Sidley utilizes a mobile app to track production statistics.
“We have a digital scale that sends data to the cloud,” Brad Buescher says. “All of us can pull our phones up and see in real time what the plants are doing as far as tons per hour and anything we’d want to know from that stacker at the end. It helps us make fast decisions.”
These digital technologies are only becoming more prevalent, Brad Buescher adds, and he’s enthusiastic about how modernization can affect business at R.W. Sidley in the years to come.
“We think the future of Sidley is one where employees at all levels from their PC or phone can monitor what’s happening at a plant and ultimately be more efficient and effective,” he says. “It’s really fun to be a part of the evolution.”
