OEM Profile: CRG Automation - A Company Made for Builders

Can you share your annual investment in R+D (% of sales)? 

Approximately seven percent of revenue is allocated for R&D investment annually.

Where do you find most of your employees? What sort of background or specific talents/skills do you look for?  

Given our diversity of roles, we find people from all types of backgrounds – from farms to factories and everywhere in between. Often, we look for technical backgrounds (by education and/or trade) and a passion for creative problem-solving. Louisville and Kentucky are home to many large multinational engineering powerhouses, including GE Appliances, UPS Worldport, Ford Motor Company, and more. Additionally, our city’s namesake university has a highly reputable engineering school. Across all roles, we seek individuals who demonstrate curiosity, drive, and empathy. 

Why do employees love working for your company?

Whether building equipment or the customer pipeline, CRG Automation is a company made for builders. Nobody sits on their hands, waiting for something to happen. Because the world is full of problems that need to be solved, opportunity exists around every corner. We work hard to attract the type of people who relish that mindset and thrive in an environment of “organized chaos.” Beyond competitive compensation and benefits, CRG offers an environment where people can quickly move up, take on more responsibility and directly impact the company's success while growing their careers. 

 Photos courtesy of CRGHow do you balance standardized machine configurations with those requiring customization?

Inherently, automation equipment requires some level of customization. We focus on standardizing what we can within our designs, but also building in the flexibility to customize in areas where we know a customer will have specific criteria. Documentation is one key element of making the equipment more standardized, but another is focusing on segments of the market that are likely to have similar requirements.

Are you incorporating lean manufacturing? If so, please give some examples.

Though we are not a traditional manufacturer, we apply lean principles wherever possible. For example, we employ 5S, GEMBA walks, visual job boards for project management, and mobile carts for project parts to reduce waste.

How do you approach project management? (i.e., dedicated customer- or market-specific managers or something different)

CRG Automation has multiple project managers who are assigned to accounts at kickoff. Their role is that of a “communicator in chief,” focusing on not only the customer but also all internal stakeholders responsible for the project's success. Our project managers don’t just sit behind a desk organizing schedules; they actively work with our supply chain team on procurement strategy, walk the customer’s facilities, manage factory acceptance testing, and troubleshoot anything that arises during the project's duration.

What’s your process for handling a customer’s initial inquiry and needs assessment? 

Our sales personnel have engineering and automation backgrounds, and for good reason. It’s important to fully grasp a customer’s operations and goals and know what automation solutions exist to deliver a great outcome. We are active listeners and documenters, and we combine our automation expertise with our customers’ unique product/process knowledge to deliver the best long-term solution.

Once a customer issues a P.O., what happens next? What can they expect? 

After a project manager and engineering team are assigned to a new project, a line layout review is prepared and presented to the customer to ensure that all process criteria are being accounted for and that the schedule aligns with the customer's business needs.

Following the line layout review, we kick off engineering design and initiate a design review of the completed 3D model and exact component list. Post-design review purchasing is then kicked off, and as materials are received, we begin assembly and testing of the system at our facility prior to Factory Acceptance Testing, where the customer ultimately signs off on the final system before shipment.

What influences a new machine's turnaround/delivery time, and what happens during this process?

Several factors can influence delivery time: long-lead-time components, the customer’s schedule/needs, and CRG Automation’s internal capacity across teams. CRG Automation’s proposal details a timeline to ensure all parties are aligned with the key milestones and final delivery date. Additionally, our project management team provides the customer with a weekly status update that documents progress, risks, and timelines.

What’s the process for Factory Acceptance Tests?

We love hosting customers in our state-of-the-art automation facility! When customers visit for factory acceptance testing, we walk them through a series of operational checks, requiring their signoff every step of the way. We also spend some time with them documenting their questions or requests, as it’s a final opportunity to tweak a system before disassembly and shipping.

 
How do you handle field service and training? Do you have dedicated training personnel, or do Service Technicians typically conduct training?

CRG Automation’s project managers typically lead field service and support, pulling in the appropriate internal resources (for example, a controls engineer) for subject matter expertise. We've also incorporated remote support services to accounts, particularly those not located within a reasonably short drive of our headquarters. Systems like those offered by Olis Robotics have been a game-changer for remote monitoring, diagnostics and troubleshooting.  

Do you have any plans for facility expansion or new operations?Photos courtesy of CRG

Yes! Our plans are not firm, but we forecast our floor space to be near/at capacity this year and anticipate kicking off the search for additional square footage. We’re also actively evaluating businesses for acquisition to accelerate our expansion.   

What challenges do you foresee affecting your firm and all companies in this industry? 

Hiring top talent will always impose certain constraints, but we never compromise on the quality of individuals we bring into the organization. In addition to employee attraction and retention, macroeconomic conditions have been affected by uncertainty—interest rates, tariffs, inflation, you name it. During tumultuous or uncertain times, businesses tend to adopt conservative approaches, which can present challenges for the automation industry overall. However, we also recognize several factors driving the industry forward, such as technological advancements, onshoring trends, and low labor force participation.

Any other thoughts on the future? 

Customer-centric businesses thrive over time. Our organization has an open-minded approach and agility that enables us to adapt during periods of change or uncertainty. We are highly optimistic that the next ten years will bring substantial opportunities for the packaging automation industry. By staying at the forefront of technology and concentrating on addressing customer challenges, we aim to extend our past success into the future!