GDM Group provides clever solutions for their customers which also make good business sense. For example, with seasonal production issues creating peaks and troughs in cash flow, the company had to come up with a different approach to market demand. In response, it designed and prototyped large-scale retail and wholesale modular racking systems in Wanganui, then fostered a relationship with a joint venture manufacturing partner in China. The resulting ‘off the shelf’ product is the competitively-priced Rax system which complements custom fixtures made by the company’s Wanganui factory. The solution not only has a positive impact on cash flow but gives customers more choice and better flexibility mixing and matching standard and custom components.

Lean manufacturing demands that waste is reduced in all areas. Consequently, the company has invested in plant and systems that reduce the impact of manufacturing on the environment. A new dust extraction unit and a powder coating reclaim system have been purchased: recyclable packaging is used in the Chinese and New Zealand factories and products are made from renewable and recyclable materials, primarily steel and wood.