R.S. Hughes, SupplySight Customer Case Study

M.H. EBY is a prominent manufacturer of aluminum trailers and truck bodies with three key production facilities in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, Story City, Iowa and West Jefferson, Ohio. The company initially approached R.S. Hughes through a connection with Loctite, seeking solutions to improve pricing and local stock availability across their facilities.

R.S. Hughes enabled M.H. EBY to enhance its supply chain efficiency and achieve significant cost savings through strategic initiatives and tailored solutions—setting a solid foundation for continued success and growth throughout our partnership.

Customer Background

M.H. EBY started working with R.S. Hughes in December 2018, initially focusing on securing contract pricing and stocking items locally for their manufacturing needs. The collaboration expanded over the next several years, leading to a national account agreement with Nick Longenbach, one of our National Accounts Senior Representatives.

Through collaboration with Andy Derr, M.H. EBY Operations Manager, and Doug Beaver, M.H. EBY Purchasing Manager, Nick gained an understanding of their top challenges and got to work building custom solutions.

Challenges

M.H. EBY faced several challenges:

Disparate Purchasing Practices
Each of M.H. EBY’s three manufacturing sites purchased inventory independently, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for cost savings.

Lack of Data and Visibility
The company needed more insight into its purchasing habits, spending patterns and inventory management.

Need for Standardization
A standardized list of approved items was needed to ensure consistency and control across all locations.

R.S. Hughes’ Solutions

To address M.H. EBY’s challenges, R.S. Hughes implemented a series of strategic initiatives:

National Agreement and Uniform Pricing
We negotiated a national agreement to provide uniform pricing and discounts across M.H. EBY’s three locations in Ephrata, PA, Story City, IA and West Jefferson, OH. This move was designed to leverage their collective buying power, resulting in significant cost savings.

Integrated Inventory Management (IM) Program
Beginning with the Ephrata site in March 2019, we developed an IM program that provided a standard list of approved items for all locations. This program was subsequently rolled out to the Story City and West Jefferson sites.

Implementation of Vending Machines
In December 2023, we began deploying vending machines at the Ephrata site. We are also rolling them out to Story City and West Jefferson. These machines facilitate easier access to essential supplies and further streamline inventory management.

Customer Background

Challenges

R.S. Hughes’ Solutions

Customer Results and Benefits

Future Prospects

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