About Video Transcript

Russell Hurst: Phoenix manufactures specialty parts such as washers, shims, spacers, gaskets, and simple brackets, and everything is produced to customer specification. I am the CEO of Phoenix Specialty Manufacturing Company. Phoenix is owned and operated by the fourth generation of my family.

Steve Cornforth: I’m glad that I work for them, we’ve been owned by the same family since 1907. Owned by the same family for 116 years, how many people can say that?

Russell Hurst: There’s a sense of pride. Our parts are small but but they’re critical for applications and our customers make literally anything from from airplane engines to agriculture equipment, literally almost anything you touch there there’s going to be a Phoenix washer.

Steve Cornforth: Phoenix is a short run metal stamper, short run meaning most of our work orders are less than ten thousand pieces. We also offer machine services and water jet services. Phoenix is a contract manufacturer, we don’t build a catalog and ship out of a catalog, every part that we make is a specialty. It’s your part, your specifications, your print, your size is anything that you need.

Russell Hurst: We really centralize all of the planning activity so that we can handle the different requirements from so many different customers. We have some of the best people, they’re loyal, they’re dedicated, their hard working, and they’re smart – they’re problem solvers. Our people have a grit to get stuff done, that’s something we’re really proud of.

Steve Cornforth: Our average tenure of over 125 employees is 14 years. We have employees that are in our machine shop creating your dies that have been here over 40 years. Our customer service team is second to none, when you call in you will always talk to a person, you won’t get sent to a recording. We know that quality of your parts is important to you, it’s also important in Phoenix. High quality management system is at the core of what we do. Our commitment to quality over the years is what drove us to become one of the first companies to be AS certified.

Russell Hurst: One thing we take great pride in is being made right here in America. So 100% of our parts are produced in America and everything we make is produced right here in Bamberg, South Carolina. So I am proud to be part of the fourth generation and I’m proud to be the fourth generation leadership and a lot of people ask me what does that feel like? And to be honest it’s a sense of stewardship because this place is is going to go on past me.