FAN-TASTIC CASTINGS: Putting a Spin on Supply Chain Management
Commercial fan manufacturer Big Ass Fans is handling its rapid growth through open relationships with its suppliers. SHANNON WETZEL, MANAGING EDITOR
L
arge industrial fans spin silently above the open-air office environ- ment at Big Ass Fans (BAF) in Lexington, Ky. Tey are the ever-
present symbol of the company’s mission and foundation. Started in 1999 as the HVLS Fan Co. by Carey Smith, the company looked to reinvent the market with massive ceiling fans that moved a high volume of air at a low speed. When customers kept referring to these fans as “big ass fans,” a new company name and image was born.
Te company model that relies heavily on
engineering, research and development, and cutting edge marketing has created tremendous growth. From 2009 to 2015, BAF grew from about 150 employees to more than 800, working in facilities worldwide to provide huge ceiling fans to manufacturing facilities, gyms, stadi- ums, restaurants and now even homes. BAF has used cast metal components in a
variety of its products from its inception, and use has grown and evolved as the company has grown and evolved. All the while, the fan maker
24 | MODERN CASTING January 2016
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68