Orchid Expands Supply Chain

Orchid MPS Holdings, LLC (Orchid) is announcing the expansion of its supply chain solutions to include insourcing of their customer’s specialized, in-house processes.

“Orchid’s many solutions have evolved out of listening to customer needs and adapting our business to address those needs, ” said Mike Miller, Orchid’s CEO, in the March 21, 2013 news release. “This partnership with customers is the next logical step in our development as a supplier partner. We have successfully partnered with customers on value stream rationalization activities and bringing our customer’s manufacturing processes in-house will help both companies achieve their current business goals.”

One recent example of this solution was helping Wright Medical Technology, Inc. to optimize their supply chain through a long-term arrangement with Orchid to supply orthopedic metal casting materials. Orchid’s current casting capabilities include both air and vacuum investment casting along with complete product finishing. Both cobalt-chrome-moly and stainless steel alloys are cast at the two Orchid facilities based in Oregon City, Oregon in the U.S. and Sheffield, England in the UK.

William Griffin, senior vice-president of operations at Wright Medical, said, “I am delighted to see Orchid’s growth through this partnership with Wright, which demonstrates Orchid’s commitment to customer solutions that create value for all parties involved. This arrangement will allow us to utilize our existing staff in other areas and allow Orchid to efficiently manage this process for us.”

Regarding how they listen to customer needs, Mike Miller told OTW, “We interact with our customers on a regular basis. We elicit information from our customers on how we are doing, where we can improve, what needs they have that are not being met in the market. We have always been customer focused and open to interaction with them on how to improve both our businesses.”

As for how they have partnered with customers on value stream rationalization, Miller added, “An example would be developing a Kanban pull system between our manufacturing and theirs in order to reduce lead-time and inventory and taking over a manufacturing facility from a customer.”