The pumping unit assembly team at Bennett Pump chaned the way they do things. Instead of multiple, sub-assembly, batch-build operations, pumping units are now assembled in a one-piece flow line. A complete redesign of the assembly area and process has yielded tremendous gains in quality, efficiency and safety. In fact, production improvements or more than 20% were noticed immediately.

Bennett Pump Company is one of the oldest names in the petroleum dispenser industry. Founded in 1919, it quickly became a world leader for decades in the design and manufacture of gasoline pumps. Bennett Pump has found new life and vigor since 1998, when Hines Corporation acquired it, bringing much needed stability and support. This new partnership allowed management to lay the foundation for recovery by successfully planning for long-term growth in a very demanding and dynamic industry.

Today, the company serves markets internationally in over 90 countries and continues to be one of the world's best-known component and dispenser suppliers in the petroleum equipment industry. Because of lean manufacturing practices, experience and global sourcing partnerships, Bennett Pump is the low-cost, high-quality producer in the industry and can be significantly more agile and responsive to customers than its larger, more structured competitors. In fact, Bennett Pump has managed to turn large competitors into substantial customers by proving to be the best source for gasoline pumps and pump components.

Through a challenging process of training and process evaluation, Bennett Pump staff and associates are constantly creating new lean manufacturing efficiencies and improvements in their work process. Redesigned work areas to address floor space usage, walking distance, work in process, number of associates, and product quality all lead to improvements in efficiency, quality and safety.

Constantly attacking and avoiding waste in every part of the manufacturing process supports Bennett Pump's ability to remain the low-cost, high-quality supplier within the industry. By taking the initiative to focus on lean manufacturing and by investing in this proceess company-wide, Bennett Pump continues to benefit daily in new improvements and refinements.