Texas Nameplate improves lead times up to 90%

Texas Nameplate Company has been around since 1946, producing nameplates, tags, and custom labels for high-pressure valves and other equipment common in aircraft and aerospace, automotive, electronics, government and military, and the marine and oil industries.

When they needed room to grow, they relocated from Dallas to Lancaster, Texas. At their old facility, they were limited in space and were using an outdated cutting table. They were starting to get a lot of high-quantity jobs and the old machine was unable to keep up. While Dan and Ryan Crownover, brothers and the third generation of family owners at Texas Nameplate, were making visits all over the country a couple years ago, they stopped by a print shop that had a Zund digital cutter from the 1990’s. It was still going strong and the shop owner said it was the best machine they had ever bought, rarely requiring any service over the 20 years they had owned it. This led Dan and Ryan to start thinking about owning a Zünd for themselves.

They did their research, including speaking to competitors about their Zünd machines, going to Zünd’s website to look at the different models and options available, and watching a lot of YouTube videos posted by Zünd and various customers showing off projects they were cutting on their Zünd cutters. They met with their local Zund salesperson, and the rest is history. According to Dan Crownover, Administrative Manager for Texas Nameplate, “If you’re going to get a piece of equipment, just go for the Cadillac. We could tell this was the Cadillac, and that it would solve a lot of issues for us down the road.”

Since having their Zünd cutter installed in Summer 2018, they have cut lead times by up to 90%. Jobs that used to take 21 working days can now be completed in only 1-2 days. Prior to owning the Zünd, they had made the decision to move away from some of the sticker and decal business they were doing in order to concentrate more on their higher-margin nameplate offerings. With a Zünd system at their disposal, they have been able to get back into stickers and decals because they have the room and the time to do it all.  

One of Dan’s favorite things about the Zünd is how easy and affordable it is to upgrade, which makes it a machine that can grow and adapt to changing business needs. This means that if they decide to add a new product line, they don’t have to buy a new machine; they can simply add a new option to their existing cutting system. This helps keeps their costs down and allows them to pass those savings on to their customers. To sum it up, the Texas Nameplate team loves working with their Zünd, and it has helped them expand into new markets and offer new products.