Category Archive: Uncategorized

When you expand your business into a new community there are any number of challenges. First and foremost, you have to bring with you an amazing product or service that will add to an already existing business environment.  However, just having the best of something will not guarantee success; it is important that you connect with your new surroundings on a personal level.

When our own Matt Keats created Keats Southwest in the summer of 1994, he was faced with a unique challenge: bring a historically Midwestern business to the great city of El Paso, Texas. We could try and tell the story of how Matt successfully made the transition, but instead we think it would be better if we let Matt share his truly unique insights. Enjoy!

Despite a few stops and starts and some springtime snowstorms, it’s about that time of year again to get out the old fishing rod and tackle box. Nothing is more relaxing (or for that matter, frustrating) than spending a day on the water and putting a hook in the water. At Keats, we are no different. Quite a few of us have used our vacation and weekend time trying to catch the “big one”! 

That’s why everyone at Keats was thrilled when a big name in the recreational fishing industry came to us with an exciting and challenging project. The client wanted to produce something called a “speed clip” which was to be attached to their custom fishing rods. This unique clip was designed to replace the swivel on the rod, and it would allow users to quickly change the type of lure they were using without a great deal of effort.

Working closely with the client, we were able to apply our state-of-the-art four-slide technology to manufacture the clip.  Thanks to our years of experience and highly trained staff, we were able to turn what was an expensive and difficult to produce multi part assembly into a one-piece assembly that saved both money and time.  The best part is that the customer was so pleased he has been relying exclusively on Keats to produce his speed clips for most of the last decade.

While not everyone can fully appreciate how great it is to be able to change lures quickly while in the middle of a long day of fishing, they can appreciate the high quality work, the amazing customer service, and the cost-effectiveness that comes with everything we create.

At Keats, we know that there is a great future in metal stampings and wire forms. As the demand grows for smaller and smaller precision metal parts, it is clear that the world is going to need a new generation of expert four-slide, multi-slide, and punch press operators.  That’s why we got involved with the IllinoisWorkNet program. The program, which was launched by the Illinois Workforce Investment Board (IWIB), was created to help businesses like Keats connect with and develop Illinois’ workforce.

In our case, we chose two outstanding candidates from Wheeling High School to participate in a 6-week internship program. The students from Wheeling High attended a job fair where they ranked the companies and the companies ranked the kids, and a matching process ensued. After careful consideration, we chose our two interns who showed both a proficiency in math and computer sciences and an interest in a career with Keats.

After both students successfully served their internships, we decided to hire them on full-time! They’ve both started in the quality control department and are making strides toward becoming key parts of the Keats family. In future blogs we will keep you updated on their progress, as they move up the ladder at Keats.

Programs like Illinois Workforce are not only the key to the future of companies like Keats, but also the key to the future of our country. If we are truly committed to a manufacturing renaissance in the U.S. then we have to reach out to the new generation and show them how exciting and profitable our work can be.

If you want to learn more about or even participate in the Illinois Workforce program please visit their website. If you don’t live in Illinois, go to the Department of Labor’s websiteand find a program in your area. 

What comes to mind when you think of Mexico? Most of us probably know Mexico for its great food, beaches, and thousands of years of culture. However, back in the early 1990s Keats saw in Mexico an opportunity to serve the underappreciated maquiladora assembly market.  

In Spanish, maquiladora refers to the practice of millers charging a maquila, or “miller’s portion” for processing other people’s grain. More recently, it has come to define manufacturing operations in Mexico’s free trade zones.  Thanks to NAFTA, there are now almost half a million Mexicans working in over 3,000 maquiladoras. This market is an excellent source of high quality labor for many different industrial sectors including automotive parts and supplies, telecommunications equipment, and medical supplies.  At Keats, we saw that with the growth of maquiladoras there would be an ever-increasing need for superior metal stampings, wireforms, and assemblies. So on August 1^stof 1994, only a few months after NAFTA took effect, we opened Keats Southwest (KSW) in the vibrant border town of El Paso, Texas.  

This new location served multiple purposes. First, it directly served our Mexican neighbor, Ciudad Juárez. This booming sister city to El Paso also happens to be home to more than 300, or 10%, of Mexico’s maquiladoras. Second, it allowed Keats to supply not only all of Mexico, but also the entire southwestern United States.

Eighteen years after we took the bold step to move into the maquiladora market, Keats Southwest is now a 24-hour a day, 5 day a week operation. We have 45 dedicated and highly skilled employees who manufacture a wide range of products on 36 state-of-the-art four-slide and multi-slide machines, and 11 metal stamping presses.  During our time serving the region, Keats Southwest has worked on some exciting projects, including designing and building fuel injection steelshieldsand reel to reel phosphor bronze terminals for the automotive industry in Mexico.

Our success in predicting and capitalizing on future manufacturing trends has only just begun. As the world’s economy grows and shifts, Keats is prepared to utilize its practical understanding of foreign markets and its over 50 years of experience to stay ahead of the curve.