September/October 2014 – BizVoice/Indiana Chamber
63
South Bend Modern Molding
BREAKING NEW GROUND
GETTING TO KNOW
Empowering employees:
At the heart of operations is a focus on team
members. Cross training, open communication
and employee recognition are part of the culture.
“Up until the last couple years when we’ve
added some new employees, I’d say a good
two-thirds of our employee base had been
here a minimum of 10 years.”
In the mix:
South Bend Modern Molding (SBMM) makes
seals for the automotive (and other)
industries, torsion mechanisms (imagine office
furniture; it’s the mechanism that brings you
forward after you lean back in a chair), lawn
and garden edging products and more.
Quick composite:
• Established in 1942 in Mishawaka
• Approximately 140 employees (the
workforce has nearly doubled since 2010)
• Manufactures molded rubber products, rubber
assemblies and recycled rubber products
• Two business focuses: historical industrial
rubber products and recycled rubber materials
In with the old …:
Success with recycled rubber products has led
to growth in several areas. Among them is
consumer retail.
“In some cases, we’re shrink wrapping
products that are picked up from our factory
and taken (directly) to stores. That connection
allows our employees to become more
excited about what they’re making.”
Pivotal moments:
• Moving from a 20,000-square-foot building
to its current home – a 100,000-square-foot
facility – in 1998. With the upgrade came
additional equipment and new business
opportunities
• Earning ISO-9000 quality management
system certification shortly thereafter
• Branching out into the recycled rubber
materials market approximately five years
ago. Overall sales have jumped by more
than 50% in that time
“We have no more than 20%
of sales in any individual
industry. What that allows us to
do is, when we’re working on a
program, we’re not just thinking
through blinders. If we’re
looking at the automotive
industry (for instance), we’re
looking at the broad range
we’ve looked at in other
industries – other products,
other processes.”
Don Zimmerman, president
63
BizVoice/Indiana Chamber – September/October 2014
By Symone Skrzycki
S
Business is booming at South Bend Modern
Molding, which operates a full-service
rubber factory. The company’s industrial
products are a mainstay of its success,
while a new foray into the recycled rubber
business is helping to fuel unprecedented
growth.
