Download, Listen, and Subscribe
Apple | Spotify | YouTube | PodBean
Or search “Manufacturing the Future” wherever you listen to podcasts!
Meet Peter Mann, Founder & CEO of Oransi
"Is there a way to make his environment better that perhaps would reduce asthma triggers and really improve his quality of life?" It's the question that Peter Mann asked when trying to find solutions in 2009 to improve life for his asthmatic son. The question led him to start Oransi, which today is a leading manufacturer of HEPA air purifiers, and a leader in clean products and technologies. Just in the past two years, they've seen a 122% growth.
Air purification has had rising demand, but the COVID pandemic raised the awareness around cleaner indoor air even more. Mann attributes much of Oransi's growth in the past few years to that increased customer demand. But many new brands have entered the space as well, increasing competition. "I like to say we were doing air cleaning before it became cool," says Mann in our newest podcast. "But now, anybody with any somewhat related appliance or brand is putting their name on air purifiers."
In addition to its continued growth, Oransi is focusing on reshoring and growing its manufacturing operations in Virginia. How can a manufacturing company keep growing and make sustainable changes for the future? Mann tells us in our new episode of Manufacturing the Future.
Finding Solutions for Sustainable and Smart Growth
One of the challenges Oransi faced was keeping their organization streamlined and their team communicating effectively. Mann says you can't do that "on spreadsheets and pieces of paper," so they adopted technologies like an ERP system and a CRM to support their growth. They needed to make sure that their technology worked seamlessly as well, so they could focus less time on the tech and more on the customers and products.
As they looked at scaling their manufacturing, they knew having a solid process for decision-making was critical as well. "We've put a lot of time and effort in really bringing all the stakeholders together and ensure that our systems are really meeting the needs of all the stakeholders in the company," explains Mann about the process. With that comes reliable software as well.
Another challenge is staying competitive in the market, and having approaches in place that give Oransi an advantage, especially when it comes to cost-cutting and just-in-time production. The big question they're asking today is, "How can we continue to improve rather than passing on costs year after year to our customers?"
In This Episode
Oransi has many people breathing easier, but there's still work to be done to ensure that they keep costs down and stay competitive — especially as they scale their manufacturing here in the US. Listen to our conversation with Peter Mann to learn more about how to achieve operational efficiency and excellence.
Topics
- The creation of Oransi, prompted by Peter's desire to make air quality better for his asthmatic son.
- How the company has grown, and how COVID and the desire for cleaner air boosted the company's growth.
- The type of software Oransi uses for ecommerce sales, scaling its operations, and communication — and the need for all systems to work seamlessly and talk to one another.
- How Oransi weathered supply chain issues by planning well and carrying extra inventory.
- What technology will be crucial in gaining a competitive advantage as Oransi continues to scale its manufacturing in the US.
- Advice for other manufacturing leaders looking for innovative ways to be competitive.
