Felss Rotaform LLC
5160 S. Emmer Drive, New Berlin
www.felss.com/en/
Founded: 1999
Industry: Manufacturing wholesale
Employees: 53
2015 annual revenue: $21.7 million
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A rare machining method and its commitment to its customers drive growth at Felss Rotaform LLC in New Berlin. The company was recently one of six to be honored with the Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Award, and it has experienced record growth year after year over the past decade.
“We continue to find creative applications for our technology,” said David Gazzo, chief executive officer of Felss Rotaform. “We have a very talented, competent team of engineers that is able to identify ways to use our technology to produce more and gain more market share. That has been key for us.”
Felss is one of only two companies in the U.S. that specializes in rotary swaging, a unique process capable of consistently producing accurate, durable, lightweight parts for the automotive industry.
“Not a lot of companies are capable of producing the parts we produce,” Gazzo said. “We can produce very special geometries in certain tubes.”
While the process provides additional growth opportunities for the company, it also requires a committed focus to the training and development of employees in order to ensure a talent pipeline.
“We know we’re not going to just find engineers or operators that know anything about rotary swaging,” Gazzo said. “Employee retention and proper training is fundamental.”
Felss’ leaders encourage employees at all levels to share feedback and offer input.
“We know that some of the best ideas and solutions may come from those individuals working the closest with the machines,” he said. “We rely on that to continuously improve our products and our services.”
The company continues to look for expansion opportunities and is currently evaluating different options for additional space, Gazzo said.
Because of the nature of the automotive industry, Felss has contracts signed for several additional years and expects its growth to continue.
“Our main challenge is finding the right people to continue to grow,” he said. “That’s not a new challenge. We have a great team here, and we are always looking to expand that team. We are doing well, and the forecast is looking very good for us.”
