Plant Tour: Reliable
Automatic Sprinkler
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Reliable
Automatic Sprinkler -- Liberty, SC
The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc. is one of the world's largest
producers of automatic fire sprinklers and sprinkler system control equipment.
Reliable was founded in 1918 by Frank J. Fee, a mechanical contractor who began
manufacturing sprinklers when he had trouble securing them for his own jobs.
His grandson, Frank J. Fee III, became President in 1976 and continues to run
the company. Reliable has undertaken a major expansion of its manufacturing
capability with the construction of a new state-of-the-art facility located in
Liberty, South Carolina, a short distance from Greenville. This new 300,000
square foot facility has been fully operational since the summer of 2006 and is
ISO9001 certified (see .pdf). Reliable's lean journey began in 1998
with Kaizen teams, and has been accelerating dramatically since 2006 with a
concentration on pull systems, one piece flow, Five S, Kaizen, employee
involvement, and other tools, systems, and principles, leading to significant,
measurable results.
What
You Will See on the Tour:
Pull Systems: distribution, internal, supply side
Kaizen: before and after, results
5S: complete program with examples
One piece flow lines: manual assembly, line balance, takt time
Team daily continuous improvement process
Low volume / high mix: make to order cell
How The Reliable automatic Sprinkler Company makes fire sprinklers: automated
and manual
How fire sprinklers spray water: lab demo. Commercial, industrial, residential
Tour
Departure Location:
Hyatt Regency Greenville
220 N. Main Street
Greenville, SC 29601
(864) 235-1234
Schedule:
11:00am-12:00pm Attendee
Check-In at Hyatt Regency Greenville & Lunch
12:00pm Attendees Board Motor Coach for Reliable Automatic Sprinkler
12:30pm Arrive at Reliable Automatic Sprinkler
12:45-1:15pm Overview of Reliable Automatic Sprinkler
1:15pm-2:45pm Tour
2:45pm-3:15pm Question & Answer
3:15pm Attendees Board Motor Coach
3:45pm Return to Hyatt Regency Greenville & Everyone Departs
Tour
Guidelines:
No open toed shoes or
sandals.
No shorts.
Safety glasses are
required and will be provided if needed.
No photography allowed
in the plant.
Headsets with
microphones will be used for communicating on the tour.
Tour
Sponsor:
Preclusion statement: IW
may be required to preclude attendees from taking part in your selected plant
tour. This step will be taken solely by IW at the request of our host plant
based upon the proprietary nature of information that is to be presented. The
host plants' decisions are final and will be communicated to attendees in
advance. If this occurs, attendee will be refunded the full registration fee.
Some participants on the tour may be asked to complete a Non Disclosure
Agreement (NDA).
Registration
Contact Information:
Erika Bailey, Director of Marketing & Events,
ebailey@industryweek.com, 216-931-9512
The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc. is one of the world's largest
producers of automatic fire sprinklers and sprinkler system control equipment.
Reliable was founded in 1918 by Frank J. Fee, a mechanical contractor who began
manufacturing sprinklers when he had trouble securing them for his own jobs.
His grandson, Frank J. Fee III, became President in 1976 and continues to run
the company. Reliable has undertaken a major expansion of its manufacturing
capability with the construction of a new state-of-the-art facility located in
Liberty, South Carolina, a short distance from Greenville. This new 300,000
square foot facility has been fully operational since the summer of 2006 and is 
