Aug/Sep 2013
| Business World Magazine | 267
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Without continual growth and progress, such words
as improvement, achievement and success have no meaning.” Such rationale would
resonate with principals of an Alabama-based enterprise which began life as a small
foundry and machine shop, but by constant focus on growing its operations and ser-
vices, it has achieved distinction as a dynamic provider of quality engineered metal
components, manufacturing services and source of industrial supplies. Yet, the com-
pany is now positioning for further growth and progress, and no doubt, the strategy
here anticipates greater achievement and wider success.
Specialties Manufacturing Co., Inc and Tal-
ladega Castings & Machine Co., Inc (TMS
Group), an innovative one-stop-shop for
manufactured solutions involving quality
metal casting, machining, fabrication and
rebuild and assembly services is preparing
to reorganize in conjunction with a strategy
to transition from great to greater. Principle
Sam Yates says TMS is not only making ad-
justments in both the operational and sales
development sides of the company, but also
continues to develop senior management.
“We’ve been investing in new machine tools,
upgrading our facilities to increase our effi-
ciency and capacity… and given our capabili-
ties, we’re confident about the future,” says
Yates. “Our strategy is relationship based vs
project based, meaning we develop a new
customer today that will hopefully be an
existing customer three decades from now.
With our captive sales force, experience in-
side service and engineering, our primary
strategy is to continue to add value to our
customer’s operations with our vertically in-
tegrated platform of capabilities.”
With respect for its inception more than
seventy years ago, it appears there hasn’t
been an era in which this Alabama enterprise
wasn’t undergoing some remarkable form of
evolution. In the 1940s, it was known as
Talladega Foundry and Machine Co. when
it was acquired by A. M. Hocutt. After he
