E.H. Schwab Company, ISSUES & INNOVATIONS
Written by: Eileen Anderson, The MBA, Director, Government Relations
Brad Harrison, Vice President
“Founded in 1929, E.H. Schwab has become experts in the custom metal fabrication industry. Each metal is unique in its characteristics which impacts part geometry, tooling design and price. Understanding these nuances is critical to manufacturing a consistently high-quality, cost-competitive finished product.”
I’ve known Brad Harrison and E.H. Schwab, a family business, for a long time and when I saw this on LinkedIn, it was time to call Brad!
“With the addition of our new trimmer, we’re increasing our ability to handle jobs more efficiently while improving overall capacity and throughput.”
Our conversation was fascinating and illustrated what small, innovative, manufacturers can do when they hit the window of “Right Time, Right People, Right Place.”
Schwab was making components for the electric grid years before “the PJM grid” became part of our vocabulary. The founding Schwab brothers worked out of Westinghouse in Homewood where there were many grid support companies.
Fast forward to today. Management was aware that key employees have been retiring for the past several years. The retirements coupled with increased demand for grid components forced them to become more efficient and innovative.
The new automated trimmer machine, a small purchase, cited above was an updated version of their old trimmer. It didn’t replace a worker, but the main advantage is it doesn’t require as much employee training as the earlier machine.
Brad noted they use on-the-job training because the machinery on the shop floor is primarily non-traditional. Metal spinning is a large part of what they do. The closest metal spinning school is in France!
To keep up with customer demand for grid components, E.H. Schwab will start a second shift in April. Of their 53 employees, six will move to the second shift. They will continue to grow the second shift. Planning began in fall 2025. One of the necessary changes was adding 17 parking places. They’ve been working on the parking project for a year and adhere to Wilkins Townships requirements. Aside from increased production, the key to the second shift is that workflow will be much smoother and bottlenecks on critical machinery will be avoided.
Because they are growing and volumes have gone up, they are always looking for good people. How do they find employees?
Schwab has implemented an employee referral program. At three months an employee is rewarded with a $500 bonus for his/her referral and another $500 for six months. The referral method has yielded positive results.
They also use The Navy Talent Program, a multiyear partnership with manufacturers in the region who are with the Department of Defense. It focuses on Human Resource tools. The first project Schwab used was the “World Class First Day” program to encourage retention. They call the new employee the night before their first day to welcome them and then meet them at the front door on their first day.
The second project is “Best Athlete Profile.” Employees help recruit and retain those who have a decent work ethic and those looking for a new career. Business cards have a QR code which links to a video giving candidates a realistic job preview before they apply.
How about automation? Schwab was a job shop but with increased volume they are outgrowing that description. Some runs are 3,000-4,000 pieces and allow automation. In fact, they may add another welding robot in 2026.
Everything we talked about was part of a five-year plan.
In 2025 they invested heavily in machinery, people, and an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system. Aside from the trimmer they added a large draw press and a programmable spinning machine. The ERP system has made a huge change and streamlined activity. The shop floor is now paperless because all employees work off of tablets.
In 2026 they are rearranging processes to make products flow smoothly through the facility. There is less downtime between them, and they do not have to travel back and forth between their three buildings to complete processes. RE: Machinery – Schwab may add additional CNC equipment this year.
In 2027 E.H. Schwab will focus on production. All the tools and new systems are in place. As Brad said, “It has been an exciting five years.” What a remarkable story to share with MBA members. Ready, Set, Go!