Inventive-Group
Originally Published in Cutting Tool Engineering Magazine, April 2024.
At the core of the job is ‘Innovation’
Towing products, fishing products, off-road UTV accessories, and manufacturing solutions - all these products are created at Inventive-Group, located in Mountain Home, Idaho, U.S.A. Under the slogan ‘One company, four brands’, Inventive-Group is dedicated to creating products that are more user-friendly and bring greater satisfaction to their customers with ‘Innovation’ as their motto.
One company, four brands born from innovation
As a previous tow truck business owner and driver, Mr. Chuck Ceccarelli started manufacturing and selling towing equipment in the mid-1990s in Mountain Home, Idaho, U.S.A. with his wife. His commitment to 'Innovation' in creating user-friendly products has paid off, leading to the growth of the business and In the Ditch Towing Products was founded in 2007.
Mr. Ceccarelli always looks for ways to achieve maximum efficiency, and his stance is not limited to working alone. Pursuing fishing as a hobby, he started making his own fishing products.
With the growing demand for his products from other fishing enthusiasts, Fish Fighter Products was successfully introduced to the market in 2015.
Later, two additional brands, RazorBack Offroad UTV Accessories, specializing in off-road UTV accessories was established and from that emerged Inventive Products, which offers manufacturing solutions such as adjustable welding tables.
Today, In the Ditch Towing Products, Fish Fighter Products, RazorBack Offroad and Inventive Products make up Inventive-Group, a company that emerged with four distinct business ventures.
Management philosophy for continuous improvement
One company, four brands is the slogan that defines the business, and Mr. Ceccarelli oversees the day-to-day production for each brand as “Regional Director of Excitement with Platinum Status.”
This reasoning aligns with Toyota's business philosophy which the company follows closely. Two points from the philosophy that Mr. Ceccarelli and the Inventive-Group team prioritize daily are respect for people and continuous improvement.
The team has integrated these philosophies so effectively that other companies take tours of the meticulous Inventive-Group facility to learn more about their successful business practices.
Mazak machines as a new partner for innovation
The company, which initially started as a joint effort between Mr. and Mrs. Ceccarelli has grown to employ over 100 individuals today.In 2019, a new factory and office were constructed on a site of approximately 8000 m² (87000 sf²), which is equivalent to the size of a soccer field.
Over two and a half years of construction, all employees were part of the decision-making process, where they carefully considered the lighting, facilities, and even the music in the new working environment.
In the same year, 2019, the company made a significant decision. "We switched to Mazak from the company we had been with for almost 15 years. It was a major, major commitment to change," explained Mr. Ceccarelli.
“I got everybody from our team together and we talked about ‘did we make the right choice?’, and everybody feels that we made the right choice.” After their decision, they invested in two sheet lasers, automation systems and the FT-150 FIBER.
"Right now, we are cutting five to six days a week, almost 24 hours a day with two lasers. That was a major step in efficiency and we really do not need an operator. Everything is pretty much done in our nesting department."
Mr. Ceccarelli also praised the efficiency of FT-150 FIBER, which is the company's first tube laser. “We have the tapping and drilling option on the FT-150 so we are threading pipe and tubing and etching weld locations on pipe.
Within the first six months, we were doing things with the tube laser, and we were like ‘oh my heavens, how did we miss this so long ago?’ It's been that remarkable to have that technology."
"Mazak provides a comprehensive training service and support system. They were a great help and really cemented our relationship. We switched to Mazak in our new facility and have not looked back," Mr. Ceccarelli stated firmly and decisively.
With Mazak machines as a new partner, the company’s innovation continues to thrive.
