eNewsletter Turbo-Charges Manufacturer's Marketing Communications
An eNewsletter falls right in line with Advanced Forming Technology's goal to be an undisputed industry leader through its people, services and innovation.
Advanced Forming Technology (AFT) is the world leader in metal injection molding.
AFT, a division of Precision Castparts Corporation, specializes in creating small, complex parts that require high-strength, reliable performance and cost-effectiveness when produced in mass quantities. This includes automotive parts, power tools, medical instruments and computer and electronics parts.
The AFT World Wide eNewsletter allows the company to take advantage of technology to generate "excellent" exposure to current and potential customers, says Denise Lee, who manages their eNewsletter project. "eMarketing was an opportunity to target specific current and potential customers in an effort to keep them informed."
The eNewsletter serves as a great marketing tool for AFT. It enables the company to maintain effective two-way communication with customers and prospects, Ms. Lee says. "We get regular feedback from customers and marketing representatives about the eNewsletter," she explains. "We recently used it as a vehicle to promote a seminar."
Through the unique tracking features that Proven Systems' software provides, AFT has been able to track the results for each month's send. Currently, AFT World Wide has a healthy open rate of 80-plus percent and a click-through rate of 30 percent. And this has produced favorable results for the company. Recently, for example, a sales manager received several quote requests after his feature appeared in the newsletter." This is the ultimate response," Ms. Lee exclaims.
Also, AFT's eNewsletter has successfully held the attention of large companies each month since it began in November, 2003. One of them, in particular, is AFT's largest customer. "It makes a statement when we are able to keep the interest of a key customer," she explains. "This customer represents a company that has been with us since day one."
In addition to targeting customers, AFT has opted to publish an internal version of the eNewsletter for employees. "It is an opportunity for our employees to learn more about the individuals leading our organization," said Ms. Lee.
Publishing the eNewsletter with Proven System's Production Director, Pam Brown, has been an "amazing" experience, she says. "She keeps us on task…We have yet to miss a deadline."
AFT History
As a company, AFT's performance has been "on task" since it was founded in 1987 in Longmont, CO.
Originally, the company was involved with Computer Aided Machining and Plastic Injection Molding. In 1991, AFT was purchased by Precision Castparts Corporation, a worldwide manufacturer of complex metal components and products serving a wide variety of industrial and aerospace applications. Since then, the company has built a Greenfield operation in Retsag, Hungary, just 35 miles north of Budapest. The facility produces high-volume automotive components for the European market place.
Today, AFT uses three unique, leading-edge technologies to fashion metal parts into a broad range of complex shapes: Metal Injection Molding (MIM), Thixoforming and Aluminum Silicone Carbide (AlSiC) Composites. This includes injection molding, sintering, sizing/calibration, machining, heat treating, plating, painting and sub-assembly operations. In addition, AFT offers special alloy development capabilities, such as titanium 6Al-4V and nickel/cobalt based super-alloys.
AFT currently employs a total of 400 employees—110 of which work at the Hungary facility, according to Vice President of Marketing Andrew Hanson.
Formula For Success
Employees, along with quality service and products, help constitute the strength of AFT, Mr. Hanson says. "We believe in building strong customer relationships through the supply of high-quality components that are delivered on time and are competitively priced."
AFT's standing as the world's largest metal injection molding company is the result of consistent performance over the years. There have been constant investments in the business, plus the steady application of the best manufacturing technologies.
"Our ability to develop and produce a wide variety of materials with excellent physical properties provides customers with numerous options," Mr. Hanson explained.
For more information about PCC/AFT, contact Denise Lee at 303-833-6000, ext. 6115, or visit
www.pcc-aft.com. |
