Strengthens Workforce and Reduces Costs

 

Advanced Auto Trends Inc. (AATI) is an injection molder specializing in sunroof components for the automotive industry. The company’s niche expertise lies in overmolding metal components with plastic and precisely positioning them in molds using robotic automation. Because of the highly specialized nature of its work and the limited local labor pool in rural Sanilac County, employee training is essential to maintaining operations and meeting customer demand.

Through the Business Solutions Professional (BSP) Fact Finding process, it was determined that the Going PRO Talent Fund (GPTF) Cycle 2 grant would be a strong fit to support critical training needs at the right time for the business.

AATI partnered with a variety of training providers, including Educated Business Resources Corp., Baker College, QX Soft, Quality-1 International, and the Sanilac Career Center, ensuring employees received targeted and industry-relevant instruction.

 

As a result, Advanced Auto Trends was reimbursed $19,130 in employee training costs through the grant.

The impact of this training was both immediate and significant. Ken Surbrook, Manufacturing Engineer at AATI, shared that the Root Cause Analysis (RCA) training was particularly valuable, bringing together upper management, plant managers, engineering, and sales teams in a collaborative learning environment. Through this training, the team was able to resolve a customer issue by using data from test studies to demonstrate that an incorrect material had been selected for a specific application.

He noted that a similar issue in 2024 resulted in a $250,000 loss. However, due to the RCA training and improved data collection processes, the company was able to resolve the 2025 issue with no financial loss. The savings contributed directly to employee profit-sharing.

Additional training also produced measurable benefits across the organization. An employee who completed welding certification training earned two certifications and has since become a highly skilled welder within the company. Metrology training for new quality inspectors and trainers has also helped reduce scrap rates and ensured coverage during absences, improving consistency and operational efficiency.

Ken emphasized the long-term value of the Going PRO Talent Fund, stating that while AATI has participated in multiple grant cycles, the RCA training stands out as the most impactful to date. The investment in training has not only strengthened employee skills but has also delivered substantial cost savings and improved overall business performance.