Quality Assurance in Quality Audits

Just promising a potential customer quality doesn’t always get the job done. Occasionally we have potential clients who audit our facility in advance of committing to Keats. While this kind of test might be worrisome for our competitors, we welcome them without reservation. Our secret? Something we like to call our “mature quality system”. At the heart of this unique quality system is a mature staff that has a long and prestigious record of accomplishment, including a quality manager that has been with Keats for 12 years.

Since we have always believed that quality people make quality products, we’ve never been intimidated by outside quality audits. We keep our work environment clean and welcoming, and our technology and equipment up-to-date. A dirty shop floor is more than just an eyesore, it is a sign that you don’t really care about quality, your employees, or your customers.  That is why you can walk into any Keats facility and immediately see that we are serious about cleanliness and quality.

If you choose to work with Keats, we want you to be completely satisfied. We stand behind our people, our products, and our facilities 100%. If you demand the highest level of quality for your custom metal stampings and wire forms, Keats is the right place to come. You can even come by and kick the tires! We don’t mind.

DIY Metal Stamping

Recently we have noticed an exciting and interesting new trend: the idea of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) home metal stamping. Aimed mostly at jewelry makers and artists, companies are selling kits that allow people to design and manufacture small metal stampings all in the comfort of their own homes. Before the Industrial Revolution DIY was the only way to do metal stamping, but since then most people have relied on companies like Keats to handle the intricacies of metal stamping.

For us the idea of DIY metal stamping is good thing, because it introduces and familiarizes people with the core of our business. Of course, if you can make a nice piece of jewelry at home, just imagine what the experts at Keats can do for you. Our precision, industry leading four-slide, deep drawn stamping, and progressive die stamping capabilities, are all perfectly suited for all your production-quality jewelry manufacturing needs. With outstanding design flexibility and the ability to maximize the use of each piece of pre-patterned and coated metal sheet metal, we turn your ideas into high-quality products. Our methods are fast, reliable, and multi-functional and we have a great selection of secondary services.

If you are looking to turn your small jewelry making business into something more, then you might want to consider entrusting your metal stamping to Keats. We treat all of our customers like family, so you know your dreams and art will be in caring and expert hands. 

Helping after Supoerstorm Sandy

There are no two ways about it: Superstorm Sandy was devastating, and the effects are still being felt.  Months later, people are still cleaning up and desperately trying to rebuild their shattered towns, businesses, and most importantly, lives. Experts are now putting the damage estimate from Sandy at an unprecedented and overwhelming $62 billion.

At Keats, we have been working overtime since the day after the storm to help our affected customers. We knew right away our customers where going to need our help, so not only have we reached out on a personal level, but we’ve have also been adding extra shifts and working over normal production capacity.  All three of our locations, Keats, Keats Coastal Stamping, and Keats Southwest will be working through as much of the holidays as possible to help our East Coast friends and clients get back on their feet as quickly as possible.

On a personal level, we would hope that during this season of celebration you would dig deep and give those still struggling your time, money, and prayers. Contact a trusted charity in your area and see what help and services they are offering to those still suffering and struggling under the weight of this unprecedented disaster. It’s just the right thing to do.

Start Up to Quick Growth

Running a successful business like Keats is one thing, but expanding it properly is another. In this video, Matt Keats tells how he was able to open Keats Southwest in El Paso, Texas quickly and efficiently. He tells a great story about how they were able to unplug machines in their Chicago plant on a Friday, and have them up and running the next Monday in El Paso. For Matt, this was one of the big keys to success of Keats Southwest. By being prepared to go from day one, no time and money was wasted in the transition. He also touches on how the business grew from these well-organized early days. It is a great example of why Keats has remained on top of the precision metal stamping world for so long. It is also a helpful tool for anyone thinking of expanding their business into a new market.

Keats and the High-End Appliance Renaissance



The demand for high-end
appliances continues to grow.



At a time when thing are still not back to normal with our economy, retailers are wary of over stocking their shelves and warehouses.  However, there is one group of items that they are actually having trouble keeping in stock. Chain stores like Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Best Buy, and Lowe’s keep bringing in shoppers in the market for high-end appliances.  Each is competing with the other to sell the latest restaurant-grade stoves and high-tech dishwashers. Unlike the home electronics market, appliance prices have stayed steady and are actually starting to rise. Thus as the stores begin to discount to compete with each other it raises the interest of customers who in general are afraid to part with their money.  These aren’t giant discounts, so the sellers are still turning a profit off these high-end goods. It’s not to say that the industry is back from the brink, experts still project a 1% drop in large appliance sales for 2012, but it is good to see that things are at least heading in a positive direction.

As always, all three of our locations, Keats, Keats Coastal Stamping, and Keats Southwest will continue providing the appliance industry with the very best small metal stampings, wireforms, and assemblies around. Even during tough times, quality and amazing customer service never go out of style.

Quality Means Everything to Keats

It should come as no shock that Matt Keats and the entire Keats family believe quality means everything.  In many ways, Keats feels personally responsible for every part that leaves any of its facilities. In this video, Matt makes clear that he and the rest of the company never want to be reason for a recalled product. He also spells out in detail how Keats is able to maintain the absolute highest quality standards.

A commitment to quality isn’t just about the parts we make, it also affects how we do business. Matt also touches on how a positive attitude is a critical part in keeping a business going strong through good and bad times. If you hire quality people, have a quality attitude, and deal with quality finance people, in the end your business will thrive and your name and products will be respected.

Keats and the Home Building Resurgence

Workers are back on the job with construction
 spending up almost 13% since early 2011.

Recent reports show that home building in the U.S. is on the rise. It is big news because it has rarely been the case since the recession began in 2008. In fact, construction spending is up almost 13% from early 2011. In the middle of all this promising news, Keats has been receiving a lot of new work from the residential electrical industry. More specifically, we’ve been working with companies that specialize in electrical distribution and circuit breaker boxes. If you’ve ever seen the inside of a breaker box, you are aware that it is a complex piece of equipment. There is very little room for error when it comes to powering a home, so precision and quality are essential. 

The reason we’ve seen so much business from this sector, is that Keats is equipped to handle the metal stamping necessary to craft the perfect circuit breaker box. Both our Wheeling and El Paso locations have four-slide technology, which turns out to be very well-suited for the work at hand. It is an efficient way to achieve the complex formed and bended shapes that are necessary for these components. As an added bonus, it produces much less scrap, which is a giant cost savings across the board.

As the economy keeps trending upwards, Keats is ready, willing, and able to handle anything the residential electrical industry can throw at us!