Start to Finish Success: Gaining 10X Production Capacity for Hollingshead Mixer Company

Quick Summary:

• Hollingshead Mixer Company (HMC) was ready to grow, but outsourced painting was holding production back. 
• Sherwin-Williams helped HMC build a smarter path forward, from designing the paint line, vetting equipment and selecting the coating to hands-on training for new crews. 
• Duraspar® IP delivered performance while simplifying application, supporting better color, gloss, corrosion resistance, field performance and production efficiency.
• The Results: 10X production capacity. Output grew from 3 to 30 trucks per week, helping HMC meet rising demand with more control and confidence.

Hollingshead Mixer Company (HMC) is the mixer truck manufacturing division of SRM Concrete. Leading the industry in custom-built front discharge mixer trucks, HMC recently opened an 80,000-square-foot facility in Avilla, Indiana with the goal of scaling production to meet new demand spurred by SRM’s nationwide expansion.

The Challenge: Bringing Painting In-House to Accelerate

HMC relied on outsourced painting, which limited throughput and often caused delays and quality issues. Their external paint shop was 30 miles away and could only handle 200 trucks per year. With demand rising, HMC decided to bring finishing in-house. But with little painting experience, the Company needed a reliable partner to ensure the new facility would be a profitable investment.

HMC’s challenges included:

• Outsourced painting caused delays and quality issues
• Paint shop capacity limited throughput to ~200 trucks per year
• Trucks had to be fully assembled before traveling to paint shop, leaving metal exposed
• Little painting experience on HMC team caused uncertainty about best path forward

The Solution

A Start to Finish Coatings Partner

HMC partnered with Sherwin-Williams early on to help design a state-of-the-art in-house paint facility that could scale with the Company. Sherwin-Williams pulled in multiple teams to help, including:

• Design Engineering optimized the layout and flow of the new paint line, conducted time tests and vetted equipment
• Sales Representatives vetted solutions and recommended Duraspar® Industrial Performance (IP) coatings for lasting durability, showroom aesthetics and a simple, efficient application process that would ease training for new paint crews
• Technical Service trained HMC’s new paint crews in surface prep, cleaning solutions, application and equipment maintenance, ensuring long-term performance and consistency

The Results 

10X Production Capacity and More

The new facility transformed HMC’s production, enabling them to meet rising demand with ease and confidence, while simultaneously enhancing quality, appearance and corrosion protection. 

Results include:

• 10X production capacity, from three to 30 trucks a week
• Improved color, gloss and long-term appearance
• Greater durability in the field
• Enhanced corrosion resistance
• Faster scale up at new facility
• Streamlined painter training
• No logistical complexities of outsourcing