MRC Client Success: ATAS International, Inc.

Aug. 6, 2012 - PRLog -- (b)Greater Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania(/b) – ATAS International, Inc., http://www.atas.com, is a third-generation, family- owned business founded in 1963 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with over 100 employees.  The company manufactures metal roofing, wall, ceiling panels and accessories for commercial and residential buildings, specializing in energy-efficient building envelope technology, such as ENERGY STAR-qualified cool roofing products and InSpire, a transpired solar collector that uses precision perforated metal panels to preheat ventilation air via solar energy. The ATAS line is deployed by architects, builders and building owners on projects of all sizes. The company has four facilities in the U.S., two of which are in Allentown- including the headquarters.  All ATAS locations are certified to ISO 9001:2008with design.

Situation:  ATAS had been a leader in the field of metal roofing and siding, but it couldn’t do everything on its own.  The company needed to make its sales planning and lead qualification process more efficient to tap into new markets. ATAS’ lead follow-up process was largely informal. Leads were delivered to salespeople after minimal triaging. The result was an overwhelmed sales force that found it difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. Meanwhile, ATAS recognized its potential to reach into the growing and highly lucrative market for sustainable products, but it needed guidance along the way. The Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC), a NIST MEP affiliate, had the access, expertise and scope to help ATAS with both initiatives.

In 1963, Dutch immigrant Jacobus P. Bus – the father of current President Dick Bus and Executive Vice President Jim Bus – started ATAS in his Rochester, N.Y., basement as a siding and trim installer.  The company moved to a 12,000-square-foot facility in 1972, and it then relocated to a 104,000-square-foot building in Allentown 13 years later.  A further 30,000-square-foot office building was added in 1999, in addition to the Tennessee and Arizona facilities.  “We’ve been a family-owned business for 49 years, and the third generation is getting involved,” Dick said. “We’re the classic American success story.”

Solution:  MRC first helped ATAS develop a plan to increase the effectiveness of its lead process. At the same time, a lead triage process was implemented. Program staff followed up with each potential customer, tightening the efforts of the sales force. “MRC helped us develop a program to handle lead qualification internally,” the company president said. “We’ve definitely tightened up on the leads that are going to our salespeople.” Later, MRC helped ATAS begin a certification program for its sustainable products, improving their marketability.

Results: 10% of new leads converted into meetings!  
•  ATAS’ new sales planning and lead qualification process has never been smoother.  Because salespeople are receiving a highly concentrated group of leads, nearly 10% of initial contacts are resulting in face-to-face meetings – an extremely high percentage.

•  Meanwhile, ATAS has started to receive high-end sustainability certifications for products like its cool roofing, transpired solar collector, and building integrated photovoltaic panels. The awards will be part of a major marketing effort in the near future.

“MRC was essential to the success. We know they can help us. When we’ve identified problems, they’ve identified opportunities. They’ve helped us both train people and identify new markets.  They’re focused on the big picture, but they also get into the details.”     .................Dick Bus, President

MRC is a member of the Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center Network and is a national affiliate of the NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership.  MRC helps drive regional economic development through services that help manufacturers compete and grow through technology acceleration and innovation, operational excellence, green and sustainability, revenue growth, strategic finance, and succession planning.   For more information about MRC and its services, please visit: http://www.mrcpa.org.  For additional information, contact Pat Felise at 610-758-6069, or pat.felise@mrcpa.org.