For showman across the country, the show box is a lifetime product, something that show life is centered around. At Sullivan Supply, we know it is our responsibility to manufacture show boxes that are not only designed with the latest and greatest features but that are also built to the highest standards. The goal of incorporating metal fabrication into the Sullivan Supply business is to be more responsive to customer requests/changes/new features AND to enable the constant and relentless pursuit of quality improvements.
In 2022, we added Will Rupnow to our team as head of our engineering department, Will and his team are helping us take all of our show boxes to the next level. Our boxes are now made of the highest quality materials by highly skilled welders, on state of the art manufacturing equipment. We have made slight design and production changes to increase the experience our loyal customers will have with our show boxes.
Will brings with him a wealth of experience in product and manufacturing engineering. Will is working with the Sullivan Supply New Product Managers to continue to push the innovation envelope across the entire Sullivan Supply product lineup. He is also responsible for all engineering, final design and documentation for all products in the Sullivan Supply family.
Along with Will, Michael Hanigan also joined the Sullivan Supply team as the Manufacturing Manager – Metal Fabrication. Michael handles all the installs and daily operations for Sullivan Supply Fabrication. “Our products are only as good as our weakest link, which is why I work relentlessly to improve that weakest link daily and turn it into a true differentiator in how Sullivan Supply Products excel in the industry.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to have two tremendous new leaders, Michael Hanigan and Will Rupnow as well as the entire fabrication team as a part of Sullivan Supply. The industry is hungry for new features, benefits and cool new colors combined with quality built into the metal products that will serve the customers needs for a long time. We are building a team and the facilities to do just that.” states Matt Burkhart, Sullivan Supply General Manager
Sullivan Supply recently completed a 34,000 square foot expansion, where they are integrating a semi-automated powder coating line and robotic welding, to the original 50,000 square foot building. The expanded space will allow Sullivan Supply to continue to invest in state-of-the-art equipment and bring on new team members to deliver the best metal items in the industry.
Vertically integrating metal fabrication into Sullivan Supply was the right move for us and is a competitive differentiator for our business. The integration, and in house engineering, allows the team to improve quality, better control output and speed up the innovation cycle.
The metal fabrication team currently produces all the showboxes, chutes, stall dividers, and front panels with the exception to a few small products. All branded Sullivan Supply items are now manufactured in Denison, Iowa which helps to bring this family owned business back to its small town roots.
Along with all the livestock supplies manufactured here, the team also manufactures items for other industries including; fixtures for park benches in the City of New Orleans, Spalding equipment for the Olympics & all NBA Basketball hoops. This is another prime example of how Sullivan Supply continues to be the innovative leader.
