Impact Fab
Discovering the hidden treasures in your business.
Client
Impact Fab, a custom fabrication shop
Challenge
Slowed growth and the same conversations on repeat, with nothing changing
Solution
Strategic Planning (StratOp®)
Results
A strategic plan with the freedom to pivot and the discipline of written goals
Growth had slowed, and the same conversation kept repeating.
Ross Haan first brought me on as a one-on-one leadership coach. But his Holland-based business needed more than coaching. It needed a full strategic and operational process — something that could push the whole company toward stronger growth.
Impact Fab launched out of the Haan family garage back in 1994. Three decades later, it’s a full-service metal fabrication shop turning out high-quality custom parts, on time and at a fair price.
But a few years ago, the momentum stalled. “Our growth had slowed,” Ross told me, “and it felt like we kept having the same conversation over and over without anything changing. We needed a shot in the arm — a team-developed core plan that made unified action possible.”
Planning that happened with them, not to them.
Ross and I already had a good relationship from our years of coaching, so as their StratOp facilitator I could make connections and build trust with the wider team quickly.
"Jay is literally part of our team. He's deeply involved, but never intrusive. With his holistic, long-term approach, we didn't just get a one-and-done plan, we got the tools and techniques to keep reaching new goals. Most importantly, Jay makes sure no one is left out of the brainstorming and decision-making. The people who 'make it happen' on a daily basis are all brought into the process."Ross Haan
I made sure strategic planning wasn’t something happening to Impact Fab. It was something happening with them — something the whole team did together.
No more hit-and-miss planning.
Using StratOp, I guided this established firm through building a forward-thinking core plan — one that was both measurable and aligned with their objectives.
"We appreciated the 360-degree approach to planning that the StratOp process takes. Basically, it's stepping back and seeing the big picture, understanding the context we are operating in, and then finding the important things to help move the company forward. Only StratOp covers all the bases."Ross Haan
StratOp helped the leaders of Impact Fab prioritize their time and find the bandwidth to evaluate the business properly. It helped them zero in on the make-or-break areas they needed to work on, then gave them a way to tackle those areas in a manageable form and cadence, so they didn’t slip through the cracks.
“Jay helps with the process and the implementation — which means organizational alignment and team engagement don’t slip away,” Ross shared. “It’s also added a new level of accountability for myself and the team. Knowing that I’ll need to give a report on projects imparts an urgency and importance to them that was missing previously.”
A roadmap to new treasures.
Some at Impact Fab were hesitant to embrace strategic planning at first. They feared a plan would “handcuff” them to a rigid structure. “Instead,” said Ross, “it’s given the team a roadmap to ensure we’re all traveling in the same direction.”
The roadmap didn’t box in creativity or flexibility. Instead, it gave them the steadiness that comes from always knowing where the company stood. StratOp gave them comfort in the form of an accurate, current read on all the moving parts of Impact Fab, financial and operational alike. From there, they could strike out toward their goals, sure of the ground under them.
"[StratOp] has been the single best decision and investment we've made to lead the business well, care for our team members, and be good stewards of our God-given resources." Ross Haan · President at Impact Fab
Strategic planning for manufacturers.
Impact Fab is one of many manufacturing companies I've worked with on strategic planning. Whatever your size or specialty, manufacturers do better with an outside set of eyes to guide them toward plans that are both sustainable and achievable.
"Around here, 'meetings' used to be a four-letter word. The last thing we wanted was more meetings. Initially the team was hesitant and even skeptical about investing the time into the process — especially taking two days away (some thought it was impossible). However, it didn't take long for the team to change their minds, and now we look forward to our StratOp sessions every quarter."Ross Haan · Impact Fab
If your growth has stalled and the same conversations keep circling, let's talk.
The first conversation is simply a chance to talk and see if it's helpful.