PITTSBURGH, Feb. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FlexScreen is seeking to mitigate inflation by introducing automation to its seven manufacturing plants around the country. The company expects this will neutralize the effects of inflation by helping to lower labor costs.
According to data1 published by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average percentage of annual inflation rate nearly doubled to 8% in 2022. In the previous year, the average was 4.7%. The rise of inflation is attributed to various factors, including supply chain issues, customer demand, and the effects of the global pandemic. Without evidence of a significant decrease soon, companies like FlexScreen are devising solutions to maintain affordability amid inevitable rising overall production costs.
"We're investing over 7 million dollars into outfitting all of our facilities with best-of-class, award-winning automation. Once that's in place, we'll be able to stabilize prices and possibly even lower them," says Joe Altieri, Inventor and CEO of FlexScreen.
FlexScreen recently partnered with Erdman Automation Corp. and created an exclusive, state-of-the-art automated manufacturing line to produce FlexScreen faster and at lower costs. The new line will also enhance and optimize the production process of the custom-sized flexible window screens. The first automated line is estimated to arrive at the company's flagship facility in Pittsburgh by the end of February.
Despite the assumption that automation means layoffs for current employees, FlexScreen has the opposite intention. "We're not planning on laying anybody off; we're just repurposing them into new, easier positions," Altieri said. With hiring and retaining staff becoming a problem for many businesses today, FlexScreen hopes to continue utilizing its current workforce while reducing the complications of labor shortages in the future.
With the new automated line, FlexScreen also announced the option to license its technology directly to window manufacturers, allowing them to produce FlexScreen in-house. Now manufacturers can make FlexScreen's spring-steel flexible window screens faster and easier in a fraction of the space and at a lower cost than aluminum screens. By lowering costs, meeting more customer demands, and increasing the availability of FlexScreen, the company furthers its fight against inflation while transforming the window industry.
About FlexScreen: FlexScreen is the world's first and only flexible window screen. The technology behind aluminum window screens hasn't changed in over 100 years. They have always been easily damaged, complicated to install and remove, and a constant source of frustration for homeowners. After working as a sales rep in the window industry for years, Joe grew tired of the endless complaints he received from customers about their dissatisfaction with their aluminum window screens, and he set out to solve the problem.
Starting with a model in his home garage, Altieri eventually created a prototype of what is now known as the perfect window screen: FlexScreen. The sleek, low-profile, and highly durable PVC-coated spring steel FlexScreen frame effortlessly snaps into the window screen pocket, where it disappears, resulting in a complete view of the outside. Offered in a variety of mesh types and custom-made to the customer's exact window dimensions, FlexScreen provides an attractive, sleek, and durable window screen solution.
FlexScreen was featured on ABC's hit show Shark Tank™ in 2020 and landed a deal with Lori Greiner, known as the "Queen of QVC," who later said on a FlexScreen Shark Tank™ Update episode, "Our goal with FlexScreen is to replace the window screen industry completely." Company growth has skyrocketed, and FlexScreen continues to revolutionize the window industry.
- "Current US Inflation Rates: 2000-2023: US Inflation Calculator." US Inflation Calculator |, 12 Jan. 2023, https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/current-inflation-rates/#:~:text=The%20annual%20inflation%20rate%20for,ET.
SOURCE FlexScreen
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