Seaman Corporation: Lean Journey, Long-Term Growth Strategy

TBM has a strong partnership with this family-owned manufacturer of high-performance coated fabrics.

By the turn of the century, Seaman Corporation, an industrial textile manufacturer, was facing stiff competition from domestic and offshore suppliers. Raw material price increases were eroding margins. Productivity was low and scrap was climbing. Customers’ fast order delivery expectations were being fulfilled by holding high levels of finished goods inventory.
Their solution was to find an outside resource and trusted partner to help build internal Continuous Improvement (CI) capability and implement lean to deliver improvements that achieve the highest-possible ROI.

Starting in 2006, the initial kaizen events at Seaman Corporation focused on operational speed and agility while improving the cost of quality, increasing equipment uptime and reducing setup times. Subsequent projects focused on ERP implementation, inventory reduction, production line redesign, training and certification for continuous improvement resources, and more.

Throughout the years, Seaman has embraced several lean tools to drive performance improvement including:

Production preparation process (2P) to optimize the design and set-up of new production lines
Six Sigma training and certification
A post-ERP implementation audit process
A biennial audit of improvement activities to prioritize improvement projects and ensure the highest-possible ROI
Kaizen Events designed to align actions to results and accelerate value creation

In this short video, Richard Seaman, Chairman of Seaman Corporation, said that they wanted to carefully select and invest in a long-term partner to implement their LeanSigma® journey. Retired CEO and President, John Crum, says that they wanted someone to provide outside thinking and to challenge them to “think big”. Commentary by Jonathan Wheatley, TBM Client Manager, sheds light on why this partnership has been successful.

To learn more about Seaman’s success, click here to read the case study.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did lean help Seaman Corporation achieve long‑term profitable growth?

The video explains that lean helped Seaman Corporation achieve long‑term profitable growth by strengthening execution fundamentals rather than relying on short‑term cost cutting. By improving process stability, increasing visibility into performance, and reinforcing disciplined daily management, Seaman was able to grow while maintaining control over quality, delivery, and cost. Lean became a foundation for scaling the business sustainably.

Why is leadership commitment critical to sustaining lean improvements at Seaman?

Leadership commitment is critical because lean improvements do not sustain themselves without consistent reinforcement. The video highlights that Seaman’s leaders stayed actively engaged in daily management, problem‑solving, and performance review. This visible leadership ensured that lean behaviors became embedded in how the business was run, rather than fading after initial improvement efforts.

What lesson does Seaman’s experience offer other manufacturers pursuing growth?

Seaman’s experience demonstrates that profitable growth requires operational discipline before demand accelerates. The video emphasizes that lean is most effective when it is treated as a management system, not a set of tools. Manufacturers that invest in execution discipline, leadership engagement, and continuous improvement are better positioned to grow without sacrificing margins or customer satisfaction.