How Has CDT Handled the 2020 Pandemic and Its Aftermath?

2020 was a set back for economies across the world, but by making wise use of this time, CDT is poised to spearhead the recovery for themselves and their customers in 2021 and beyond.

“At CDT, we are always trying to look ahead and prepare for what’s around the corner,” says Nick Viggiano, President of CDT. “In 2020, during the pandemic, we had time to develop a state-of-the-art grinding lab, make improvements to our quality protocols, and upgrade our ERP systems.”

“We felt that production would go through the roof once we got past the pandemic, so we spent more on capital equipment in 2020 than any other year prior. With the explosion in growth we’ve experienced this year, we will surpass that with all the new technology we are bringing into our manufacturing facility.”

During the first half of 2021, CDT experienced major supply chain issues like much of the manufacturing sector. The purchasing team worked closely with vendors to anticipate supply bottlenecks. At the first hint of trouble, CDT ordered six month supplies and quarantined it as safety stock for key materials such as Diamond, CBN, steel, aluminum, and powders.

“We never wanted to tell a customer we couldn’t make something because we didn’t have the materials,” says Nick. “This approach opened new doors for us this year when other less-proactive manufacturers had to let their customers down. They found us, and we were more-than-willing to help!”

The labor shortage has been another source of worry for businesses. To be up 50% this year in manufacturing custom tooling has been a tough challenge for the CDT team.

“We’ve always had a family culture at our workplace that appreciates and rewards our employees’ contributions, but this year we’ve explored more unique ways to attract talent in our area,” says Nick. “We launched a video social media campaign to highlight the fun culture and unique benefits we offer such as golf memberships and fitness center. These efforts have paid off with lots of great new people joining our team while continuing to get 75-100 new applications a month.”

“CDT is growing, and I’m very proud of what this company is achieving and where we are headed!”