CASE STUDY THE TRIDENT CASE. Striving for Made in the USA in the Inland Empire ONTARIOTHINKSBUSINESS.COM

Transcription

1 CASE STUDY THE TRIDENT CASE Striving for Made in the USA in the Inland Empire ONTARIOTHINKSBUSINESS.COM

2 When Lip Yow founded Trident Case in 2010, he drew upon his experience from successful careers in manufacturing and the gaming industry. Yow saw a need for mobile device cases that increased usability rather than hindered it. Despite starting Trident in the midst of the Great Recession, he still achieved great success. The company quickly grew, designing and manufacturing various versatile and durable mobile device cases as well as charging/disinfecting carts for tablets. Trident Case founder Lip Yow COMPANY DETAILS Trident Case is a family-owned business headquartered in Ontario, California. The company, which manufactures high quality, durable cases for mobile phones and tablets, has all the components of a great manufacturer: an owner with vast industry experience and a vision for the future oversees the company. Talented and innovative Ontario-based designers create award-winning products. Skilled staff transforms those designs into quality products, and the company headquarters and manufacturing facility are ideally situated in an affordable yet logistically desirable location. Ontario functions not only as an import/export hub, but also as a great location for U.S.- based manufacturing. Although Trident Case outsources some manufacturing to China, it aims to produce the majority of its products in the United States by 2016, hiring additional employees and purchasing more equipment in the process. Mobile tech devices, including smartphones and tablets, have become ubiquitous throughout the world. These items require protective cases to maintain their integrity. Trident cases are strong, consisting of an inner layer of silicone covered by hardened polycarbonate; they also include built-in screen protectors. Some cases include a detachable media stand. Both Trident s Kraken and Aegis cases meet military standards for both vibration and drop. 1 A wide variety of case designs is available, accommodating various interchangeable accessories. In addition to sports and recreational uses, Trident cases accommodate military and police applications such as iris scanners and medical scanning devices. They accomplish all this while also addressing environmental concerns, utilizing bio-enhanced resin in plastic-based products to make them degradable, compostable and recyclable.

3 BUSINESS GROWTH IN ONTARIO Yow believes that manufacturing in the U.S. can be challenging [with] labor, utilities, infrastructure and regulations all more expensive when compared to China. He also believes, however, that there are substantial benefits to manufacturing in the U.S., including tax benefits, significant time and transportation savings and greater quality control. 2 Within a few years of its startup, Trident required a larger location for its headquarters and manufacturing facility. By 2012, the company had a 74,000-square-foot headquarters in Ontario and a 42,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Rancho Cucamonga. 3 The company has already invested millions of dollars in its San Bernardino County facilities, and plans more investments for further growth. Key factors in selecting the Ontario region for Trident s new locations varied. Ontario s available infrastructure played a huge part in choosing the region, as it has access to many modes of transportation. It offers easy access to major interstate highways, and the local airport facilitates air shipments. Rail transport allows for quick shipping and receiving, and major shipping providers, such as FedEx and UPS, are located nearby. Beyond logistics, Ontario offered an outstanding pool of skilled workers and management talent. All of these conveniences and opportunities were available at a reasonable real estate price San Bernardino County s commitment to attracting business and industry to the region fostered great economic growth; for example, Ontario s local Foreign Trade Zone grants qualifying businesses discounts on imports and exports costs, which, in turn, encourages the growth of manufacturing in the region. Ontario representatives also introduced Trident to groups such as the nonprofit California Manufacturing Technology, which provided valuable insight on making Trident s production practices more efficient. These regional incentives promoted Trident s success, making their 100% Made in the USA goal more attainable. While now only halfway to the company goal of having all products made in the USA, Trident sees Ontario as the perfect place for reaching that figure. Company sales are so good that, at present, the manufacturing facility in Rancho Cucamonga cannot the meet demand for products. As a result, some manufacturing is still outsourced to factories in China, though Trident is proud to have a hand in boosting the economy and bringing jobs back to the U.S. Yow chose Ontario as Trident Case s home to support his community through job creation and bringing more revenue to the area. Ontario s commercial real estate prices mirror that of residential real estate prices, so those who choose to live and work in Ontario can afford to do so. With the addition of regional programs that reimburse residents for job training, Ontario allows for a standard of living not available in other California locations. In fact, Yow lives in the area as well.

4 THE LIVE WITH IMPACT PHILOSOPHY To Trident, to Live With Impact means having the ability through technology to create a life with more positive impact at work, home and play. Vickie Achee, vice president of marketing at Trident Case, says to Live With Impact means that Trident provides dependable solutions to help you live a more fulfilling life without having to worry about your devices. Their giving philosophy and practices provide more of a personal impact to people s lives. Trident Case is even developing the Live With Impact Foundation to promote the company philosophy. THE BUSINESS/QUALITY OF LIFE NEXUS A good quality of life figured heavily in the choice of Ontario for Trident s base of operations. There is the obvious advantage of living and working in the same area, but Trident takes it a step further by encouraging employees and others in the community to get out and enjoy life. Trident Case s Team Titan enjoys peer-led groups, Employee of the Month awards and team building through community service projects, such as cleaning up beaches, blood drives, and holiday toy collections. Trident employees also host several other community events. Trident employs approximately 100 people, including product designers in the Ontario headquarters and production workers at the company s facility in Rancho Cucamonga. A full team environment is how Achee describes the work culture at Trident, explaining that they want employees to be a part of who we are.

5 GIVING BACK The spirit of caring for employees carries over into giving back to the community. One of the most important lessons taught to Yow by his father is always give back. To remember this, he has kept and framed monthly letters from his father, all of which contained a common theme: When you make money, contribute back to the society. He embraces his father s teachings by regularly giving back to the community that promoted the success of Trident. does not just work with large organizations, however, having donated funds to Fontana Police K-9 facility to allow for the purchase of an additional service dog. Trident Case supports multiple charities and nonprofits in addition to community projects. From product donations to monetary gifts to volunteering, Trident contributes to many deserving organizations large and small, local and national. In early 2014, the company became involved with San Bernardino County s Alliance for Education, which promotes STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. They also worked with the Autism Speaks organization, jointly creating a mobile device case and donating 2,000 of the cases to autistic children. They furthered the effort by selling the case online, with 20 percent of the proceeds going to Autism Speaks. Trident Case employees then participated in the Autism 5K Walk in Pasadena, California, to continue their charitable efforts. Trident Case Trident s innovative mobile device case designs enable many to Live With Impact. Along the way, Yow has also cultivated a company that allows for his employees and those in the Ontario community to enjoy lives that are more impactful. Ontario continually works to foster economic growth in the region with its outstanding real estate values and available logistics it is these factors that helped Trident succeed. Trident Case s success has consequently greatly benefited Ontario through job creation and commitment to the community