Accelerating Production with AS Modular

by | Feb 3, 2025

Allison-Smith Company (ASCO) – an employee owned and customer-centric electrical contracting and engineering firm – has been expanding throughout Georgia and the Southeast US since 1943. With a national and international presence, ASCO pledges to continuous improvement and providing excellent services including electrical distribution, lighting systems, security systems, fiber optics, and more to its client base.

Partnering for hardgoods and gas since 2023, ASCO reached out to the nexAir Territory Manager when they began a major project creating prefabricated 30ft by 5ft steel skids for the tech industry. The company originally received flux core wire and CO2 gas; however, this project required a tight deadline, making it necessary for ASCO to expedite its welding process. Bringing nexAir’s Productivity Specialist on board, they analyzed the company’s system and recommended a switch to a metal core wire and an argon and CO2 gas mix. Timing the difference, the new gas and wire performed 30% faster. This improvement positioned ASCO to complete the project with ample time and with improved quality.

nexAir assisted ASCO with on-site training to help the welders adjust to the accelerated workflow and variance in material handling. They also conducted a cut and etch assessment, comparing the quality and penetration of the previous and updated procedure, which showed a cleaner and deeper penetrating weld.

Due to its efficiency, Allison-Smith Company converted all 10 of its welders over to the new process, reducing labor costs and time spent not only in welding itself but also in metal preparation and post-weld brushing. Successfully wrapping up the first phase of the project, the company secured over 100 more skids for the second phase. Reflecting on the relationship over the past year, the ASCO team states, “nexAir’s commitment to understand its customers’ processes and to help to solve problems has been instrumental in our success. With a few fairly simple changes in our process, we have been able to improve productivity and make a higher quality product. Not only has nexAir provided great service, but the team has also gone above and beyond to be a value add to our day-to-day operation. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when missions align.”