Service: Growth Strategy
Profit improvement for an aerospace and defense manufacturer
For more than 40 years, the Cherokee Nation Industries (CNI) family of companies has operated as government contractors in aerospace and defense manufacturing.
CNI supplies valuable parts to organizations such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky and NASA’s International Space Station. Operating out of manufacturing facilities in Stilwell, Okla., Pryor, Okla. and Tahlequah, Okla., CNI’s aerospace and defense manufacturing businesses provide electrical, electro-mechanical, interconnect solutions, distributing, kitting and manufacturing cable and wire harness assemblies for commercial and military aircraft as well as various missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs.
For several years, CNI’s profitability was not meeting expectations. Maven was engaged to provide recommendations to CNI management on how the business could improve profitability. In the first phase of the work, a comprehensive profit diagnostic was conducted across the entire business where the Maven team identified 25+ profit improvement opportunities. In the second phase of the work, the 10 best opportunities were refined and action plans for achieving the results were develop in conjunction with the CNI management team.
A $1B big box retailer focused on the home décor market.
Located in Dallas, TX, At Home is a $1B big box retailer focused on the home décor market. With 123 stores in 30 states, At Home dominates category selection in home décor.
Average stores have 120,000 sq ft of retail space and carry 50,000 skus. Originally operating as Garden Ridge Pottery the company was purchased by AEA Investors in 2011 and has undergone a massive turnaround and transformation. It was renamed At Home in 2014 and went public in 2016.
At Home has been a remarkably successful turnaround. Part of that success was having a solid 5 year plan and executing on that plan. As 2016 came to a close, At Home was nearing the end of their original 5 year plan and needed to look forward to the next 5 years. A key part of that forward look was having a strong understanding of the competitive landscape.
Maven Associates was engaged to develop detailed profiles of 20 competitors and to assess where At Home stood in the broad competitive landscape. Thru a combination of online research, store visits and extensive interviews, Maven was able to provide a clear view of At Home’s position in the retail home décor market. Several opportunities to close gaps with competitors were identified and prioritized.
