Clopay Corporation’s Augusta Plant: A Benchmark in Maintenance Excellence

Augusta, Kentucky—home to actor George Clooney, singer Rosemary Clooney, and Miss America 2000 Heather French Henry—now also hosts a Clopay Corporation manufacturing plant that has earned a reputation for world‑class maintenance and reliability.

Clopay’s Augusta facility, the company’s largest employer in the state, employs 210 people (with plans to grow to 260) and boasts a 200,000‑square‑foot main building. The plant specializes in specialty films, extrusion coatings, custom printing and engineered laminations, serving a portfolio of Fortune 500 customers with products ranging from medicated patches to life jackets and beverage bottle labels.

Recognition for Excellence

In 2005, the International Council for Machinery Lubrication awarded the Augusta plant the John R. Battle Award for outstanding machine reliability and maintenance quality. The award recognized Clopay’s best‑in‑class lubrication program, which has attracted visits from global leaders in manufacturing across the United States, Japan, Brazil, Germany, Australia, Denmark and Austria.

Leadership and Culture

Plant Manager Brian Blackford pioneered a culture of continuous improvement and empowerment in 1999. “We built real systems that improved us daily,” he says. “We let our talented people pursue what they’re passionate about.”

Maintenance Engineering Manager Randal Smith emphasizes proactivity: “Our goal is to keep machines running on schedule—no unplanned downtime.”

Planned Maintenance Technician Scotty Lippert notes, “We didn’t label ourselves world‑class; others did.”

Operations

Operating 24/7, the plant converts resin pellets into high‑performance films and materials. Predictive, preventive and precision maintenance—supported by lean manufacturing principles—helps 16 skilled technicians reduce downtime and maintain cost competitiveness.

Plant leadership—Brian Blackford, Scotty Lippert, and Randal Smith—take pride in Augusta’s reliability.

Wayne Blevins holds resin pellets destined for a wide range of films and materials.

Driving Change

Before 2000, the plant operated in crisis mode—rapid order fulfillment followed by reactive repairs. The shift began with a strategic overhaul under Blackford’s leadership, focusing first on safety, then on quality and finally on maintenance.

Safety improved dramatically, moving from 10+ recordable incidents per year to a recordable rate below 1.0, with 423 consecutive days without a lost‑time injury as of September 6.

Quality returns dropped by 80 % in dollars and percentage terms, thanks to rigorous customer‑centric initiatives.

Maintenance restructuring was spearheaded by VP Mike Carlson, who challenged the team to improve without prescribing a solution. The result: a proactive, planned maintenance culture led by technicians trained in predictive technologies such as infrared thermography, vibration analysis, laser alignment and ultrasonic testing.

Site details:
• Location: 50 mi east of Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky International Airport along the Ohio River.
• Site size: 200,000 sq ft main building, plus additional space in secondary buildings.
• Plant employment: 210 (expanding to 260); 16 maintenance staff.
• Products: Specialty films, extrusion coatings, custom printing, engineered laminations used in healthcare, protective apparel, food & beverage, industrial markets.
• History: Converted from a shoe‑manufacturing plant in 1955.

Lubrication Leadership

Clopay’s lube room is often described as “world‑class.” Color‑coded oil tanks, portable containers and sampling tools eliminate cross‑contamination, while a dedicated filtering system reduces ISO cleanliness codes with each pass. This meticulous approach has extended the life of gearboxes—so much so that oil from a 2018 change is still in excellent condition in 2023.

Planned maintenance technician Ronnie Youngman inspects motors in the storeroom.

For deeper insights into Clopay’s lubrication strategies, read the case studies by Scotty Lippert and Randal Smith in Machinery Lubrication magazine. Search “Clopay” on machinerylubrication.com.

Precision & Lean Principles

Beyond lubrication, the plant employs precision maintenance—correct torque, calibrated grease guns and standardized work procedures—to eliminate root causes of failure. Over 150–200 detailed work procedures are embedded in the Maximo CMMS system.

Lean concepts—root‑cause analysis shelves, vibration‑absorbing storage racks, barcode‑linked inventory—enhance efficiency and reliability, embodying the company’s commitment to common sense and continuous improvement.

Impact on Business

Reduced downtime translates into lower operating costs: the plant now uses a fraction of the oil and spare parts it once did, and inventory levels are streamlined. These savings support annual cost‑reduction targets and bolster vendor relationships.

Customers experience fewer interruptions, leading to higher satisfaction and frequent audits that confirm Clopay’s high standards. The plant’s performance has secured a new production area for a major client, creating at least 50 additional jobs.

Ongoing Commitment

Clopay’s Augusta team remains dedicated to continuous improvement. “We never settle,” says Lippert. “Progress requires persistence.” Blackford adds, “We compete globally—if we don’t get better every day, we’re behind.”

When visiting Augusta, consider touring the Rosemary Clooney House, the Miss America exhibit at Parkview Inn, and of course, the Clopay Corporation plant—a testament to disciplined engineering and relentless pursuit of excellence.