Presented by: Ohio Valley Top Shop (“Top Shop”)

In 2024, Top Shop invested in new automated and robotic machinery to upgrade its cabinet production operations. Although a relatively young and growing company, these upgrades have not only leveled up Top Shop’s operations and throughput capacity but have also led the company to evolve many of its business practices and reimagine the company’s direction.

In this presentation, drawing on their own experience from the last three years, the management of Top Shop provide a shop’s “inside” perspective on what these types of upgrades and machinery investments can actually look like and mean for a commercial casework fabricator.

The presentation covers front-end considerations, potential pitfalls and issues (including how to avoid/resolve them), and the myriad ways that this technology can influence all aspects of an operation. This presentation is intended for owners, managers, and key production personnel whose companies are considering incorporating – or have already incorporated – automation and/or robotics into their operations, and to provide practical, real-world experience that will hopefully help these shops understand whether such investments make sense for them – and how to successfully navigate this process if they go down that route.