Cumberland Metal Industries

Danielle Butler

BBUS 438

Cumberland Metal Industries

The case we are discussing today is about Cumberland Metal Industries. Cumberland Metal produces a cushion pad for the pile-driving industry. These pads were placed on top of the helmet and below the pile-driver. They essentially blunt the strike and absorb some of the energy that the pile-driver exhorts. The pads are necessary because otherwise the pile will vibrate, which may lead to a possible crack.

Cushion pads were traditionally made out of hardwood blocks and they did a good job of disrupting some of the energy. The problem with them was they were hard to find, and they weren’t a very great option. The continual pounding made the wood less resistible, allowed heat to build up, and because of this the wood would often catch on fire. This greatly slowed down the process and placed an occupational risk with the pile-driving industry. The industry, seeing the problems with wood cushions, discovered that asbestos cushions seemed to perform similarly in the way it cushioned. As more research was done (and asbestos discovered to be hazardous to one’s health), construction workers desired to seek a safer and less hazardous option.

The result was “a continuous metal wire that had been flattened and then wound into tight, continuous ringlets.” (Harvard Business School, 2) Ringlets were wound until they reached the desired circumference and then had a similar disk on top (with teeth), to help hold the wire together. These cushions had a huge benefit They would never go above 250 degrees, therefore reducing some of the dangers of pile-driving. They were also more efficient and could drive in more piles before needing to replace the pad. This faster driving time helped the companies to save a significant amount of money in the process.

With a product such as these cushion pads, Cumberland Metal struggles