By Jenny Yu. 

From direct-to-builder service to jobsite visits, AJ Manufacturing puts customer needs at the center of every decision. 

At A.J. Manufacturing Inc., customer service is more than a department. It has been a core part of the company’s identity for its over five decades as a leader in insulated door product manufacturing. In this episode of MetalCast™, Karen Edwards spoke with Todd Carlson, the president of A.J. Manufacturing, about how the team’s fast response and hands-on approach continue to set the tone for how the business interacts with builders, contractors and end users. 

“We trip over ourselves sometimes in responding, so we reflect and we say we should slow down a little bit. Let's follow our problem-solving format. Let's get to the root cause before we jump to solutions,” Todd shared, showcasing the urgency and enthusiasm in which the A.J. Manufacturing team brings to each customer inquiry.  

A big contributor to AJ’s responsiveness is its choice to operate direct-to-builder instead of relying heavily on distribution. Todd said the model keeps the company close to customers and more aware of jobsite realities. “We are direct substantially. The direct contact means we're right next to the customer and the end user, and that's how we try to look at the relationship,” Todd explained. “When we deliver a product, it's not just getting it to our customer. It's getting it to the job site, and then it's the interface and interaction with the end user.” 

Todd and A.J. Manufacturing leaders take that commitment into the field. Instead of sending service teams to jobsites, the quality manager, head of operations, head of engineering or the president will travel across the country to observe conditions firsthand. “I've been on rooftops of buildings in California, New York. I've been on job sites in the Deep South at poultry and hog farms,” Todd shared. “We take a look at what the real conditions are, and we try to really understand what's happening and then come back and work on it.” 

Listen to the full podcast to learn more about A.J. Manufacturing’s customer-first approach.

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how this Wisconsin-based company has built a legacy of quality, innovation and customer service.  

In a new episode of MetalCast™, Karen Edwards had the chance to interview Todd Carlson, the president of A.J. Manufacturing Inc. The story of A.J. Manufacturing began when a Mr. Luedtke sold his hand rail and accessories business to Alan Buckman and Jerry Peterson in the late 1960s. From there, the business moved through different challenges and changes, notably switching hands in the late 1990s and then again in the early 2000s to a private equity firm. It was around that time, about 21 years ago, that Todd joined the A.J. team.  

Todd recalled the state of things when he joined the company. He shared, “When I joined the company, it was stabilizing. We were kind of still in an infancy stage with about half of our business in doors and wall panels for industrial HVAC manufacturers and the other half for our post-frame focus, so doors and windows for pole barns.” Today, they have grown, boasting almost 200 employees, and A.J. has become a leading name in customer-driven, high-quality insulated door products. Even as the company has expanded, A.J. has stayed grounded in their mission of providing “more value than expected by our customer, employee or stakeholder [through] innovation and creativity [that] results in unique and exceptional product and service solutions for our customers.” 

A great example of how they continue to pursue this mission is their builder-direct sale practices. Being builder-direct allows the A.J. team to look at orders more on a case-by-case basis and help installers problem-solve directly. This sets installers up for success, whether that's through helping manage packaging logistics, installation services or other resources. Todd elaborated, “Our team is able to focus on little things like packaging for each of our clients. Some might argue we're over packaged, but I'm here to tell you, things happen, it gets bumped, it gets not strapped quite right, all sorts of things and it can cause trouble. No one cares more about the product than our team in the moment that it’s assembled and sent out into the world. So, we take the time to figure out how we can defend against bumps and such so that our customers get their orders quickly and ready to use every time.” It is this dedication to their customers and their products that has built A.J. a powerful legacy of exceptional product and service solutions.  

Listen to the full conversation between Karen and Todd to learn more about this incredible company.