Video
How Mallard Creek Polymers Exceeded Its Productivity Target by 16%
Get Access on February 12
Inside Mallard Creek Polymers’ Transformation
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Mallard Creek Polymers is a specialty chemicals manufacturer serving customers across multiple industrial segments. The transformation featured in this Behind The Scenes took place at its primary manufacturing facility, where leadership and frontline teams worked together to standardize changeovers and improve productivity.
Transformation Highlights
40% productivity improvement target—exceeded by 16%
15 changeover types simplified into 9 standardized processes
One unified CI language across operators, engineers, and leaders
Hear from the leaders and practitioners
Real insights from the leaders and practitioners who drove change at Mallard Creek Polymers
Paul Winkley
Plant Manager
“Beyond the cycle time improvement, this project built trust in the continuous improvement mindset. When people see that optimizing procedures makes their work easier—not harder—ownership follows.”
Tim Dolin
Continuous Improvement Manager
“We initially underestimated where our real productivity challenge was. Having outside eyes helped us reframe priorities and set a target that truly mattered.”
Nicholas Hartsell
Project Engineer
“Standardizing the changeover process and separating internal from external work simplified complexity. That structure made sustained improvement possible.”
Our Kaizen Experts in Action
This transformation was delivered in close collaboration with Mallard Creek Polymers’ leadership and frontline teams, supported by experienced Kaizen Institute consultants working on-site throughout the initiative.
Dan Chartier
Managing Director & Partner at Kaizen Institute USA
Dan has over 25 years of experience leading Lean transformations across a wide range of industries including manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and services. As Managing Director & Partner at Kaizen Institute North America, he works closely with executive teams to design and implement strategies that build a culture of continuous improvement and deliver measurable, sustainable results.
Patricia Paiva
Principal at Kaizen Institute USA
Patricia Paiva is a Kaizen practitioner with international experience supporting operational excellence and continuous improvement transformations across industries. As a Principal, she works closely with leadership and frontline teams to design and deliver structured improvement initiatives, with a focus on process performance, capability building, and sustainable results.
Wilson Tran
Project Leader at Kaizen Institute USA
Wilson Tran supports Kaizen transformations by leading structured improvement initiatives that combine analytical problem-solving with hands-on execution. As a Project Leader, he works closely with client teams to diagnose performance gaps, test countermeasures, and support the implementation of practical improvements across operational environments.
How Kaizen Was Applied in Practice
Where methodology, data, and people came together on the shop floor.
Using value stream mapping to find the real constraint
How value stream mapping (VSM) revealed that reactor turnaround time—not production speed—was the primary lever for improving productivity.
Applying SMED and standard work to stabilize changeovers
How SMED principles and standard work simplified complex changeovers, reduced variation, and created repeatable performance across operators.
Building a shared CI system—not isolated tools
How common language, routines, and visual management aligned operators, engineers, and leaders around continuous improvement.
A New Kind of Benchmark Visit
Behind the Scenes is Kaizen Institute’s exclusive format for sharing real-world transformation stories—directly from the teams involved.
This episode takes you inside Mallard Creek Polymers’ plant, where you’ll see how Kaizen methods were applied on the floor to uncover hidden capacity, standardize execution, and build a shared continuous improvement system.