“we're investing more than $250 million over the next 3 years in standard, easy-to-replicate automation across our plants and distribution centers.”

In context

“, simplifying and standardizing processes, reducing complexity, reshaping our portfolio and improving resilience and predictability. We see substantial opportunities to streamline operations and consolidate facilities. The transformation includes both deliberate footprint actions as well as targeted investments in manufacturing and process technology. For example, transitioning from solvent to solvent-free coating, which brings cost capital and environmental benefits. Earlier this month, we closed on the previously announced sale of our precision grinding and finishing business within SIBG, which reduced our footprint by 7 factories. And we closed 1 factory and announced 3 other full or partial closures, bringing our total projected manufacturing site count to below 100. At the same time, we're investing more than $250 million over the next 3 years in standard, easy-to-replicate automation across our plants and distribution centers. By automating material handling in our warehouses, replacing manual slitters with automated systems and automating our current manual visual inspection processes, we are improving safety, reducing labor costs, increasing yield and putting ourselves in a better position to support demand as volumes recover. To illustrate the opportunity, we have 7,000 material handlers and over 600 operators performing manual visual inspections across our network and about 500 manual slitters. When we automated the slitting operation at our [ Novato ] facility late last year, we achieved a 30% increase in square yards per hour productivity. Over time, this transformation will allow us to accelerate towards a structurally higher growth, higher margin potential portfolio of priority verticals. Slide 4 provid”