Written by Tyler Schmidt
Matthew Blumer of Makloc, a Canadian company specializing in the design, manufacturing, and construction of high-quality structural steel buildings, reflects on the company’s transformative partnership with RIVR Solutions. Despite steady business and a busy year, Makloc’s leadership realized that operational inefficiencies and a lack of consistent processes were holding them back. While the management team had invested in Lean Six Sigma training, true system-wide improvements remained out of reach without external support.
Before RIVR Solutions came on board, Makloc often fell into the trap of “just getting work done by whatever means necessary.” This reactive approach led to missed opportunities for profitability and created internal roadblocks that became increasingly apparent after a particularly demanding fiscal year. Long-term employees, though skilled, were entrenched in established routines, making it difficult to secure broad buy-in for process changes. Leadership knew where the issues lay, but struggled to break down the problems into manageable, actionable pieces.
The turning point came when Makloc met Greg from RIVR Solutions. Rather than simply providing a process map, RIVR brought a hands-on, holistic approach. Greg engaged the Makloc team in thorough current state assessments and process mapping exercises, making inefficiencies visible to everyone involved. Through a series of well-structured Kaizen events, the key stakeholders were brought together to map workflows, identify waste, and generate practical action items for meaningful change. These sessions were extremely detailed and consistently revealed the scale of improvement opportunities and inspired important “aha” moments even among seasoned staff.
RIVR didn’t just address front-line operations. Greg worked closely with Makloc’s executive team to clarify the “why” behind every initiative—connecting daily improvements to the company’s bigger strategic vision. This alignment was crucial in building commitment and providing a sense of shared purpose throughout the organization.
The results are already being felt. With tools and frameworks developed alongside RIVR, Makloc is now far more realistic with project scheduling and sets clearer expectations with clients. Projects no longer start “behind the eight ball,” and incremental improvements are being made—even as work continues towards implementing long-term procedure development. Employee buy-in is growing, leadership capabilities are stronger, and staff performance is now tied back to tangible outcomes.
Looking ahead, Makloc is committed to maintaining the momentum. The management team plans to continue organizing Kaizen events and mapping out further phases of their operations, from purchasing to fabrication. Makloc’s ultimate goal is to fully internalize these new ways of working so that progress continues independently, long after the consulting engagement ends.
Matthew credits RIVR Solutions with providing clarity, structure, and motivation during a critical period. Their holistic, engaging, and actionable approach has set Makloc on a sustainable path of continuous improvement. For organizations grappling with complex challenges, Makloc’s experience demonstrates that the right partner can help transform not just processes—but the entire culture.