Manufacturing Is Growing the Next Generation of an Arkansas Manufacturing Business

For Zachary Janosky, President of Global Manufacturing, growth is about more than winning the next customer. It is about building relationships, solving problems and continuing a family business that has been part of Arkansas manufacturing for decades.

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Global Manufacturing, Inc. has been part of the Arkansas manufacturing community since 1973. Located in Little Rock near the airport, the company manufactures flow aid devices used to move bulk materials such as sand, sugar, wood chips and flour, along with concrete vibrators that help remove air bubbles and improve the curing and structural integrity of concrete.

The company did not start out as a manufacturer. It began as a distributor before moving into manufacturing under the direction of Kirk Tompkins. In 1989, ownership transferred to Zachary Janosky's mother. After completing his military service, Zachary joined the company in 2018 and has since taken on a larger role in guiding the business into its next chapter.

A lot has changed in manufacturing since the company began, but the importance of relationships has remained constant. Much of Global Manufacturing's long-term success can be traced back to relationships Zachary's mother developed with major distributors and original equipment manufacturers. Those relationships opened doors in industries such as maritime, where ships rely on equipment capable of moving bulk materials including cement and biomass.

Those connections became especially important when the COVID-19 pandemic created major challenges for manufacturers. Global Manufacturing dealt with supply chain disruptions and ultimately lost money during the period, but its work with customers in agriculture helped the company continue operating. The experience reinforced the importance of having strong customer relationships and serving industries with dependable demand.

Today, Zachary is focused on building on that foundation by finding new OEM customers. One of the biggest challenges is competing with lower-priced products manufactured overseas. For Global Manufacturing, however, the conversation goes beyond the price of a piece of equipment. The company brings knowledge of the application and a willingness to work directly with customers to find the right solution.

That means being thoughtful about growth and the opportunities the company chooses to pursue.

“The biggest thing is, which customer do you chase? Because if you're not careful, you'll find that customer who on paper is massive, but then they become the giant elephant that overtakes everything else.”

The company is focused on steady, dependable progress rather than growing too quickly. One of Zachary's goals is to add one new OEM customer every 12 months. It is a measured approach that allows the company to build relationships and capacity at a pace it can support.

For Zachary, Global Manufacturing's value is also about more than simply selling a product. The company works to understand each customer's application and help solve the problem at hand. That requires communication, information and sometimes testing before the right solution can be identified.

The same philosophy shapes the way Global works with distributors. The company makes a point of not going around its distributors to pursue their customers. Instead, it encourages open communication and makes its expertise available to the end user when technical questions or problems arise.

Global Manufacturing currently employs approximately 20 people. Like many manufacturers, the company faces workforce challenges, particularly when larger local manufacturers recruit employees who have already been trained. Retaining experienced people matters because so much of manufacturing knowledge comes from hands-on experience with the products, equipment and applications.

As the company grows, Zachary is also looking at where new technology and automation could make sense. But he believes newer equipment is not always the answer.

“You don't have to have the most high-tech, latest technology to run a company or to produce a product. You can do it with 1980 model equipment. We're doing it with blood, sweat, and tears, but it's got a good backbone.”

Zachary joined the RAMP program after being introduced to it by Matt Goodhart and Jerry. He saw the program as an opportunity to connect with other Arkansas manufacturers, build relationships and find resources that can help strengthen the company.

After more than 50 years in business, Global Manufacturing already has a strong foundation. Zachary's focus now is on building the next generation of customer relationships, finding the right opportunities and continuing to grow the company in a way that makes sense for the future.