Step 1: Planning & Design

Customer feedback drives Little Giant's designs. The team starts by listening to salespeople, safety directors and users to identify common issues and develop practical solutions. "We take that information and begin with the problem in mind," Ryan explained.

The team brainstorms ways to address common pain points and then builds multiple prototypes based on the initial designs. These prototypes are field-tested and refined through user feedback. "You can have a really cool idea, but it needs to pass the standard," Ryan explained, referring to the rigorous ANSI standards that ladders must meet. The team keeps adjusting the design until they have a prototype that meets all safety requirements.

Step 2: Tooling

Next, the company uses custom tools to design various ladder parts, including molds for plastic components and dies for metal parts. It sources raw materials like fiberglass, aluminum, plastic, steel and fasteners to meet specific standards. After the materials and tools are ready, the manufacturing line is set up for production.

Step 3: Manufacturing

Training is essential to ensure quality and efficiency on the production line. Experienced team leads help train employees to perform their specific roles and tasks. As new products are introduced, Little Giant Ladders makes sure employees' knowledge and skills are applied during the production of new models.

"A lot of ladders are put together similarly, so their knowledge transfers to the new product setup," said Ryan. "Employees are involved step-by-step in training those at the different stations — whether it's riveting, final inspection or punching the rails of the rung."

The comprehensive training also teaches employees the proper production order. "We get everyone trained and teach them the sequence in which these parts will be done," Ryan continued. "At that point, we also focus on takt times, ensuring each station on the line operates efficiently to minimize wait times. Balancing the line is key to being effective and productive." 

Step 4: Final Testing 

Quality checks are performed at different stages as the ladder components are assembled. "End-of-line inspection is important. We do randomized testing where our quality assurance team pulls random products off the line and runs them through a battery of tests to make sure we're meeting those standards," Ryan said. Every ladder undergoes a final inspection and randomized testing to ensure it complies with safety standards.

Once the ladders pass all inspections, they are packaged to protect them during shipping. Little Giant maintains a continuous feedback loop and conducts randomized tests to uphold product quality.

"It's far easier to create commodities and sell them based on price. That would be the easy way. But to really tackle the industry and reduce injuries is far more rewarding," Ryan said.