DRT has built a reputation as a leader in precision manufacturing and fabrication. Satisfied customers include many of the world’s most progressive industry leaders and Fortune 500 members who rely on DRT’s ability to deliver solutions to support critical infrastructure on six continents.
DRT Holdings boasts an impressive legacy over seven decades, progressively growing and expanding its business focus. A pioneer in the development of the easy-open beverage and food package, DRT has become a major supplier of easy-open systems, parts and tooling. However, its capability is much wider – today, DRT consists of three divisions operating ten facilities in the US and Germany that employ over 600 people and serve diverse industrial markets, leveraging its specialized engineering know-how and deep market expertise.
Three pillars
“The company was founded as a metal packaging business and that has remained one of the key business lines,” says company CEO Robert Cohen. “We offer high-capacity, flexible easy-open conversion systems for diverse food and beverage manufacturing requirements.”
He explains that conversion systems, covered by the Metal Packaging division, have remained a big part of what the company does today. With the broadest and most versatile line of can-end systems in the industry, DRT continues to develop solutions that boost output, reduce material costs, and increase equipment uptime. In addition, DRT also offers the tooling that supports those systems, not only for its own systems but also those of its competitors.
The second division covers DRT’s Precision division which operates through three plants in the US, manufacturing products for various industrial sectors. Specializing in machining highly complex, specialised components, the division delivers trusted, on-time solutions for the most difficult manufacturing challenges.
“Over the years, we have invested in the necessary tools, equipment and processes to ensure that we can meet customer requirements from engineering through fabrication to finishing and assembly. The range of sectors we supply is extremely diverse, and goes all the way down to things that you use in your household, such as garage door systems and containers for household products.”
The third division covers a very different business – aerospace – which has been acquired over the years via five major acquisitions. The division serves both commercial and military aerospace segments as a build-to-print manufacturing operation. The customer base includes OEMs such as General Electric, SpaceX and Blue Origin, to which DRT delivers complex components, kits and assemblies that demand the tightest tolerances for engines, airframes, structures, rockets, and ground-based power systems.
Aerospace currently represents about 40% of DRT’s business, with metal packaging accounting for another 40% and precision machining for 20%. “Being a diversified business has enabled us to be well positioned for fluctuations of individual markets. We use that diversification to keep the company strong, and to build for the future,” says Robert Cohen.
The human aspect
He points out that weathering economic cycles as well as the recent global pandemic while sustaining a strong balance sheet, has been an achievement of which the company and people are very proud. “The credit goes to our people, the most precious asset of our business.”
“And we are very determined to protect our culture as we continue to grow. We want to always protect our family environment. I want our employees to feel they participate in the strategy of the company and to be aware that all the things they do, every day, really impact the results and success of our business, and ultimately touch our customers.”
Mr Cohen explains that from the beginning, the company culture has focused on the customer and continued innovation, which has been a primary factor driving business growth over the years. “Everything we do in our business starts with the customer. Our mission is to work with our customers to solve their problems. We don’t tell them upfront what we can do for them, we work with them to develop the right solution. That’s what we really pour our heart and soul into, and that’s really what makes DRT unique.”
As a people-oriented business, DRT is also committed to making impactful changes in the communities. “All of our facilities participate in the community in various ways. But we also set the example at the leadership level. Within our executive meetings, we always carve out time to volunteer and give back to the community as a leadership team.”
The most recent initiative focused on a veteran cemetery in Dayton, one of the oldest cemeteries in the United States for veterans. The DRT management team spent several hours cleaning headstones in the Dayton National Cemetery, a powerful experience, says Robert Cohen. “We have been blessed with our success in the market space but we also want to give back to the communities in which we live and operate.”
Investing in the future
As a responsible business, DRT embraces the sustainability challenge, striving to develop environmentally-friendly solutions. DRT continuously adapts its policies and practices to focus on increased sustainability, recycling, and going steps beyond environmental compliance.
One specific initiative in the metal packaging world is driving the switch in beverage containers to aluminium – an infinitely recyclable material, says Mr Cohen, adding that most DRT’s facilities generate metal, which in most cases is completely recyclable.
With its track record and widely recognised capabilities, the company is set to continue its growth trajectory which historically has been based on both organic growth and acquisitions. DRT is currently in the process of concluding a new acquisition and at the same time is evaluating expansions at two of our facilities.
“We are also investing in the human side of the business. Over the last 14 months, we have developed a programme called DRT University which is focused on internal training and development for our people. This training curriculum is focused not only to help current labour challenges but also to support our most precious resource, our people. We are creating a career destination for them, thus also creating a strong future for our business,” Mr Cohen concludes.
