Empowering a Manufacturer in a Changing Marketplace

Established in 1926, Dayton Rogers Manufacturing Company is a leading contract manufacturer in the metal stamping and fabrication industry with four locations across the U.S. and more than 150 employees. The company provides metal stamping and forming solutions for businesses and even helps customers with the design of their products to improve the manufacturing process. Dayton Rogers has trusted our team for tax and business guidance since 2016.

Challenge

Dayton Rogers’s ability to handle complicated metal forming jobs is unmatched. In fact, the company literally wrote the book on metal forming with the publication of its technical design manual, “The Red Book.”

However, the company’s history and age made adapting to a changing marketplace feel like an overwhelming hurdle. “We were a 90-year-old company trying to not act like a 90-year-old,” explained Dayton Rogers CEO Dave Fenske.

Solution

Recognizing the challenge ahead, Dave and the company’s owner, Ron Lowry, reached out to our manufacturing-focused CPAs for support. One of the first things we did was to help the Dayton Rogers leadership team become more proactive in planning for challenges and opportunities.

In addition to partnering with Dayton Rogers’ in-house accounting staff to identify potential tax credits and savings, we now serve as on-call business advisor. The company’s leaders call us on a regular basis, and we answer questions or weigh in on a decision as needed.

Results

Since we began partnering with Dayton Rogers, the company has achieved efficient growth in a competitive marketplace. The company has also secured several R&D tax credits and, more recently, Employee Retention Credits.

“Abdo is a true partner—they don’t just give us the numbers. They’re a business advisor first, and an accountant second.”

—Dave Fenske, Dayton Rogers CEO