Case
MECHLINE ENGINEERING: AT THE CROSSROADS OF GROWTH
INDUSTRY :-
AREA :ENTREPRENEURSHIP
ORGANIZATION :-
LENGTH :24
LUMS No :23-072-2017-1
PUBLICATION YEAR : 2017
ABSTRACT:
This case revolves around Mechline Engineering (MLE), an automotive parts supplier based in Lahore, Pakistan. Registered as a private partnership between the founding partners, Zahid and Tariq, in 1987. MLE specialises in the supply of door hinges and door lock strikers for different automobiles. MLE has monopolised the production of these specialised parts, and counts the ‘big three’ OEMs, i.e. Honda, Toyota, and Suzuki, amongst its customers. While MLE has been an exemplary company over the years, winning many ‘best vendor’ awards for quality and delivery; recently, the company has been plagued with complaints from their biggest customers. These complaints center on miscommunication from MLE’s side on different matters, as well as late deliveries and falling quality standards. MLE’s management must; thus, evaluate what has gone wrong while the company has grown from a small entrepreneurial concern to a mid-sized organisation. For this purpose, students must first understand the founders’ entrepreneurial journey. This will lead them to map MLE’s growth trajectory over the years and identify its current positioning on this growth spectrum. They will seek out and attempt to correct any misalignments in the company’s key management factors, which will help determine its future growth prospects.