SmartCap speeds U.S. market growth with 400,000 square foot smart factory

“When we started putting this factory together in 2021, I thought the infrastructure was going to be my biggest problem, and to date, it’s been the least. If I had to describe my partnership with Spectrum Enterprise in a single word, that word is ‘easy."

Andrew White, Vice President Operations, SmartCap

In Fort Worth, Texas, a 400,000 square foot factory houses the assembly of stainless-steel SmartCap truck caps to support a growing U.S. market.

“We needed a team of network people to help us build the network that manages the automation and the data it runs on,” says Andrew White, Vice President Operations, SmartCap. “Spectrum Enterprise came to the table providing us with the right resources, especially with launching this facility in the short amount of time we had.”

SmartCap introduced the world’s first modular truck cap business in South Africa. This comprises a variety of five-piece canopy designs that can be customized for a variety of recreational and commercial functions. As their U.S. business grew, so did awareness of the need to have a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant to serve high North American demand more quickly and efficiently.

“We knew we were coming here, and the only way for us to come here was to automate,” says Jason Ehrlich, Vice President of Global Marketing, SmartCap. “The way this factory is designed puts us in the wheelhouse of where we want to be.” 

At the center of the factory’s network is a modular platform designed for ease of use and full visibility, with managed oversight and support from Spectrum Enterprise. It includes a portal that can be accessed from a computer or mobile device via the cloud. Scalability built into its design enables SmartCap to expand network capability as the factory grows.

Just as the smart factory’s efficiency is built on data, the flow of that data is controlled by Managed Network Edge.

“Managed Network Edge just makes it so easy for me,” White explains. “The way the cameras interface, the WiFi switches, the rest, it’s like a dream. It’s super easy, to the point where you don’t need the knowledge you used to need to keep the network up and running.”