CASE STUDY
Winnebago Saves $150,000 with Custom Anti-Fatigue Mats
Challenge
Winnebago Industries, a Fortune 1000 manufacturer of premium RVs, was previously replacing its anti-fatigue mats every 4 months due to rapid deterioration, curling borders creating trip hazards, and operators stacking mats on top of each other to find comfort because the mats quickly went flat and lost their ergonomic cushion.
Most of Winnebago's previous mats came in rolls which were cut to length by operators, creating additional trip hazards due to the lack of beveled edges on all sides. Continuing down this path would have impacted employee morale and safety, and led to an additional 19,000 sq. ft. in poor-quality mats filling Winnebago floors.
Winnebago partnered with AcroMat to develop a strategic plan, ultimately designing and installing 300 custom anti-fatigue mats across 4 manufacturing facilities in 2022. The project saved Winnebago $150,000 across the next 5 years and reduced recordable incidents by 70%.
I had an amazing experience working with AcroMat and getting better anti-fatigue matting incorporated throughout our company. Employees are really happy with the mats, including our ability to customize the mats for each work area. General Manager Russell Herbert was extremely helpful and a pleasure to work with.
Before: Winnebago had an array of random mats pieced together, creating trip hazards due to overlapping borders, gaps, and inconsistent thicknesses. The previous mats wore out quickly and needed to be replaced every 4 months.
After: With a formal standard in place, Winnebago replaced all hazard mats with custom AcroMats designed to fit each workspace – eliminating trip hazards and savings thousands of dollars in costs due to the extensive durability.
Solution
Key Results:
- 300 custom anti-fatigue mats installed across 4 facilities in 2022
- Eliminated trip hazards caused by pieced-together solutions
- $150,000 saved over 5 years due to improved durability
- Mats waste reduced from thousands of lbs. to zero
- Formal SWI developed, saving costs and time
- Recordable incident rate reduced by 70%
- Pain and discomfort reduced by 50%
- Improved morale and productivity
Creating a Formal Anti-Fatigue Mat Standard
To start, AcroMat conducted thorough facility assessments, identified the specific types of mats and features every new mat needed to include to ensure safety and performance, and brought it all together in a Standard Work Instruction (SWI). The SWI now communicates to all facilities where to go for new mats and the features every mat must include to ensure optimal safety and performance.
This included yellow safety borders on all entry points to improve spatial awareness, and custom shape/size requirements to eliminate trip hazards caused by piecing roll mats together.
The SWI has eliminated confusion, eliminated time-consuming product searches, elevated safety, and has significantly reduced year-over-year costs. The first 4 facilities were able to quickly design and receive 300 custom anti-fatigue mats within 10 days.
Saving $150,000 In Extra Mat Costs
The previous mat strategy for 16 other Winnebago locations, projected over 5 years, was set to cost the company $572,000 in mat disposal and new purchases – not counting potential production lost, health issues, and safety risks. Using the SWI, these 16 facilities had a strategic plan to immediately follow.
According to EHS Manager Abby Lauber, investing in AcroMat anti-fatigue mats, which last upwards of 8 years rather than 4 months, is saving these 16 facilities more than $150,000 over 5 years – budget that is now being allotted to other key safety initiatives.
Supporting Environmental Initiatives
Winnebago is heavily invested in environmental stewardship and preservation. However, as the previous mats lasted just 4 months, they were creating a heavy accumulation of waste. Teams were throwing away thousands of pounds of anti-fatigue mats every year. AcroMat mats can be cleaned without breaking down, easily repaired if rips or tears develop, and quickly trimmed and repurposed to extend lifespans.
By investing in premium mats that last years rather than months, Winnebago reduced mat waste from hundreds of pounds every few months to zero waste since the project began.
Health, Safety and Morale Support
AcroMat anti-fatigue mats are made from premium nitrile rubber foam. The medium-soft material has proven to reduce pain and discomfort by up to 50% compared to hard surfaces and scientifically designed to never compress. Further, the custom shapes ensure operators remain on their mats, experiencing the ergonomic benefit all shift.
Winnebago operators shared their experience switching to AcroMat:
"The new mats are much better. My feet aren’t sore anymore. I like the fact that they go around the whole table. It makes my work go much smoother, being able to move around the whole area without stepping over gaps."
"My back and knees feel a lot better, and these ones don’t tear like the old ones. My whole body just feels better using these."
"The new mats don’t rip like the old ones did. Before, you’d drop a part or a tool, and it would tear a hole right through the old ones. The new ones are more durable and a lot more comfortable."
"I don’t trip as much like I did when we had to stack the flat mats together. These are more comfortable. It feels like wearing a really good pair of shoes."
100-1 Series: Within the SWI, Winnebago selected the AcroMat 100-1 Series. The mat is chemical resistant, guaranteed to never lose its ergonomic cushion, and backed by a full-replacement warranty – ensuring long-term performance.
NitriTuf Diamond Series: The other mat selected by Winnebago was the AcroMat NitriTuf Diamond Series, the only diamond-plate mat available guaranteed not to curl. This eliminated a previously critical trip hazard.
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