In the high-stakes world of electric vehicle production, timelines are tight, standards are uncompromising, and every component—from battery cells to the containers that hold them—must pass rigorous qualifications. For a key battery supplier to an international automotive company, those demands came to a head when the key battery supplier’s original cleaning partner failed to meet the international automotive company’s high expectations for dunnage preparation.
The dunnage units—protective containers used to transport battery cells—are critical to moving components to final assembly. Weeks before a key milestone, it became clear the cleaning vendor wouldn’t deliver. The units could not be qualified, and the key battery supplier’s project timeline was in danger.
Behind the scenes, the key battery supplier regrouped. “They had invested time and trust in the original partner,” said MPW Manager of Strategic Partnerships Tyler Keathley. “But when it fell apart, they needed a plan.” Keathley, with MPW’s Industrial Services division, was notified of the situation through a referral.
“This wasn’t an open lane,” Keathley said. “We were being asked to step into a moving project and figure out how to incorporate ourselves without slowing it down.”
The first issue was infrastructure. The key battery supplier needed a clean, controlled environment quickly, and none of MPW’s standard locations were built for that. Working with procurement, Keathley identified two clean room vendors. No single provider could meet the lead time, so both were brought onboard.
With equipment ordered, the next challenge was location. Keathley turned to Georgetown, South Carolina, at a site used by MPW’s Industrial Water divsion. Keathley contacted Plant Manager Tyree Linen.
“Tyler asked how big our bay was,” Linen said. “I told him to come see. Once we measured it out, we knew it could work if we got creative.”
The teams retrofitted the space, clearing equipment and constructing a soft-walled cleanroom tent. Staging and dressing areas were added, airlocks simulated, and truck access was maintained. The improvised cleanroom was ready under deadline.
“The scope changed fast,” Linen said. “At first, the tent was just for finished units. Then we had to handle media, sort materials, and support flow, all in the same footprint.”
The work was demanding. “It was incredibly hot and humid,” said Project Manager Mary McCarty. “People rotated every couple of hours in Tyvek suits. At day’s end we’d have a pile of soaked uniforms and an exhausted team.”
Dunnage came in waves, often more than expected, forcing layout changes. “We were constantly adjusting,” McCarty said. “Space, flow, even printer access had to be figured out.”
Teamwork was paramount. “Trailers were coming on and off all day, but everyone understood the stakes,” said Team Leader Jesus Quintero Anez. “It wasn’t about roles; it was about helping.”
Even logistics had to be shared. “We coordinated forklifts. If a truck needed loading and we weren’t busy, we made it happen,” Linen said.
What started as a two-week effort turned into three. “We didn’t have a silver bullet,” Keathley said. “It was solving problems one at a time.”
The outcome was a qualified setup that met the international automotive company’s standards and kept the key battery supplier’s project on track. The engagement brought in significant revenue and showed MPW’s ability to mobilize under pressure.
“This wasn’t about swooping in,” McCarty said. “It was about stepping in, doing our part, working together, and earning the result.”
By late June, the final units were processed, and the setup wound down. For MPW, the success wasn’t how fast they moved. It was how deliberately they delivered when it mattered most.