...there was over an 18 mo lead time to manufacture and deliver the furnaces needed for the production -- and they are not sourced in the US.
((((sigh)))) yeah... that too...
but I rant about that all the time...
However, it's been a while since I've foamed at the mouth about the downside of trying to push capacity utilization too high, so I took off in that direction for a change of pace. Increased capacity utilization IS financially desirable and a worthy goal to be competitively productive. BUT (and it's a big but) there are also negative consequences when you're banging your head against capacity limitations. It's one of 'em "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situations. My personal preference is to always have reserve capacity availability to help adress those unforseeable circumstances that always pop up. Needless to say, beancounters tend to have the opposite view. LOL! Such is life!