Toyo Seat manufactures automotive components across multiple production facilities in Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee. With a lean IT organization and critical production environments to support, the company needed a trusted technology partner that could provide both emergency response and strategic infrastructure guidance without the cost and complexity of maintaining specialized resources at every location.
Working with Mobile Mentor, Toyo Seat found more than a consultant. They found a trusted extension of their IT team.
The Challenge
When a critical server failed at Toyo Seat's Tennessee facility, IT Manager Rob McConachie faced a difficult reality. The plant had no local IT staff, and the facility was eight hours away from his location in Michigan.
Production systems were impacted, and the company needed someone with the expertise to respond quickly.
"I needed somebody local who was qualified enough to do something to help out because there's no IT in the Tennessee facility."
After searching throughout the Nashville area, McConachie connected with Mobile Mentor executive, Glenn Porter. Glenn quickly arrived onsite, diagnosed the issue, restored the server, and got operations running again.
That initial engagement highlighted a broader challenge. Much of Toyo Seat's network infrastructure was nearly two decades old, relying on aging switches and legacy network designs that limited visibility, resilience, and scalability.
"We had switches from 2005. The infrastructure needed to be upgraded."
At the same time, budget constraints required every investment to deliver maximum value.
The Solution
After successfully resolving the Tennessee server outage, Mobile Mentor became a trusted resource for both strategic planning and hands-on implementation.
Working closely together, McConachie and Porter designed a phased modernization strategy that aligned with Toyo Seat's budget and operational requirements.
The engagement included:
Rob McConachie, IT Manager, Toyo Seat
Rather than requiring McConachie to travel between facilities, Mobile Mentor provided local engineering support that could be deployed when and where it was needed.
"When there's a non-emergency and we need regular maintenance, Glenn and the Mobile Mentor team could go fix the network, upgrade it, replace equipment, and do all the things that a network engineer does. I didn't have to fly. I didn't have to have a hotel. I didn't have to have per diem." – Rob McConachie
The result was a flexible operating model that gave Toyo Seat access to enterprise-level expertise without maintaining additional full-time resources.
The Impact
The modernization efforts delivered immediate operational improvements and long-term reliability benefits across Toyo Seat's manufacturing environment.
Improved Reliability and Network Resilience
The new Aruba-based architecture introduced modern network capabilities that simply were not possible with the legacy environment.
"It has been a night and day difference."
Features such as VLAN segmentation, automated monitoring, and loop detection significantly reduced operational risk.
"We've had issues where loops were detected and the switches automatically disabled the ports that had the loops. That saved from taking the whole company down."
Faster Infrastructure Modernization
Mobile Mentor helped design and deploy solutions that could be implemented efficiently across multiple facilities.
One deployment involved ten Aruba switches that automatically registered and configured themselves shortly after installation.
"All 10 switches registered themselves in about a minute."
This simplified rollout dramatically reduced the effort required to modernize remote locations.
Cost Savings Through Local Expertise
Perhaps the greatest value came from reducing travel costs while still providing expert support at remote facilities.
"It saved the company money just by having the Mobile Mentor team local. They could do it all in a day."
According to McConachie, using local engineering resources reduced the overall cost of maintenance activities by approximately 75 percent compared to traveling personnel from Michigan.
Stronger Security Posture
More recently, Mobile Mentor conducted a cybersecurity penetration test that helped validate Toyo Seat's security improvements and identify remaining risks.
The assessment revealed only five critical findings, all of which were quickly remediated.
"I have five critical things to fix, which they're all fixed already."
The results also validated previous security recommendations that had already been implemented.
"Some of the things that the Mobile Mentor team and I had talked about in the past, I implemented, and it made the security better here."
Rob McConachie, IT Manager, Toyo SeatFor McConachie, Mobile Mentor's value extended far beyond technology projects.
As the sole IT leader supporting multiple manufacturing sites, having access to trusted expertise on demand has enabled him to move faster, solve problems more effectively, and support the business without expanding internal headcount.
What began as an emergency support call evolved into a long-term partnership that continues to help Toyo Seat modernize infrastructure, strengthen security, and keep production environments running smoothly.
