Episode
229
Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:30:00 +0000
Every shop owner wants smoother operations — fewer mistakes, more pride, and less chaos.
But most think “Lean” means “corporate.”
In this episode of the Cabinet Maker Profit System show, Dominic Rubino sits down with Lukas Holland from FastCap, one of the most admired Lean companies in North America. Lukas has spent over 11 years turning Lean into a way of life — not just a process.
At FastCap, every new hire starts by cleaning the bathroom. It’s not punishment — it’s training.
Lukas explains:
“Lean isn’t about time or waste. It’s about culture.”
By starting with a simple, standardized task, new employees learn how to follow a process, take ownership, and make small improvements. That mindset drives everything else in the shop.
Most people think Lean is about working harder or cutting time. Lukas flips that idea:
“It’s about making work easier and letting people fix what bugs them.”
At FastCap, employees are empowered to improve their own work cells — like one worker who saved three hours a day with a $1 PVC solution he invented himself.
Lean isn’t just for the shop floor. Lukas explains how FastCap applies Lean to digital clutter — organizing files, standardizing colors, and creating better systems for quotes, orders, and emails.
If you can “3S” a workbench, you can 3S your inbox.
The hardest part of Lean? Letting go.
Lukas shares how leaders must stop being the “easy button” and start coaching their teams to solve problems.
“If you always have the answers, your people stop thinking. Empower them to fail — then they’ll grow.”
Lukas’ biggest lesson?
“Step 1: Create a standard. Step 2: Improve the standard.”
From bathroom routines to major workflow improvements, Lean is about pride, people, and progress.
More about Lukas Holland: FastCap | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
Connect with Us:
.svg.webp)
