The Nugget Co. has joined an engineering consortium at the University of Texas at San Antonio to help streamline the company’s manufacturing processes.

The Nugget Co. manufactures and markets a line of high-quality lambskin products used in the production of footwear, shearling garments, western and English-style saddles and seat covers for automobiles and airplanes. The San Antonio company also produces lambskin shearling for medical uses, such as wheelchairs and bed liners, and supplies shearling for the production of paint rollers and applicator pads. The company also provides custom tanning services for deer and exotic game hunters throughout Texas and the United States.

The company is working with the UTSA Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Lean Systems. Over the next two years, the center will work with The Nugget Co. to improve its wastewater treatment processes and to reduce the amount of water the manufacturer uses to produce its sheep and lambskin products. The center is made up of a consortium of interdisciplinary faculty members that partner with various manufacturers.

“The depth of knowledge and collective resources available at UTSA supplementing lean technologies are exceptional, providing us a comprehensive package of assistance,” says J. Michael Wheeler, president of The Nugget Co.

The UTSA Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Lean Systems was established in 2007.