Does Cosco have more than one manufacturing plant?

I was wondering about this earlier. Are all their seats made at the same plant, or do they have multiple (for the US market I mean)? Because there is definitely a big difference in the Apexes, and i wonder if they are getting made on two different machines. If one machine is calibrated differently, that would answer the question.
I have a friend who just ordered 2 of them for her son. He fits wildly different in each, and one definitely has significantly taller top slots than the other. And yet Cosco keeps insisting that they are all the same.

now there's a thought.......

I was wondering this about the Evenflo Triumph as well. I was at BRU the other day and saw two Triumphs side by side: one was clearly taller with higher slots in it! One was just Triumph and the other Triumph DLX (or LX?). I figured it was just a different trim level and they should be the same size...? Wonder if it could be different plants as well?

Oooohhh, interesting theory! I want to know!

It's kind of scary to think they could really be different for a reason like that. It makes me worry that the taller-slotted seats didn't really pass testing, at least head excursion testing. Why do they deny they exist?

All evenflo seats are made in piqua ohio, that's why I see so many of them around here because I'm half an hour from the plant. Just so you know they have crappy customer service too.

Hmmm... it seems as though there isn't another plant, but I never thought that maybe the reason we all had different experiences with the Triumph was that they are different seats just like the Apex issue.

Next time I am at a store that carries Triumphs I will have to measure them and compare it to the one my friend has.

Very interesting....

I googled it and came up with references to Evenflo plants in Ohio, Wisconsin, Georgia. And that was just one page...

ETA: But some of those are referencing plants being closed in Georgia and Wisconsin in 1997 to concentrate on centralizing in Dayton OH.

mominabigtruck said:

All evenflo seats are made in piqua ohio, that's why I see so many of them around here because I'm half an hour from the plant. Just so you know they have crappy customer service too.

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Not if you complain to the right person.They have had to replace every tribute I have owned for not functioning properly.So now I have the girly tribute nib and I'm going to sell it.

Hmm, interesting theory but highly unlikely. For those that dont know or have forgot my dad used to make the molds that are used to create plastic parts. His job is the person who makes the actual mold so i know quite a but about the process and its highly unlikely the 2 molds are unintentionally different. When the engineers and designers create a design they then use specific computer programs (CAD or AUTOCAD) to design it and see it in 3-D, then the program is used with conjunction with another program to create the designs for the mold. After that a human engineer goes thru the entire computer generated plan and checks everything to ensure its all correct. After that a person puts the program into the computer on the machine that makes the initial mold. After that another person takes the paper generated mold idea and compares it to the rough mold to ensure it is correct. From there another person finishes the molds internal aspects and checks it again for correctness. After that the mold goes to a polisher who makes the metal smooth so the plastic is smooth who again checks the pattern. Before it ever leaves the shop several test runs are made and shipped to the engineers to look over and see if they want to change anything. After all engineers determine they like the finished product the mold is shipped to the company.

Unless cosco wanted molds of different height they would have ordered 2 molds made of the same computer plan since the cost of engineering the mold plan and inputting it into the machines is not cheap. Even if the inputer made a mistake inputting the code into the machine it wouldnt affect it like it appears to, it would have garbled the entire code and messed it all up.

I've seen all of the apex patterns (i think. blue, red and brown right?) and there is defiantly a padding difference but I've never found a considerable difference in top slot height. Are your friends the same model and cover? Thats really strange, maybe the child isnt sitting properly is one?

So out of curiousity (and as if I have nothing else to do ) I called Evenflo. They have multiple plants, but all the seats of the same type are made in the same plant. Therefore, all the Triumphs are made in the same plant but maybe a different plant from another seat model... Makes sense.

I wonder if they distribute from piqua then. I go to their year end warehouse sale every year and they have all the different seats there.

This is a very interesting theory....

The "Mystery of the Apex" is one of the best suspense stories around. It is so strange...

crystal vowell said:

Not if you complain to the right person.They have had to replace every tribute I have owned for not functioning properly.So now I have the girly tribute nib and I'm going to sell it.

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Why on earth would you continue getting them if you knew they malfunctioned, and why would you knowingly sell someone a seat that you know was prone to that?