For nearly a century, The Royal Group has been providing value added solutions for its customers. From its humble beginnings as a manufacturer of pallets and wooden boxes, Royal has grown into the countries premier source for packaging and displays by exceeding the expectations of even the most demanding customers. No other manufacturer has the range of products and services that The Royal Group does. They provide corrugated, packaging supplies, graphics and displays, fulfillment and logistics solutions for our customers every day. Contact them to learn more about how they can help you improve your companies performance and ability to compete in today's very complex and difficult marketplace.

Established in 2008, KOVAL produces organic whiskey, liqueurs and specialty spirits in Chicago’s first distillery since the mid-1800s. Founders Robert and Sonat Birnecker, chose to leave their academic careers to bring the distilling traditions of Roberts Austrian family to America. In making this decision, they vowed to make organic spirits from scratch (avoiding the common industry practice of purchasing and bottling pre-made spirits) and to change the way people understand whiskey by creating a new, signature style – using only the “heart” cut of the distillate – affording a brighter, cleaner take on whiskey.

Embracing the grain-to-bottle mentality, each step of the spirit-making process is thoughtfully monitored: beginning with contracting local farmers to grow the grain, to on-site milling and mashing, to finally distilling, bottling, and packaging. After numerous international awards and Robert at the helm of consulting for the burgeoning craft industry, KOVAL has grown to be one of America’s leading small batch, independent spirit manufacturers.

SPEC Engineering is a full-service process engineering firm providing the latest in technology. They provide custom process skid systems, upgrade/expand line components, offer complete plant design and implementation, and sell their own line of SPEC Equipment. SPEC's core expertise comes from the bulk material handling industry - feeding, conveying, mixing, blending, storing, sizing, drying, filtering, weighing, and processing of materials. SPEC can be your link from concept to design to reality.

Established in 1947, Ace Metal Spinning has over 65 years of spinning experience. In its third generation of family owned and operated business, Ace continues to perform with its high expectations. They are a job shop manufacturing facility which specializes in metal spinning of all types, experimental and production. They strive to maintain the long term relationships they have carefully developed over the decades. For potential customers, Ace welcomes all opportunities to demonstrate its capabilities. Ace has progressed with current technology and maintains up-to-date, state-of-the-art equipment in the metal spinning industry.

Written by David Boulay Ph.D, IMEC President

What standards do you use to ensure your organization is functioning effectively?

We are reliant on standards in every way. We assume that we are adding a full gallon of gasoline as we fill up at the pump. We assume that we get the right amount of our favorite meats and cheeses when we ask for a pound at the deli counter. And, we plan to start meetings on time because we asked the team to arrive at the same time. Much of our lives rely on measurement and standards. Yet, we often take those standards for granted.

What about leading your organization? What standards do you use to ensure your organization is functioning effectively? Or, are you taking it for granted that you even have a standard?

Recently, IndustryWeek Custom Research and Kronos Incorporated released a new manufacturing industry report titled "The Future of Manufacturing: 2020 and Beyond".  The report explores the current and future states of the manufacturing industry and focuses on the strategic management and technological priorities required for manufacturing competitiveness in the years ahead.

Alanson Manufacturing LLC started in 1968 on the corner of Kostner and Cermak as a plating company.  Over the years they have evolved into precision CNC manufacturing using lathes and mills.  They specialize in producing quality parts with tight tolerances and quick lead times.  Alanson Manufacturing primarily manufactures products using tubing or bar stock and also have the capability of providing zinc electroplating services. Alanson is also a ISO9001:2008 certified company.

Mighty Hook is a manufacturer of material handling products for conveyor coating operations in North America. They specialize in the design and manufacture of reliable, economical hanging solutions for the industrial coating industry. Their mission is to provide our customers with high-quality, innovative and cost-effective products that will improve their hanging efficiency and productivity. By listening to the needs of our customers, and by utilizing leading-edge technology throughout our entire manufacturing process, Mighty Hook has been able to continually improve hanging and masking products as well as lower manufacturing costs.

Mighty Hook offers over 150 product categories and maintain an inventory of over 15,000,000 total products. Their dedicated and highly experienced staff is available to assist you in selecting or customizing products to meet your hanging and masking needs.

Some of their top products include hooks, hangers, racks, carts, angle-pivot tooling, rotational devices, and material handling devices.

Special Capabilities: Engineering design, 3D design, plasma cutting, MIG/TIG welding, CNC wire forming, and fourslide wire forming.