Challenge Unlimited, Inc. provides final assembly and packaging services for some of the nation's leading companies' products.  Their customers include Olin Corporation, Cooper B-Line, Chem Trade, ROHO, and more.  They offer an array of other services as well, such as custodial and ground maintenance services.  Something unique about the company is their commitment to serving the disabled in the workplace.

Challenge Unlimited is known throughout the country as a leader in offering community rehabilitation services, vocational training, developmental training, educational opportunities, community-integrated housing, and employment to individuals with disabilities.  For more than 50 years, the organization has been committed to serving individuals with disabilities, while earning a reputation as a trusted business partner to private commercial companies and federal and state government agencies.

Legacy Frameworks designs and hand-builds quality bicycles, thoughtfully outfitted and tailored to each urban rider.  The company is committed to using the newest technology to deliver well-crafted bikes that deliver reliable transportation.

Legacy Frameworks makes sturdy, lightweight, easy to use and pleasing to the eye bikes that don't require a lot of upkeep.  The bikes are designed, manufactured, and built in Chicago, with 90 percent of the frame materials manufactured within the United States.  The company's motto is:  “Quality Hand-built Bicycles, Pure and Simple."

Since 1968, Delta-Therm Corporation has engineered and manufactured heat trace products and solutions for commercial and industrial applications.  Their products are used to help with snow melting, roof de-icing, pipe tracing, process temperature maintenance, pipe freeze protection, floor warming and permafrost prevention.

Delta-Therm is family-owned and does all system design and custom work in house.  Their top products include MI, SR and CW cable assemblies, as well as heat trace controls and thermostats.  They are committed to providing on-site training and engineering support before and after the  installation.

Clybourn Metal Finishing is renowned for artisan level metal finishing. Whether your needs be grinding, polishing, buffing, or chrome plating, their attention to detail and dedication to quality will ensure your parts are among the best on the market.

Clybourn approaches metal finishing as an art; a skill only perfected by experience. Many of their polishers have more than ten years of experience. All metal finishing at Clybourn Metal Finishing is done by hand. Hand polishing may be a “lost art” at many metal finishing companies, but it is Clybourn’s most important service. For pieces that need special care, a fine touch, there is no substitute for the trained hands of a skilled craftsman.

Today, BEER NUTS, Inc. continues to use the same unique formula for its special niche of products as they did back in 1937. All BEER NUTS products are produced at a single 100,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Bloomington, Illinois, under the direction of the Shirk family. With the same family commitment to freshness and quality 80 years later, the products can now be found in all 50 states and several countries around the world.

Some of their top products include Original Peanuts, Original Bar Mix, Cantina Mix, Cashews, and Almonds.

Written by Roger Shrum, IMEC Regional Manager

Recently in conversation with manufacturers I have fielded questions about Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) and what it might do for their business. It is eye opening for me to realize many manufacturing leaders are unclear about TPM and how it serves as a strategic element of the robust Lean program many clients believe they have deployed.  Several key reasons exist for this disconnect. The following explores those reasons and offers suggestions to overcome the misconceptions.

Gekks are thin, breathable liners that grip to the inside of boat shoes, loafers, drivers, and more. They allow people to keep their casual style by slipping in and out of  shoes barefoot, while adding comfort and anti-stench properties once inside. No more smelly and uncomfortable shoes – time to sport the sockless look with freedom.

Gekks was founded by two brothers in Chicago just over three years ago.  Their product line is expanding, with the newest shoes on the market for babies.  Along with product expansion, the brand has received notable recognition recently in publications like Maxim and Vogue.

Lexco Cable has domestic and overseas manufacturing capability. They have a network of suppliers for wire rope, aircraft cable, micro-sizes cable, bungee, fittings, and related services to provide you with your specific custom cable or bungee assembly.  In addition, they have hydraulic presses and automatic cable cutters, as well as pull testing capabilities for proof testing and pull testing requirements.

Lexco Cable is a family-owned and operated business. It began as a hardware store in Schwinn franchise on Chicago's west side in the 1950s and manifested over the years. In the 2000s, bungee assemblies, push-pull controls, and their unique elements were developed. Lexco has been ISO 90001:2008 certified since 2009.

Written by Scott Czysz, IMEC Technical Specialist

“10 Commandments of Facility Layout” has more punch, but when it comes to facility layout, very little is written in stone. Compromise is needed almost every step of the way; this does not mean there should not be a structured approach to facility layout and design. In fact, a structured approach is even more important when there is so much uncertainty and compromise.

The suggestions below are written with factory layout in mind - moving to a new facility, or rearranging your existing facility.  Many of these suggestions can also apply to smaller scale department or cell layout, office layout, or even the layout of your dream home or home workshop.