Grandma Toste was born in 1913 in Lynn, Massachusetts to Mario Pustorino and Lucrezia Fattorie. Both her parents were from Calabria, Italy and spoke little to no English but learned the language quickly. They both became citizens and raised Grandma Toste to be a great baker and cook. She loved entertaining and feeding her family and friends with many of her favorite recipes.

After marrying Grandpa Toste, they became the proud owners of the Finesse Bakery in Boston and later a wonderful Italian restaurant in Chicago called Christina’s. Grandma Toste has been sharing the family cannoli filling and cannoli filled cakes since 1940. Grandma Toste’s gourmet dessert products are available at a number of local food markets and grocery stores including Casey’s food store in Naperville and Mariano’s Fresh Markets in the Chicagoland area.

Since their founding in 1959, Jarco has built quality into every aspect of every unit. From initial design to the final inspection, a Jarco unit is fabricated to be the most reliable truck on the road. From bumper to bumper, they ensure that their tank trucks reflects quality.

Jarco takes pride in their dedicated and skilled people who are inspired to provide products and customer service that exceed expectations. They prioritize building and maintaining strong relationships with their customers, suppliers and industry.

A Jarco tank unit is truly engineered chassis to tank, beginning on the drawing board. Matching the tank to the correct chassis is a critical step, considering carefully the correct wheelbase, axle capacity, transmission choices and federal and state regulations. Jarco expertise aims to provide the right results for any specific needs.

Jim brings over 17 years of expertise in sustainable, lean transformation and continuous process improvements to IMEC. Joining the team as a Technical Specialist in January 2018, the quality of his work embodies IMEC’s mission by helping organizations lead the way to their competitive future.

This article was written by René Bonse, The Chicago Connectory

The Internet of Things, or IoT, might be one of the most used “buzz” words in the business world nowadays; but how did it become so well-known and why is it so important? IoT refers to the use of sensors and information technology to develop a better understanding of our world and enable applications that improve people’s everyday lives, dramatically.

This article was written by Adam McMurtrey, Industrial Field Engineer with ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricants Company.

This is an original article by Elliot Forsyth, Vice President of Business Operations at the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, part of the MEP National Network^TM.

Any business owner knows that information is a vital part of running a company. As manufacturing increasingly becomes more digitized, cybersecurity must become a standard component of doing business. If sensitive information—such as employee records, customer transactions or proprietary data—is comprised, it can have a devastating effect.

That’s why more and more manufacturers are taking steps to protect their information via good information security practices.

At Sara P. Lovejoy, clothes are designed from classic ideas with a modern edge - including pockets, linings, and unique details in all designs. They always try to keep duality in mind, and aim for a classic and modern feel of easy elegance. Sara's design philosophy is “ladylike cool”.

About the Designer – I grew up in western NY known for its snowy winters. In high school my love of art turned towards clothing design and I began to sell one-of-a kind items at boutiques and music festivals.  I knew my dream of art school would only happen if I just decided to do it, so I dissolved my growing business and moved to the suburbs of Chicago. I commuted back and forth between School of the Art Institute of Chicago and working as a manager of a fabric store. During my last year of school I was hired as an illustrator and graphic artist at a pattern-drafting software company. A few years in I decided that my happiness was gonna have to be me working for myself and creating garments that I wanted to wear.

CIM TECH Plastics, Inc. is a ISO 9001:2015 registered custom injection molder with extensive experience molding small to medium sized components utilizing engineering and commercial grade thermoplastic materials. They are located just minutes from O’Hare International Airport and close to all major Chicago, Illinois expressways.

Their team of experienced engineers use the latest design technology and techniques to design and specify any component. With the project defined and the specifications determined, CIM Tech works with customers to build a quality mold for production. Once samples are approved, the mold is put to work in their manufacturing facility. They take pride in their quality team, which regularly monitors the finished components to see that all design criteria are maintained.

CPM Industries is a leading provider of quality custom Prototype and Production Castings in both ferrous and non-ferrous alloys. Their state of the art, in-house, pattern and machine shops, combined with a network of partner foundries, helps them provide quality Sand and Plaster Molded Castings with quick turnaround and even shorter lead times.

Don’t need completed parts? CPM also offers the following services:

• patterns and tooling,
• vacuum form patterns and tooling,
• foundry patterns and tooling,
• hog-outs from billet,
• secondary and final machining,
• engineering assistance, and
• inspection services.

No project is too small. CPM offers no minimum quantity restrictions and will work with customers to meet their timeline. CPM is a supplier to many OEM’s in the automotive, aerospace, engine design, heavy equipment, and specialty machine industries.

Elastec/American Marine manufactures pollution control systems with a core competency in oil spill equipment. Headquartered in southern Illinois. Elastec/American Marine encompasses over 200,000 square feet in four manufacturing and warehousing facilities in Carmi and Fairfield, Illinois and Cocoa, Florida. 

Elastec’s team of welders, fabricators and assemblers build an extensive range of environmental products including: oil skimmers, dispersant application systems, portable incinerators, vacuum systems, pumps, power packs, specialized vehicles and work boats. Elastec is an ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturing company.

This is an original article written by Tim Crosby, Communication and Marketing Strategist. 

The latest batch of incoming students, along with the upper classmen, will again demonstrate this approach next week when they help a company reorganize part of its Chicago-area facility to improve efficiency and profitability.

Pegasus is a family owned and operated business. They are also a leading contract manufacturer of complex machined parts and assemblies for the food processing, automotive, industrial, and mold & die industries. Their facility utilizes some of the most advanced and accurate CNC milling and CNC turning equipment available.

With a focus on lean manufacturing, at Pegasus they manufacture, assemble, finish, and package projects based on individual needs.  From aluminum and steel to specialty alloys, they manage a diverse product base for integration into a variety of systems for various OEM manufacturers.

Pegasus also practices lean manufacturing processes, real time manufacturing productivity monitoring, clean facilities, business practices based on strategic input and planning from their customers, quality management systems, and maintain a strong focus on customer satisfaction.

This is an original article written by Jana White, Cybersecurity Engineer and Trainer with Alpine Security.

What Is a Compliance Audit?

Aberdeen Technologies, Inc. offers customers a one-stop shop for a variety of insert molding needs. They strive to solve any challenging or difficult insert molding problems with their leading edge technology and expertise, while keeping their focus on customer satisfaction.

Aberdeen’s comprehensive specialty insert molding and injection molding services benefit a number of industry groups, including:  automotive parts, consumer products, medical devices, and electronics/telecommunications components. They use vertical insert molding presses along with injection mold tooling built in their world class tool shop, so customers don’t have to look anywhere else for their injection and insert molding needs.

Mary is one of IMEC’s Technical Specialists who demonstrates her passion for enterprise excellence by helping organizations achieve top-line growth. She has been with IMEC for 5 years and has over 35 years of professional experience in marketing, sales and management.

Rhino Tool Company was founded by Robert Martin in 1975. His vision to manufacture and distribute professional grade tools, backed by superlative service, is the foundation of today’s Rhino Tool Company – An industry leading manufacturer of pneumatic, hydraulic, and gas-powered tools for applications in the fencing, agricultural, construction, rental, electrical, forestry, public works, landscape, rigging construction, and dock building industries.

Rhino’s current line of innovative, high performance, durable tools include: post drivers & pullers, chipping hammers, jack hammers, core drills, cut-off saws, submersible pumps, and hydraulic power-packs – All designed to make work-sites safer and more productive. These Made-in-Illinois/America tools are available Globally through a network of hand-picked sales and service Distributors – focused on providing exceptional customer service.

“Driven to Perfection” is more than a tagline, it’s one of Rhino’s key guiding principles – A principle that has developed customer loyalty and trust worldwide.

There is no debating the impact that strong leaders have on the success of an organization, so it is critical that new leaders are being prepared to transition into their new role. Organizations who invest in leaders at all levels of the organization – not just at the senior level – exhibit higher levels of employee retention and a pipeline of qualified leaders.