Written by Emilia Linardakis, Managing Partner - Language Advisors Network Group

Manufacturing is one of the most lucrative industries in the U.S. and there are about 251,857 manufacturing firms currently in the United States. Due to migration patterns, language and cultural diversity are becoming a theme in the majority of the workplaces. The manufacturing industry is one of the most diversified sectors of economy with a vast number of immigrant workers. 12% or 23.8 million immigrants work in the manufacturing industry. These workers have either no knowledge or very limited proficiency in English. The number of non-English speakers in the US has grown considerably in the last few years due to the influx of immigration levels that continue to increase drastically based on the Census Bureau. Foreign-born workforce is becoming a vital part of the US economy, especially in the manufacturing sector. National Census data shows that there are nearly 64.7 million U.S. residents who speak a language other than English at home; that makes about 21.5% of the total U.S. population. Approximately 46% of immigrant workers are considered limited English proficiency (LEP). Over the last two decades the types of jobs available for workers with limited English proficiency have changed. Many U.S. manufacturing jobs that used to be performed from LEP employees have now been outsourced.

The first Tri-State Manufacturing Conference for Illinois, Iowa and Missouri will take place March 15 to help companies of all sizes learn more about emerging trends in the new era of manufacturing.

The event will take place at John Wood Community College in Quincy, Illinois, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Key educational, business and economic development partners from three states have joined forces to create the conference to help regional manufacturers develop employees, processes and technology to grow business and expand into new markets.

Skills for the future of automation

Creating a skilled workforce for the needs of automation today and in the future is vital for the competitive future of Illinois. That’s why IMEC recently partnered with ISA (International Society of Automation) to deliver a five day course for participants in Decatur, Illinois. The “Technician Training Boot Camp” offered an intensive, hands-on training environment focused on industrial measurement and control technologies. Watch the video to learn more!

The ILPEx Awards for Excellence recognize the recipient’s organization-wide dedication to performance improvement that meets three levels of performance criteria.

IMEC has announced six organizations selected as the 2016 recipients of the ILPEx Recognition Program’s Awards for Excellence. The high performing organizations were evaluated against the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence by the ILPEx Board of Examiners as part of the annual application process. Application scores and award determinations are made by the ILPEx Panel of Judges. The recipient organizations will be formally honored with the awards at the 22nd annual ILPEx Recognition Program Award Ceremony and Dinner on Thursday, March 30, 2017, at The Hyatt Lodge at Hamburger University in Oak Brook, IL.

What does Metro Chicago Exports Do?

Building Connections. Through our network of service providers and other partners, Metro Chicago Exports provides vetted referrals to help companies hit the ground running with an exporting strategy.

In 2016 Metro Chicago Exports established partnerships with the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC), U.S. Commercial Service, and Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank).

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.

How do you prioritize your safety program and improvements?

As a business leader, you understand the strict focus that's often required to make and keep your employees and the work environment a safe place. But sometimes it's hard to figure out how to focus the training and documentation efforts of your safety program. There is so much to do to make sure your employees understand the best safe practices.

Every year the US Department of Labor publishes the OSHA Top 10 Citations and violation categories. This is for your consideration and benefit!

Calling all manufacturers with an eye on global sales!

Are you re-actively selling to international customers who find you, rather than taking a proactive and strategic approach to international sales?

Are you struggling to take advantage of growth opportunities in global markets?
If YES… ExporTech could be the answer.

It's no surprise the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has inflicted more stringent controls on U.S. food and related manufacturers; and we should find comfort in the changes. But how are you, the manufacturer, addressing the preventive control requirements for your organization?

Written by Andy Cave, IMEC Regional Manager

An example of how an accounting approach may hinder continuous improvement efforts

The Accounting concept of Standard Costing was developed in the 1920’s, and its application has remained fairly constant.  Manufacturing was noted for minimal product variation (“You can buy a Model T in any color, as long as it’s black”) and long production runs creating lots of inventory whose financial value had to be estimated. Lean principles have changed the manufacturing world significantly, with shorter set-up times and significantly less inventory.  Meanwhile, Accounting still spends time analyzing and understanding labor, material and overhead variances; often generating thousands of related transactions and accrual entries.  In the Lean world, these are Non Value-Added activities; the customer is not willing to pay more for our cost variance analysis excellence.