On April 8, the Rota Skipper Corporation/Pizzamatic Corp., a family owned, third generation manufacturer in South Holland hosted the Board of Directors of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions and IMEC to tour their facilities.

Pizzamatic’s mission and business practices align perfectly with the National Funds’ workforce initiative as well as the efforts of IMEC’s Genesis Movement by sharing a strong focus on personnel.

Written by Anthony Manos, Lean Champion with 5S Supply

The Very Best of 5S

Want to know how your organization stacks up?

This in-depth benchmarking report looks at techniques, practices and principles for 5S Workplace Organization and Standardization. It sheds light on how organizations have successfully created a 5S system and the obstacles and solutions they used to overcome them. 

As you plan strategies for launching or revitalizing your lean implementation, don’t forget to include maintenance in the mix.

“Maintenance is a key contributor to a continuous improvement or lean initiative,” said John Kravontka, president of Fuss & O’Neill Manufacturing Solutions. “Many times, they are the last function to receive lean overview training, and they do not fully understand what is happening in their facility. This can lead to confusion and negative thoughts, taking away from the initiative’s progress. Good lean overview training per all personnel, including maintenance, can support a smoother transition.”

Despite recent ticks downward in manufacturing growth numbers, the White House announced this month that more than 870,000 manufacturing jobs were added in the country since 2010; the largest growth rate since the 1980s.

It is estimated that anywhere between 30,000 – 50,000 jobs are open in Chicagoland.  The cost of those open jobs to those businesses and the regional economy is significant. According to Career Builder a company loses, on average, $14,000 for every job that remains open for more than three months. Additional losses come in the form of low morale and product delays.

If local manufacturing is going to continue on a growth trajectory; the workforce gap needs to be addressed.

“Make Your Career Here” scheduled for April 30, 2015

Northern Illinois communities are jumping onboard with a new, spring launch of the MFG Day program for students and community members in the area. Twelve employers will provide tours to students from seven area schools including Dakota, Durand, Freeport, Orangeville, Pearl City, and Pecatonica.  Each school will tour two locations.

After this month’s kickoff of The Genesis Movement, a new approach to strengthen the region's manufacturing firms and expand employment, earnings, and career opportunities for frontline workers, we would like to feature the first installment of the ‘Manufacturing Tour of the Industry’ Series: Novation Industries.

IMEC is happy to announce United Group, Inc. has successfully implemented a quality management system and become certified to the ISO 9001:2008 standard.  Achieving ISO 9001:2008 registration is an important milestone for United Group as it illustrates a strong commitment to quality at all levels of the organization including the commitment to their customers, and truly, all stakeholders. It is an on-going effort that demonstrates the dedication of all members of the team.

Precision Engineered for the Manufacturing Executive

PREPARE FOR YOUR COMPANY’S FUTURE

The TMA’s Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) is designed to enhance the knowledge, skills, and abilities of “Next Generation” leaders who anticipate taking on top level leadership roles in their organization.

The learning environment includes classroom lecture and discussion, small-group exercises, a 360° Feedback component, self-assessments, a capstone project, plus coaching.

With the merger of Illinois Performance Excellence and IMEC, the organizations welcome the addition of two new professionals to our staff.

There are new reporting requirements from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA).  (https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping2014/index.html)

Under the OSHA Recordkeeping regulation (29 CFR 1904), Illinois manufacturers with 10 employees are required to prepare and maintain records of occupational injuries and illnesses, using the OSHA 300 Log. This information is important for employers, workers and OSHA in evaluating the safety trends of a workplace, understanding industry hazards, and implementing worker protections to eliminate or reduce hazards.

All employers must report:

1. All work-related fatalities within 8 hours
2. All work-related inpatient hospitalizations, all amputations and all losses of an eye within 24 hours

Report to OSHA by:

1. Calling OSHA’s free and confidential number at 1-800-321-OSHA (6742)
2. Calling your closest Area Office during normal business hours
3. Using an online form that will soon be available

It is also a good time to review emphasis programs and compare to your facility's current state.