Time is money. QRM means reducing lead times for tasks throughout your company, allowing you to manufacture products for specific customer needs. The result is quick response, improved quality, and lower cost.

Rick Bastian, Chairman and CEO of Blackhawk Bank is pleased to introduce local manufacturers to the innovative concepts of Dr. Rajan Suri, Founder of QRM (Quick Response Manufacturing). On February 3rd, join Blackhawk Bank and area partners for an afternoon seminar that takes a closer look at QRM.

IMEC is pleased to announce the addition of two new manufacturing specialists for the Metro East St. Louis region. As a Technical Specialist, Brad Rodgers will service Illinois manufacturers with his experience in lean and project management capabilities. Ryan Langdon, joining the team as a Regional Manager, will help ensure his background in continuous improvement implementation will sustain IMEC clients well into the future. Learn more...

IMEC is happy to announce Share Machine Inc. has successfully implemented a quality management system registration to ISO 9001:2008.  Achieving ISO 9001:2008 registration is an important milestone for Share Machine as the certification illustrates a strong commitment to quality at all levels of the organization and a commitment to quality to all customers.

Accomplishing the ISO 9001:2008 registration also clearly demonstrates Share Machine’s company-wide commitment to providing their partners with a quality product and service. This commitment is reflected by all members of the team.

Did you know that Twenty-Five Percent of businesses never reopen after a severe weather event, and that a recent UN report estimates that inaction on climate change could cost $100 billion a year? You may think that this is a worry for coastal businesses and those on fault lines, but less than a year ago, an Illinois town was decimated by a tornado in November. The town has since made strides to recovery, but climate change affects all of us.

When looking for new customers, improved revenues, and an all-around increase in profit; where do you turn? New verticals? New Products? New Countries? The International Trade Center of the Illinois Small Business Development Center looks to help you learn the value behind exporting with a new workshop series in October 2014 that will help Illinois businesses understand what exporting is, who to sell to, how to export, and how to get paid. Learn more about this workshop series below.

Are you vital as a manufacturer? A new quiz by Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Supply Chain Optimization program looks to provide a quick glimpse into a manufacturer’s vitality. This simple, 10-question quiz will help you to benchmark your abilities regarding strategy, alignment, collaboration, and ultimately optimization within the company’s supply chain.

In honor of National Manufacturing Day and the health of an American industrial economy, PNC will host their annual National Economic Outlook for Manufacturers and Wholesalers on October 2, 2014.
Join us as PNC Chief Economist Stuart Hoffman provides an economic update for U.S. manufacturers and wholesalers. The outlook will be comprehensive in nature, but will also describe regional trends and how to access detailed regional data.

Topics to be discussed:

• Pace of recovery
• Jobs/unemployment
• Housing markets
• Interest rates
• Inflation
• Economic risk factors

Register online. The complimentary webinar presentation will begin streaming nationwide at 10:00AM Eastern Standard Time.

The 2014 Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Workshop is happening in Moline on September 9, 10, and 11th - Be sure to stop by and say "hi" to IMEC! The fourth in a series, the 2014 Workshop will address the latest developments in applied advanced processing techniques. Presentations by leading researchers from academia, industry, and government will focus on applied research suitable for implementation in manufacturing within industry and government agencies.

The journey to process improvement can be a long and winding road. But learning how to meet the needs of customers and strategically act can help to push your organization in the right direction. This is why IMEC would like to share upcoming events from Illinois Performance Excellence (ILPEx) that will advance your approach to process improvement.

What happens after you’ve focused and improved upon the bottom line? You’ve already made strides to optimize the efficiency of your supply chain and internal production, emphasizing continuous improvement and identifying wastes; but now you need the revenue. What comes next? A new video from the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) looks to share how Top Line improvements can drive growth and provide long term success.