Written by Ashley Beaudoin, IMEC Technical Specialist 

Written by Maria Moran, IMEC Regional Manager

Given the constant change and challenges we face as leaders, some foundations are so solid that they are truisms. Yet, sometimes we deserve a few reminders.

A Fresh Look

Survival of the fittest instincts run through us all. We are wired to look for the negative in an effort to protect ourselves. What if we created a culture that trained teams to recognize the positive first? Would solutions be created more efficiently? What if you created a vibrant business by changing the lens that your business is viewed through by its employees?

Written by Ashley Beaudoin, IMEC Technical Specialist and HR Specialist

How do you use employee engagement to retain key employees?

As manufacturing advances, companies report sizable skill gaps. The need for a qualified skill set is essential for success.  In order to keep a business growing, qualified candidates need to surface while key employees are retained.

Leaders are familiar with the basic understanding of employee engagement. However, do they know just how engagement affects the workforce?

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.

Getting more women into STEM careers will require a partnership among parents, educational institutions, government, industry and organizations.

JARC - Jane Addams Resource Corporation have recent graduates looking for employment. Hire CNC Machinists, Press Brake Operators and MIG Welders!

Contributed by Project Equity, an IMEC partner

Like many business owners nearing retirement age, when it came time for Select Machine owners Doug Beavers and Bill Sagaser to think about stepping away from the company, they investigated a range of options. They ultimately decided that selling their business to their employees was the option that best met their retirement goals of keeping their company healthy and profitable, and keeping their trusted employees in their jobs.

Select Machine, founded in 1994, manufactures and sells custom parts for demolition and construction equipment. When founders Beavers and Sagaser decided that the time had come to retire, they were confronted with a difficult choice. Their children weren’t interested in taking over the company, and prospective buyers planned to dismantle the company and lay off its workers, preserving only the company’s client list. Sagasar said of their employees, “These are our guys, our family, and we wanted them to keep on working.”

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.