The North Carolina Awards for Excellence program is modeled after the National Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award, and the state’s program is facilitated by NC State University’s Industrial Extension Service (IES). The program recognizes participants in various stages of their Baldrige improvement journey and mentors organizations on how to continuously strengthen their key processes. 

Keith Jordan, senior manager for plant operations, explained that the company needed a method to drive them to the next level.  “Baldrige provides a larger perspective than other improvement projects we’ve used,” he said.  “Baldrige offers the biggest opportunity to look at things holistically.”

The Baldrige Criteria is a framework for evaluating an organization’s processes, their impact on results, and their progress toward goals and objectives. The Collaborative Assessment benefits an organization by:

• identifying opportunities for improvement
• jump-starting a change initiative or energizing current initiatives
• energizing the workforce
• focusing the organization on common goals
• aligning resources with strategic objectives
• focusing on results that deliver a world-class advantage

According to Jordan, “world-class” means operating better than any other company in the world, by way of productivity, profit, morale and retention.  Keihin’s Tarboro plant is the first Keihin facility to embark upon a Baldrige journey.

Keihin joins a growing list of manufacturers, healthcare systems, government agencies and businesses achieving remarkable improvements through a commitment to excellence. Winners of the National Baldrige Award that participate in North Carolina’s Performance Excellence Program include Iredell-Statesville School (2008) and Premier (2006).

IES provides engineering and technical expertise to help North Carolina businesses become more productive and profitable. To achieve this, IES uses lean processes, quality initiatives such as Six Sigma and ISO, energy savings, and programs in health, safety and environmental compliance. IES serves as the state agency for the North Carolina Awards for Excellence.

Keihin recently hosted the inaugural 2012 Manufacturing Makes It Real Network event in Tarboro.

Keihin Carolina System Technology, Inc. is an electronics manufacturer based in Tarboro, NC. The company uses advanced robotics technologies and automated manufacturing processes to lead the industry in quality performance and to provide world-class products. Intelligent products, some of the most highly sought‐after products worldwide, are their specialty. They provide these products to their customers, adhering to a worldwide standard of environment preservation and utilizing state-of-the-art technology.

“I think we always had our eye on ISO,” said director of communications, Stacy Lowes Martin. “As a small company, it helps to have certifications like this in order to be more competitive.” The company provides a range of high-tech services to a predominantly U.S. government customer base.

No one at RLM had ever led an ISO effort, so to better evaluate the options, program manager Jim Davis looked to the outside, including IES. “We brought in four or five different companies to possibly help with ISO,” he said. “Through the course of interviewing them, we decided that if we had our druthers we’d really like to work with NC State.” RLM then enlisted IES improvement specialist, Nora Milley.

In February 2011, RLM and Milley began conversations about the best means to certifying the company. The process would involve active participation and learning, something Davis welcomed. “We made a very conscious decision not to just buy a turnkey solution,” he said.

“We started by educating Nora as to what RLM really does so she could tailor the lessons to us,” said Martin. Milley returned with a 10-month systematic schedule based on function and process areas within the company.

“Every member of the team had buy-in, were committed to the process and understood there would be some stamina involved,” Martin said.

A challenge for RLM was keeping the business up and running while simultaneously learning ISO. “You have to both manage and sustain,” said Davis.

Griffiths witnessed leadership in this area from the top level. “Randy [the CEO] would clear his schedule and say, ‘Jim, if I can clear my plate to do this, so can you.’” Strong leadership, he says, kept the process a priority in people’s minds.

“Going through the education process made us more confident and it’s something we can sustain over time,” said Martin.

HICKORY – “The first 100 are the hardest.”

Nathan Huret, Existing Industry Coordinator for the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) in Hickory, North Carolina studied his list of manufacturers again.  “100, exactly!” he exclaimed, the pride rising in his voice.  100 subscribers was the first major milestone for “Manufactured in North Carolina”, an optimized, online directory of North Carolina’s world-class manufacturers. 

“We have manufacturers of every type in this state, with the capabilities to manufacture for any industry, to any tolerances, both here or abroad,” said Huret.  “But the competition to ‘be found’ is overwhelming and can be extremely expensive, especially for smaller manufacturers.  The concept behind Manufactured in North Carolina was to pull our collective resources and jointly establish a foothold in the manufacturing marketplace, when few individual companies can.”

Statistics prove Huret’s assertion to be correct.  70% of North Carolina’s small, rural manufacturers have no web presence.  The fact that 35% of all manufacturing orders are made via Internet further exacerbates the situation.  In an era of i-this and e-that, companies without a web presence may as well be invisible.

Formed by a partnership of CCEDC, three other North Carolina counties, the NC State University Industrial Extension Service and funded by the North Carolina Rural Center, the Manufactured in North Carolina website “hosts” a webpage for every North Carolina manufacturer that subscribes – and it does so at absolutely no cost to the manufacturer.  Each company’s individual webpage is a quick snapshot of their manufacturing abilities, current customer industries, on down to specifics like brand names and lists of manufacturing equipment. 

“The company’s webpage really becomes the means to be showcased across the street, the country and even the world,” exclaimed Huret, “because at the same time we are spending a significant amount of marketing dollars on behalf these companies,” Huret interjected.  “Exposure to a worldwide audience and you do not owe us a dime, just the 5-10 minutes to enroll.  I am not sure a deal gets any better than that”.

Huret gazes at his computer screen.  The past few months have been busy.  “Please be sure that your readers know that the entire directory listing is free!”  He types a bit on his keyboard.

Suddenly, “101!” he shouts.
 

For more information contact:

Nathan Huret, Existing Industry Coordinator
Catawba County Economic Development Corporation
828-267-1564; nhuret@catawbacountync.gov
www.ManufacturedNC.com

The Charlotte conference joins a collection of other Institutes held this year as part of an ongoing, nationwide initiative of the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). As a measure of the success innovation can bring, MEP cites two separate Georgia Tech studies finding companies focused on innovation earn more than two times the income of those focused on lower costs, with employees of innovative companies receiving 60 percent higher salaries on average.

Kevin Grayson, IES manager of innovation and growth attended an Institute event in 2011. “One thing that struck me when I attended,” he said, “was how much you learn and gain from your peers. There’s a lot of energy in the room. Even though we might come from diverse industries, we have a common purpose – to grow sales and profits through innovation.”

The workshop will combine in-depth innovation instruction sessions with projects of real-world relevance. Daytime sessions will be led by writer and inventor, Doug Hall, author of the bestselling “Jump Start” series of business marketing books. Nighttime activities will pair attendees with “black belt” coaches trained to help manufacturers apply the day’s lessons to their particular company. The sessions are fast-paced, lively, and full of networking opportunities.

Other MEP centers who have hosted IELI conferences, like the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC), received positive feedback from their members. “One attendee said to me, ‘It’s like we’ve been given the keys to the car,’” says Patricia Giavara, the center’s assistant director. “Innovation isn’t a random event. They’re given all of the tools to create ideas, communicate them effectively, evaluate concepts, and move quickly during the discovery process.”

The core of the program is based on research and analysis of over 26,000 real-world innovations, measurement of over 6,000 innovation teams, assessments of over 200,000 innovation attitudes and perceptions, real-world testing of methods, and continuous improvement based on factual benchmarking.

A 3-tier message supports the Institute’s goals. First, businesses are taught how to increase the pace of innovation while simultaneously decreasing risk. This is done by installing a system for creating, communicating, and commercializing unique ideas. Called the Innovation Engineering Management System, it is a set of tools and principles developed and refined in other business sectors over 25 years. Second, manufacturers learn how to develop a quantified pipeline of innovations, starting with accelerating existing ideas and then moving on to defining new ideas. Third, attendees are taught how to transform attitudes about innovation within their company, fostering acceptance and involvement in the process. All steps are designed to integrate with classic project management systems such as compression planning, Stage-Gate, Six Sigma, and Hoshin planning.

“When attendees leave the Institute, they take with them concrete ideas and results that apply to their company, not just pure knowledge,” says Grayson. “They leave with real things to do with for their business.”

Beyond the direct and quantifiable benefits seen in individual businesses, Giavara points to a cumulative effect on states hosting Institute workshops. The more businesses that innovate, the stronger the manufacturing climate becomes for everyone. “Growing good paying jobs is what it means for any state,” she says.

The Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute kicks off at 8 a.m. on June 4.

Information about event registration, schedule, and discounts may be found at ies.ncsu.edu/courses/innovation-engineering-leadership-institute/.

RALEIGH (April 11, 2012) – Against the backdrop of wooded Lake Raleigh, Manufacturing Makes It Real Network members gathered Wednesday in the Dorothy and Roy Park Alumni Center on the NC State Centennial Campus for a members-only lunch. The get-together  was an opportunity for Network members to share face-time with key College of Engineering decision makers.

Among those representing the university were Dean of Engineering, Dr. Louis Martin-Vega and Assistant Vice Chancellor of Extension, Engagement, and Economic Development, Terri Helmlinger Ratcliff.

Entertaining a range of questions and comments from attendees, Martin-Vega discussed the importance of U.S. manufacturing. “You can’t have an economy moving forward without making stuff,” he said. “Economies can’t be moved by shifting numbers on a balance sheet.” 

David Padget, Director of Production and Quality at 3 Phoenix in Wake Forest, began discussion with his company’s desire for engineering students with greater hands-on experience in design and production cycles. The sentiment was echoed by other attendees. “You have some kids who, in their souls, want to design stuff and see it built,” Padget said, “If we could hire NC State students who could design, and understood the process, that would be great for us.”

Martin-Vega also asked members to consider engineering project sponsorships, creating broader educational access to NC State students and allowing companies to see potential candidates in action.

“We want to do whatever we can to help manufacturing in the state,” said Jerry Pedley, president of machine designer and manufacturer Mertek.

Members also took time to network with one another and view products on display in the alumni center hall. “There are more North Carolina manufacturers than I realized,” said Warren Baumbarger, business development expert at Raleigh-based Mid-Atlantic Crane. 

WADESBORO (April 5, 2012) – On Friday, April 13, fried chicken and barbeque will accompany a banner presentation as a North Carolina-based Columbus McKinnon plant marks its ISO 9000 certification. The banner presentation from the Industrial Extension Service of North Carolina State University will take place on the production floor of the 186,000 square foot plant. General Manager, Joe Ombrello, credits the employees for the honor. “It’s really an achievement of people in the plant, so we want to do something for them,” he says. The plant employs nearly 220 employees.

It was the movement of new product lines, coupled with the desire to reach broader overseas markets, which prompted the North Carolina-based facility to seek certification. “Having the ISO certification enables us to go to new markets including Asia and Europe,” says Ombrello.

The Wadesboro plant specializes in products for industries as diverse as manufacturing and assembly, nuclear power generation, mining, and stage entertainment.

Only three months into the plant-wide rollout of ISO 9000, Columbus McKinnon expects to see a 25 percent reduction in the cost of non-conforming material in the long term. The savings could amount to over a quarter of a million dollars, allowing for reinvestment into the company. Already in the past two years, the Wadesboro operation has recorded a 25 percent increase in business.

Ombrello looks forward to further benefits from ISO 9000 certification. “I think it has changed how everybody thinks about their jobs, making us a much more consistent supplier,” he says.  “It demonstrates to customers that we have a quality standard that we’re producing to.”

Read more about Columbus McKinnon's ISO 9000 certification.

Network manager Gene Fornaro kicked off the event with an announcement about a restructuring of Network membership guidelines. Asserting that the Network listens to its membership and is eager to respond, Fornaro said that beginning this year, North Carolina manufacturers could “join, connect, and learn” for only $1000 annually.  This entitles members to instant benefits such as attendee contact information lists, discounts to select IES programs, and members-only campus events. Additional levels of Network recognition – labeled gold, silver, and bronze – would be awarded based on a member’s level of IES service investment in the prior year.

Beyond networking opportunities, all event attendees were treated to a general session that included partnership requests and product displays from other North Carolina manufacturers, a banner presentation from IES to the host company, as well as a guided tour of the Keihin facility and discussion of its processes.

The event’s host, Keihin Carolina Systems Technology, Inc., is a leader in the manufacture of engine control units and electronically actuated devices. Founded in Tarboro in 1997, the company prides itself on being a “reliable supplier for the world,” as well as being a manufacturer of “high technology.”

The next Manufacturing Makes It Real Network event will be for members only on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 on the NC State campus.

• Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Lumberton
• CaroMont Health in Gastonia
• CarePartners Health Services in Asheville

The North Carolina Awards for Excellence, facilitated by the North Carolina State University's Industrial Extension Service, is modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

Read the full article about the NCHA Winter Meeting.

IES has been funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct a variety of services in conjunction with the DOE  Superior Energy Performance / ISO 50001 energy demonstration project for the South Eastern United States.  The following energy classes will be offered

• Fundamentals of Compressed Air, CAC – Kannapolis, NC, June 5, 2012 - $125
• Fundamentals of Compressed Air, CAC – Raleigh, NC, June 6, 2012 - $125
• 6th Class – TBD

In addition, to the above, IES will perform 3 energy assessments for candidate companies to be chosen using the newly developed ASME energy survey standards. The recently published  four standards include:

• Process heating
• Pumping
• Steam
• Compressed Air

The surveys will be performed free of charge and conducted by a DOE “qualified specialist” and team for a period of 3-4 days.  Findings will be compiled and documented in a final report.  IES is continuing to look for candidate companies for these assessments.

The 3rd component of the DOE project is to provide implementation assistance for developing an Energy Management System (EnMS) in accordance with ISO 50001:2011.  The candidate company has been selected and has almost completed this process.  From the experience gained on this project, IES will make available additional ISO 50001 trainings and implementations when requested. 

For more information on the above services, please contact Charles Parrish at charles_parrish@ncsu.edu or 919-515-4266.

The Manufacturing Makes It Real Network will begin its second year of promoting manufacturers across the state.  Events held at manufacturing sites give an overview of  the products made on site, the supply chain, job  creation and career opportunities, and how companies find new customers and suppliers. Last year, more than 600 people from manufacturing, economic development and supporting organizations attended seven Network events.

The Industrial Extension Service (IES) at North Carolina State University coordinates Network events in order to provide a venue for manufacturers and their supporters to benchmark, network and potentially build local supply chains. Network members receive special services from IES, including recognition and exposure as an advocate for manufacturing.

The Network also provides an opportunity to create awareness of the sector’s need for a greater emphasis on manufacturing as a career. “We hope to show that high tech jobs can be successfully maintained in rural areas, like Tarboro,” said Keith Jordan, senior manager plant operations. “North Carolina can successfully cultivate these careers and create a positive economic impact for communities and businesses alike.”

Keihin currently employs about 400 people in its Tarboro plant. “We hope that through greater publicity of the manufacturing sector, we can demonstrate that this is a positive career choice for many in our state, and that manufacturing is critical to our economy,” said Jordan.

Upcoming 2012 Network events:

• May 23 - Glen Raven, Burlington
• June 26 - Freightliner, Mt Holly
• Aug. 22 - Diebold, Lexington
• Oct.  24 - Meritor, Maxton

The Manufacturing Makes It Real Network is a project of the Industrial Extension Service at North Carolina State University for the purpose of promoting Made in North Carolina products. IES has worked since 1955 to advance manufacturing in North Carolina. Since 2006, IES provided more than $1 billion of value to the state's manufacturers, and created or retained more than 5,000 jobs.

The Manufacturing Makes It Real Network charter members:

• Keihin Carolina System Technology in Tarboro
• Air Components & Systems in Charlotte
• Cormetech, Inc. in Durham
• Diebold Inc. in Lexington and Greensboro
• Falcon Metal Corporation in Charlotte
• Flextronics facilities in Charlotte, Morrisville, Creedmoor and Asheville
• Glen Raven Technical Fabrics in Burlington
• NACCO Materials Handling Group, Inc. in Greenville
• Brushy Mountain Bee Farm
• Centurion Medical Products
• Gateway Recovery, Inc
• Goulston Technologies in Monroe
• Max Daetwyler Corp in Huntersville
• Schneider Electric USA in Salisbury
• Stronghaven, Inc.
• Sustainable Industrial Solutions
• TE Connectivity in Greensboro
• Wayne Bros. in Kannapolis
• Wilmington Box Co in Wilmington
• Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind

Keihin Carolina System Technology is an electronics manufacturer based in Tarboro, NC. The company uses advanced robotics technologies and automated manufacturing processes to lead the industry in quality performance and to provide world-class products. Intelligent products, some of the most highly sought‐after products worldwide, are their specialty. They provide these products to their customers, adhering to a worldwide standard of environmental preservation and by utilizing state of the art technology.

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