Governor Hickenlooper Kicks Off Colorado Manufacturing Month at ADAPT

You know the story... Colorado had a strong showing and put 64 events on the first ever Manufacturing Day map in 2013, which equated to nearly 10% of the total events held that year nationwide. Over the subsequent couple of years, however, our participation rapidly declined and Colorado only registered a total of 11 events for 2015. But, we knew that we could do better! Countless newsletters, emails, social media posts, Tweets, hashtags, phone calls, letters, and videos later - we are happy to report that YOU DID DO BETTER! We registered a total of 144 Manufacturing Day events for the state of Colorado - that's an increase of more than 1,300% in one year! We asked you to help us put Colorado back on the MFG DAY map and that is precisely what you did.

 

At Manufacturer's Edge, we work with hundreds of clients who are literally changing the landscape of manufacturing, as we know it. Aerospace, medical supply, and food industry manufacturers, for example, are innovating, competing, and succeeding on a global scale. Thank you for all of your help, for planning and hosting events, for spreading the word, and for helping us show the world that the state of manufacturing is strong in Colorado! Now, let's start looking towards MFG DAY 17. We came in 5th this year, let's work together to put Colorado in 1st place for 2017!

The World Trade Center Denver's Strategic Partner Award is given once per year at the Annual Member Gathering. Each year's partner is someone or some organization that stood out above the rest in furthering the strategic positioning of the WTC organization. Previous recipients of the annual award include Coors Brewing, DIA, and Geotech

According to Karen Gerwitz, President of WTC Denver, "Manufacturer's Edge was an obvious choice for this year's award.  We are delighted with our win-win partnership and hope we can remain partners for years to come."

"To say we were speechless, is an understatement," says Tom Bugnitz, CEO of Manufacturer's Edge. "It's an honor to partner with Karen and her team on the work of building Colorado manufacturing. WTC is really one of the jewels of economic development in Colorado and we greatly appreciate the award."

Colorado School of Mines and Manufacturer's Edge were pleased to host Governor John Hickenlooper last month to kick off Colorado Manufacturing Month at the Alliance for the Development of Additive Processing Technologies (ADAPT) research lab. "Colorado is home to 6,000 manufacturers that contribute $20B to the state's economy. ADAPT is consistent with Colorado's collaborative culture," said Governor Hickenlooper. "It provides our entrepreneurial manufacturers the ability to work closely with university researchers to develop the next generation of technologies."

 

Joined by Paul Johnson, President of Colorado School of Mines, Governor Hickenlooper toured the facility and met with manufacturing leaders to discuss the growth of the sector and the role of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade's (OEDIT) Advanced Industry Infrastructure grant program. ADAPT was started with support from the State of Colorado in the form of an Advanced Industries Infrastructure Grant from OEDIT.  

 

"Innovation is the key to survival and growth for small and medium manufacturers," said Heidi Hostetter, Vice-President at Arvada-based Faustson Tool. "Through ADAPT, manufacturers of all sizes looking to incorporate the flexibility of 3D metal printing into their portfolio will have access to cutting-edge research and help shape the future of the industry."

 

This tour kick-offed Manufacturing Day celebrations in Colorado, which continued throughout the month of October.  

For more information about the research being conducted at ADAPT and how your company can benefit, please visit the ADAPT website or contact Mfr Edge CEO Tom Bugnitz at 303.592.4085 or via email.  

The new ISO 9001:2015 standard will create positive changes in your management system. Don't wait! The impacts are potentially huge and incredibly valuable. It demands what previous versions of ISO could only hope for. Now it's time for your organization to reap the benefits and solutions that you always knew were there. Prepare for your ISO 9001:2015 certification now.

Our live webinar presentation will cover the changes that have occurred , why they are so good for organizations and why management is finally excited about ISO! 

 

Colin Gray is the President of Cavendish Scott and strategy partner of Manufacturer's Edge who has been working with ISO for 30+ years and specializes in successful process management solutions that are meaningful to organizations.  Coincidentally he also guarantees successful ISO certification to illustrate the correct approach.

 

"By partnering with Manufacture's Edge we were able to ensure that ALL our employees had a baseline of manufacturing knowledge (Lean, Kanban, 5S, etc.) that is necessary to be successful in this continually changing world."

- John Quarles, Western Forge HR Manager

Founded in Defiance, Ohio in 1965, Western Forge started out manufacturing toque wrenches. After relocating to Colorado Springs the following year, Western Forge decided to take advantage of the high altitude and low humidity optimal for steel production in order to expand their offerings to include screwdrivers, punches, chisels, and more. In 1976, they shipped their 100 millionth screwdriver. Today, they manufacture tools for a variety of clients around the world in addition to producing all of the US-made Craftsman tools for Sears.

 

Like most companies, Western Forge has weathered some rough patches over the last few years. A depressed economy coupled with rising demand for lower quality, less durable tools manufactured in low-cost countries, have threatened the company's stability. HR Manager, John Quarles says that one of the most satisfying elements of his job is the ability to "see, hold, and touch a real product at the end of the day". Similarly, when Western Forge was founded in the 1960s, people expected tools to be solid, high quality, and last a lifetime. We didn't mind spending a little extra because we knew that we were making an investment. Our current trend toward "disposable" consumerism, however, poses a threat to Western Forge's core mission-one that they are not willing to compromise.

 

Western Forge has wisely chosen to face these economic and cultural challenges by staying true to their principles and finding new and innovative ways to weather the storm. To that end, Manufacturer's Edge provided customized training, consulting, and coaching to help them implement Lean 5S, Kanban, and other such techniques for improvement in order to stay current, minimize waste, and unify their workforce in order to recover, rebuild, and revive the Western Forge legacy of quality.

 

Results:

Increased Sales: $3,000,000

Retained Sales: $1,000,000

Cost Savings: $150,000

Retained Jobs: 25

Read more of our Success Stories at manufacturersedge.com.