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If you have difficulty getting your arms around how your manufacturing business is actually performing, you are not alone. It’s the number one challenge many manufacturers I talk to want to tackle because it can mean the difference between running a successful company or managing a struggling company....
Read MoreJoshua Hopp is the fourth-generation owner of a manufacturing business that specializes in precision metal stampings. His father, Raymond, installed a company-wide ERP system back in the 80s when no one else in the industry even considered it. Nearly three decades later and that once cutting-edge ERP now required customization after customization to keep pace with customer demands. ...
Read MoreHow do you handle uncertain times? One strategy is to hunker down and “weather the storm.” For manufacturers, this often means limiting technology investments until the chaos subsides, then attempting to time technology improvements during high-growth periods....
Read MorePutting customers first is a mantra that FloraCraft takes to heart. The company has built its 70-year reputation as the world’s largest fabricator and supplier of Styrofoam™ brand foam products for the craft, floral, display, and special event industries on this guiding principle. Jim Scatena, FloraCraft’s President and CEO says it’s this philosophy that has helped his business remain so…
Read MoreWho is Avon Gear? Headquartered in Shelby Township, Michigan, Avon Gear Company manufactures precision-machined components and subassemblies for heavy industrial equipment manufacturers. The company has experienced steady growth since its beginnings in 1974 and continues to look for ways deliver quality products to its customers....
Read MoreManufacturing has always been driven by innovation, from the first production line to modern sensors and robotics. Today, wearables and other connected tools are poised to transform how things are made. A central force in this transformation is cloud ERP—which now reaches all the way from materials in the supply chain to the employees and equipment on the plant floor to the hands of the customer…
Read MorePaul Wright, VP, Information Technology and CIO of Accuride, a leading global supplier of commercial vehicle wheels and wheel end components, shares his perspective on how Big Data and analytics has helped Accuride improve customer satisfaction and product quality, while at the same time improving efficiency and driving down costs....
Read MoreFT Precision makes rocker arms for one of the world’s leading automotive OEMs, delivering products that are key to the performance of some of the worlds most efficient and reliable automobiles. Founded in 1994, FT Precision Inc. is a Japanese-parented, Ohio-based, automotive component supplier....
Read MoreAs dozens of Sanders cherry cordials pass under the enrober, a molten waterfall coats them in pure, dark chocolate. Two candymakers use gloved fingers to create the classic “Sanders Twirl” atop the candy before it enters the cooling tunnel....
Read More“We focus on what we can offer that nobody else can,” explains Firstronic CEO John Sammut. “Our differentiators have become better shop floor controls, advanced technology, speed-to-market and flexibility.” Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Firstronic makes electronic components for automotive, industrial and medical industry customers....
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