On June 16, more than 300 friends and clients of Minnesota Technology, Inc. gathered on the campus of the University of St. Thomas, to help re-inaugurate the company as "Enterprise Minnesota." Bob Kill, president and CEO of Enterprise Minnesota, told attendees that the name change reflected his company's sharpened focus on helping manufacturers compete and grow profitably.

 

"Today's manufacturers compete on a landscape that requires innovation," he said. "Enterprise Minnesota helps them develop and apply strategies to keep competitive - and further position themselves for growth."

 

Minnesota's manufacturers have never been more essential to a prosperous state economy, Kill said, and Enterprise Minnesota is committed to helping them grow. Since 1991, Enterprise Minnesota has advised more than 6,700 Minnesota manufacturers, adding $232.7 million dollars to their bottom lines, and helping to add or retain more than 10,000 jobs.

 

"It is inevitable that manufacturing will continue to change, but we hope to be in-front providing the resources to help them adapt and grow," he said.

 

Minnesota Technology was chartered by the state legislature more than 20 years ago, to help companies in Greater Minnesota apply and commercialize technology products. But today's hyper competitive global marketplace requires manufacturers statewide to have access to high level information and sophisticated training that goes well beyond technology, Kill said. Their needs extend from adapting lean operations, to improving supply chain relationships and methods, workforce planning, and other strategic guidance.

Improving complicated supply chain relationships is not as simple as improving price and delivery said a group of business leaders on July 16th. More than 70 people from nearly 30 manufacturing firms turned out for a morning event at the University of Minnesota as the panel of experts discussed supply chain relationships.

 

Using their perspectives as OEM's, suppliers, and business consultants, experts discussed improving supply chain relationships. It is an often-challenging relationship, with OEMs making demands and suppliers feeling pressured. The relationships are dependant on quality, cost, innovation and financial management.

 

Each organization needs to evaluate their supply- chain relationships constantly to ensure that it is still mutually beneficial. Remmele Engineering CEO Rich Pogue said that, in choosing relationships, it requires a focused approach that, "is more like a rifle than a shotgun."

 

While there is not a silver bullet to improving OEM/supplier relationships, speakers agreed that it is a process of continuous improvement. However, gains there are great gains made by relying on innovation, communication, strategic partnerships, and cooperation.

 

The event presentation materials and photos are available online at

www.enterpriseminne sota.org

 

Located 165 miles northwest of the Twin Cities metro area in the town of Morris, Minnesota, Superior Industries is a 300 person company that produces conveyor, idler and pulley equipment for the transportation of heavy materials and products.

 

Superior Industries does not always have a large pile of outside applicants for supervisory positions within the company. The people already employed with the company are oftentimes put into supervisory positions and they don't have any training or experience with managing people. The problems, says Stan Wulf, director of continuous improvement for Superior Industries, ranged from an inability to analyze all of the information in a situation to approaching workers in the wrong way, both of which led to disagreements- and more stress-in the workplace.

 

To alleviate these challenges, Superior Industries engaged Enterprise Minnesota to train their employees in TWI. Wulf estimated that Superior Industries first began training its supervisors in the Job Relations segment of the Training Within Industry (TWI) method nearly a decade ago. The program has been kept as a Superior Industries training staple ever since, and was most recently used in March of 2007.

While Superior Industries incorporates many different kinds of training into its efforts to cultivate effective and supportive leadership, the practical Job Relations has remained a rite of passage for new supervisors.

 

"It's effective training to get supervisors up to speed," Wulf said.

 

Participants have responded very favorably to Job Relations sessions over the years, Wulf said, due to the real-world relevance of the lessons learned.

 

"Sometimes, a lot of other training is good information, but when it comes to applying that information, there is a disconnect," Wulf said. "One of the individuals who went through Job Relations said, 'That's the best training I've ever had,' because they could see how they could apply it."

 

Wulf said the benefits of Job Relations are at once intangible and invaluable. Because supervisors are now more knowledgeable about ways to effectively manage and work with people, the relationships among supervisors and their teams, which range from 10 to 20 people, have improved. So, too, have relationships between the supervisors themselves.

 

"With all of our supervisors going through that training, there is a consistent language that they can talk about," Wulf said. "When one person talks about gathering the facts and evaluating and weigh and decide, they all understand."

 

Wulf is certain that these improved relationships have increased efficiency on the shop floor since the training began. "We have a strong belief that when you have good relationships and good teamwork and good people development, the increase in productivity is going to follow," he said.

 

In 2006, the company opened a new manufacturing location in Prescott Valley, Arizona. Referred to as their Southwest Division, the Arizona building is already being expanded to twice its original size. Wulf is working to ensure that Job Relations will always be a part of supervisor training, even as the company grows.

 

"We see our people much, much more capable and more effective in managing people," he said. "Job Relations has been a piece of the puzzle that has made that possible."

 

Learn more at www.enterpriseminnesota.org

• State Economy: Minnesota gained jobs for the second consecutive month in June, with employers adding 3,400 positions on top of the 2,500 jobs that were created in May, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Manufacturing added 1,300 jobs during June.

 

• New Contract: The United States Air Force recently awarded a Sounding Rocket Program Three contract to Alliant Techsystems of Eden Prairie, MN. The contract has a potential value of $250 million. Alliant Techsystems will provide provide launch vehicles and engineering and integration services for intercept systems and atmospheric sounding rocket experiments.

 

• New Partnership: St. Paul based Ecowater, a manufacturer of residential and commercial water treatment products, recently selected Donnelly Custom Manufacturing, based in Alexandria, as its short run supplier of molded parts. According to press statement, EcoWater chose Donnelly due to its expertise in short run manufacturing, project management and large takeover projects.

 

• New Facility: Productivity Inc, the Midwest's leading distributor of machine tools, has expanded its facility in Plymouth to accommodate the growing needs of its business. The expansion includes the addition of a new building, additional offices in the adjacent building, and renovation of the current facility. Productivity expects the new space will allow more machines on the showroom floor for display and demonstrations, a house a rotary table repair bay, and room for future growth.

 

• Notable News: Fortune Small Business Magazine announced five Minnesota companies made the 2008 list of America's 100 Fastest-Growing Small Public Companies. Rochester Medical Corp of Stewartville, a manufacturer of latex-free urological care products ranked 16th. Arden Hills based IntriCon Corp., a designer of parts for hearing aids, ranked 22nd. WSI Industries Inc. of Monticello, a precision machining manufacturer, ranked 43rd, and Nortech Systems, a Wayzata based electronics manufacturer, ranked 100.

 

• New State Program: The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has launched a new Office of Science and Technology (OST) to guide newer Minnesota companies to funding sources, collaborations and potential business partners. Gov. Tim Pawlenty proposed the OST as part of his Strategic Entrepreneurial Economic Development (SEED) initiative, a comprehensive program to stimulate rural economic development. Officials hope the office will lead to the emergence of other high-tech and science clusters similar to the state's highly successful medical device sector.

 

• Acquisition: Andersen Corporation recently announced an agreement to purchase Silver Line Building Products Corporation, the leading manufacturer of vinyl windows and patio doors in North America. Founded in 1947, Silver Line is a privately-owned company based in New Jersey, with additional facilities in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Texas, and Illinois.

 

Upcoming Events:

Generating New Ideas, Business, and Revenue
Wednesday, August 13, 8:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Unisys Roseville, MN
Cost: $59.00
Learn to generate ideas that will grow your business. Come hear John Connelly, director of product management at Enterprise Minnesota, discuss how to grow ideas and revenue in your business through Eureka! Winning Ways. This is the only program of its kind that has been customized and refined specifically for U.S. smaller manufacturers, and is making a dramatic difference in how companies are growing.
Register online at www.enterpriseminne sota.org or call 612.455.4239.

 

Strengthening Your Supply-Chain Relationships: An event presented jointly by Enterprise Minnesota and LifeScience Alley
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
3:00pm - 4:00pm
Gray Plant Mooty Law Offices St. Cloud, MN
Cost: $59 Early Bird; $79 Standard (Registrations received after September 3rd)
As pressures continue to mount on OEMs and suppliers, both are recognizing that speed and flexibility are the keys to reducing supply chain risk. Come learn from John Connelly, director of product management for Enterprise Minnesota, about Accelerate! It is a new supplier development initiative designed to build on continuous improvement processes. After the presentation, participants have an opportunity to meet and discuss with their peers at the quarterly Alley Chats Networking Event.
Register online at either www.lifesciencealley.org or www.enterpriseminne sota.org

 

19th Annual LifeScience Alley - Alley Institute Scholarship Golf Tournament
September 8, 2008
Golden Valley Golf and Country Club
www.lifesciencealley.org

 

MPMA Motorhead & Night at the Races
Sunday, August 10
Raceway Park, Shakopee
3:00 - 7:00 pm: Car Show
5:30 pm: BBQ Dinner
7:00 pm: Races Start
www.mpma. com

 

53rd annual Printing Industry MN golf tournament
August 7, 2008
Majestic Oaks Golf Club, Ham Lake
www.pi mn.org

 

Do you have news or events to submit? Email them to nate.duoss@enterpriseminnesota.org or call 612.455.4213