What is
NWMOC?
The Northwest Wisconsin Manufacturing Outreach Center is part of a
nationwide network of Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) centers
and is located on the campus of University of Wisconsin-Stout, Wisconsin’s
Retirements
Polytechnic University. The NWMOC provides at-your-location services by
and western Wisconsin. The NWMOC is part of UW-Stout’s Discovery Center,
To develop competitive manufacturing companies in our region by bringing positive the NWMOC, Frank Borg, marketing and public relations manager, has retired.
change and growth to our clients.
be missed,” said Larry Blackledge, NWMOC director.
experts deliver integrated services to manufacturers in 33 counties in northern
our mission
After nine years of service with Stout Technology Transfer Institute (STTI) and
“Frank’s breadth of knowledge and extensive community contacts will certainly
seasoned practitioners with expertise in manufacturing management. These
NWMOC
A nnual R eport
2010-2011
Doris Faber has worked for UW-Stout for 31 years. For the last 21 years, she
which provides applied research to foster discovery and innovation-based
solutions.
The NWMOC wishes a fond farewell to some outstanding employees.
Director
has successfully served the centers of the STTI, in particular the NWMOC, as a
In partnership with Chippewa Valley, Northcentral, Nicolet Area,
financial specialist and grant coordinator. “With her cheerful and open attitude,
Western and Wisconsin Indianhead Technical Colleges and UW-Stout; the
Doris was a pleasure to work with.”
center delivers the training and technical assistance needed to improve and
In the past year, the Northwest Wisconsin Manufacturing Outreach Center (NWMOC)
expanded services into new and exciting areas. As part of the Discovery Center, we
were able to connect manufacturers to the resources of UW-Stout, providing significant
results for our clients and real-world projects for students and faculty. This has enabled
the NWMOC to reach beyond our traditional bounds. It has been, and continues to be,
a rewarding experience.
We wish Frank and Doris well deserved enjoyment in their retirements. grow manufacturing businesses.
LETTER FRO M TH E
Our largest funding partner, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, began
Why
NWMOC?
moving into new territory as well. In addition to its traditional assistance in creating
The number one reason clients chose the NWMOC in the past year was
a culture of continuous process improvement, they are addressing an increased
expertise, followed by fair cost and solid reputation. The center’s manufacturing
emphasis on the growth of manufacturers to add new jobs, new products and new
specialists have extensive backgrounds and work experience in industry. They
markets. In collaboration with the Discovery Center and other area resources, we are
have lived the battles. The specialists are practitioners who have the expertise
well positioned to work on projects that include new designs for existing products, new
to review an operation and develop an understanding of clients’ competitive
product concepts, new markets for existing products, and new product prototyping and
issues and future goals.
commercialization.
NWMOC produces measurable results and substantial returns for Wisconsin
manufacturers and taxpayers.
• Over the past four quarters, the federal investment in NWMOC alone
produced gains for manufacturers resulting in impacts of $69 for every
What is New
federal dollar invested.
Wausau Paper Company,
Rhinelander
“NWMOC had helped us begin
a culture of change that will make
us a more competitive, more
profitable organization.”
– Steven Moore,
Director of Manufacturing
• This investment translates into a cost of less than $1,900 for every job
created or retained 1 — far below other economic development initiatives.
1
• NWMOC delivers more impact with fewer federal dollars.
Figure cited in a 2005-06 Review of State Economic Development Programs
for the Joint Legislative Audit Committee
The primary area of client demand continues to be in process improvement or Lean
NWMOC's new Computer Simulation Service eliminates the guesswork by
manufacturing. I don’t see this changing in the foreseeable future. This area of
quantifying the ROI and impacts before the investment of valuable time and
practice continues to be an important and thriving part of the NWMOC as we help
money. The process can help companies answer tough questions and make
manufacturers grow and become sustainable operations.
investments with confidence.
Chippewa River Industries,
• Implement process improvements?
In the next year the NWMOC will focus on penetrating the market further. To accomplish
chippewa falls
• Hire more staff?
this, we will look to expand our products, services and delivery methods to best provide
• Purchase equipment?
our manufacturers with the support required to excel in key success categories. We will
• Add another production line?
continue to build on what we and our partners are currently doing, and we will work on
“Through NWMOC’s computer
simulation, they determined the optimal
number of employees on our production
lines, ultimately resulting in increased
efficiency within our systems.”
scaling the services to fit the manufacturers in our region.
To schedule a live demonstration contact Kelly Sullivan at 715.232.5261 or by
email at sullivank@uwstout.edu.
Larry Blackledge
NWMOC Director
– Bill Peterson,
Director of Operations and Sales
NORTHWEST WISCONSIN MANUFACTURING OUTREACH CENTER
A resource
of the Discovery Center at University of Wisconsin-Stout
School
of Education
866.880.2262 • http://nwmoc.uwstout.edu
www.uwstout.edu/programs/mscte
NWMOC
Results
The NWMOC uses a national survey house, Turner Marketing, to monitor client
results on completed projects. Manufacturers in the NWMOC region reported more
than $29.5 million dollars impact in new and retained sales; cost savings and
investments in plants and equipment, information systems or software, workforce
practices or employee skills, and other areas of business.
NWMOC
Services
M eet a
C ritica l N eed
NWMOC Survey Results
rolling 4 quarters
Since 1994, NWMOC has helped to
create and save more than 3,600
state manufacturing jobs, according
to
results
documented
by
companies. In the midst of the
recession, NWMOC’s services created
and retained 319 jobs last year. Examples include:
75 jobs retained
– Bill Bockes, President
Nolato Contour, Baldwin Four new jobs and
10 retained jobs
In 2010-11, the NWMOC:
• Served 101 manufacturers by a completed technical assistance activity or
public event
• Delivered 114 technical assistance projects to area manufacturers
and businesses
• Sponsored 13 public events attended by 482 people
• Achieved client-reported impacts of more than $29.5 million
• 319 jobs created or retained, 189 jobs saved and 130 new jobs reported
• Achieved a customer satisfaction rating of 8.62 on a 10-point scale with
10 being very good
Jobs Created/Retained
created
Schuette Metals, Wausau
200
20 retained jobs
150
“The expertise of the [NWMOC]
Manufacturing Center has
been a big help.”
– John Peterson, President
Merit Gear, Antigo
“Probably the greater benefit from the
5-S event — beyond the obvious
workplace improvements — was
seeing the people working together
as a team … That right there will
improve the overall performance
of the department in the future.”
retained
– John Herrmann,
25 new jobs and
Plant Superintendent
0
opportunities and challenges.
NWMOC serves 3,584 manufacturing enterprises in 33 counties in northern
“You’d be a fool not to try the
NWMOC services. It doesn’t cost
much when you consider what you get!”
Client Profile
Location: Superior, Wisconsin
Years in Business: Since 1997
Number of Employees: 180
Products: Manufacture and market innovative products for the hunting industry
NWMOC Projects
and western Wisconsin. This region has a multitude of small manufacturers.2
– Bob Matarelli,
• Ninety-nine percent of manufacturers in these counties are small and
Lean Coordinator/
Principles of Lean Manufacturing, 5S, VSM, E!WW, A3 Problem Solving, Total
medium-sized firms, employing fewer than 500 people
Manufacturing Engineer
Productive Maintenance, Simulation (majority of projects done in partnership with
• More than 70 percent employ fewer than 10 people
Harris InfoSource, www.selectoryonline.com
17
16
0
67
30
201020102010 2011
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
84
84
Conference
Success
Story:
NWMOC’s fourth annual Manufacturing Advantage Conference theme was
Sustaining Profitability: People, Process, Planet.
“We provided our conference attendees with valuable tools and information to
achieve and sustain profitability, including methods surrounding the people within
their organization, the processes they practice on the plant floor and throughout
the company, and opportunities for sustainability practices that improve their
bottom line,” said Larry Blackledge.
The 2011 conference kicked off with preconference industry tours of Cardinal
Glass and Andersen Windows in Menomonie. Following the tours, nearly 100
Situation
conference attendees enjoyed the networking reception “A Taste of Wisconsin” at
When NWMOC project managers called on Field Logic, their timing could not have
the Dunn County Fish and Game pavilion in Wakanda Park. Food and beverages
been better. Field Logic wanted an expert opinion on establishing baselines and
from food processors and distributors across the region were featured.
developing a systematic way for the company to move forward. In the last 10 years,
Field Logic has had tremendous growth.
Results
• Increased production in Block® Target division by 20 percent
• Improved Hurricane™ Target layout by 30 percent
• Required increased quality from supply chain vendors
• Experienced cost savings of $65,000
• Increased investments by $28,500
• Used specialized recycled materials to fill bag targets
Project
Communication is always important especially during periods of rapid growth,
which is why nearly all employees have participated in Lean 101 training and
implementation. Field Logic began their lean journey by targeting their Block®
Target division. Production in that area has increased by 20 percent on average.
Conference attendees heard from two keynote speakers: John R. Brandt, CEO
XeteX, Inc., La Crosse
“At the beginning, this seemed
intimidating. However, the NWMOC
personnel were very knowledgeable,
accommodating and worked well with
our people in applying Lean methods.
Overall, these improvements should
help us retain existing and attract new
clients and obtain more orders.
Highly recommended.”
– Keith Hohenstein, President
Their Hurricane™ Target area layout has been improved by 30 percent.
Field Logic’s Broadhead Arrow division experienced significant growth with
a demand that exceeded their ability to supply. Because they did not have all
SOPs — standard operating procedures — in place, training new employees
was challenging. Each division undergoes a 5S audit monthly. The production
workspaces have been redesigned to eliminate bottlenecks and to streamline work
textile industries to fill their bag targets. At first this specialized scrap was sorted
21
2011
M anufacturing Advantage
Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board FY10-11)
flow. Field Logic is also practicing sustainability by using specialized scrap from
100
50
to compete globally. Exports, sustainability and new product innovation are key
Field Logic, Superior
Fie ld Logic H unts Lean Success
$4,314,500
total savings
Johnson Electric Coil, Antigo “With the NWMOC, you don’t get
what you paid for; you get much,
much more!”
resources and expertise to implement the scope and scale of change necessary
2
$6,142,300
total investment
$18,999,000
total sales
client
National studies show that small manufacturers often lack the internal
and cut by hand, but they now use a machine that they designed and built to cut
the scrap, which is much more efficient. The company designs and builds many of
its own conveyors and machines.
Dental Crafters, Marshfield
“For the money we spent, I can’t think
of anything that’s been more beneficial
with immediate improvements on
our bottom line.”
– Bob Slominski, Co-owner
of The MPI Group, who spoke about manufacturers remaining competitive in the
future; and Donald R. McNeeley, president and CEO of Chicago Tube and Iron Corp.,
who presented the “Sustainability of Profit: The Ultimate Measure.” Conference
attendees articulated the value provided from the excellent keynote speakers, the
variety of breakout sessions and the significance of getting together with other
manufacturers to network and share ideas and concerns.
This year’s Manufacturing Advantage Conference will be held May 21-22, 2012.