The Chicago Manufacturing Center is committed to improving the profitability and global competitiveness of Illinois manufacturing through innovative solutions for top and bottom-line growth. An affiliate of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a program of the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Chicago Manufacturing Center works directly with small and mid-sized manufacturers, providing expertise and services tailored to their unique needs.

Lean & Green Manufacturing: Webinar and Workshop

The Lincoln Foundation for Performance Excellence and the Chicago Manufacturing Center are partnering together to provide a series of webinars and workshops to assist manufacturers in obtaining greater operation excellence. The next in the series will focus on Lean & Green Manufacturing and the economic and environmental impact that can occur when your company puts waste eliminating principles to use.

A webinar providing a one hour overview on Lean & Green Manufacturing will be held on July 9th from 12:00pm - 1:00pm. A full day workshop, which will delve deeper into the subjects covered in the webinar will take place on July 15th from 8:30am - 4:30pm. For more information, please read the training overview. Or you can register for both the webinar and the workshop at the Lincoln Foundation's website.

Next Generation Manufacturing Study Released

A national study released on June 11 by the American Small Manufacturers Coalition (ASMC) and co-conducted by Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) centers across the country, identifies critical threats to the ability of U.S. manufacturers to compete and win in a fast-changing 21 st century global economy. Next Generation Manufacturing refers to a framework of six strategies essential for global competitiveness today and in the future. The study, which is a compilation of the findings of more than 2,500 manufacturing firms across the nation that participated in it, shows that US manufacturing is woefully under par in its ability to compete in the future economy.

The full report can be found here.

Free Waste to Profit Community Network Workshop

The Chicago Manufacturing Center will host a Waste to Profit Community Network Workshop on Friday, July 31, 2009 . The event will take place from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Garfield Park Conservatory in the Community Room, located at 300 North Central Park Avenue , Chicago , IL , 60624, and is open to any manufacturers or businesses looking for opportunities to save money on raw materials while creating bankable revenue from their waste streams .

The Waste to Profit Network addresses Chicago's sustainability needs by working together with Chicago area companies, institutions and City of Chicago departments to identify and implement by-product synergies that not only reduce waste and emissions, but also deliver economic impact.

To date, the network has diverted over 67,000 tons of landfill, reduced CO2 emissions by 50,000 tons and created over $5.5 million of economic value for its member companies.

For more information about this event, please contact Libby Allen Augustine at 312.542.0496 or e-mail lallen@cmcusa.org . You can also visit www.wastetoprofit.com

Market Diversification and Innovation Assists Manufacturers Through Economic Troubles

To adapt and grow, you need to find new opportunities that set you apart and make you a market leader.

Eureka! Winning Ways is a simple, disciplined approach that quickly identifies and validates new ideas to increase top-line revenues, using proven idea-creation and deployment methods. These ideas may involve new products, services, customers, distribution channels, and/or marketing approaches.

Eureka! Winning Ways is:

  • 8 times more effective than idea "brainstorming"
  • 88% reliable in separating winning ideas from losers.
  • 85% more successful by using a disciplined approach to growth
  • 5 times more effective in crafting messages that sell

In the video above, Jim Flanagan, President of Nuance Solutions in Chicago, talks about his experience with the Eureka! Winning Ways program.

 

 
  • CLIENT TESTIMONIAL

    "The value stream map was key to streamlining our quoting process: we broke it down, made it simple, and made it better. As our partner in launching our lean journey, CMC added value by helping us to see where we needed to improve, rather than stagnating or becoming overly reliant on outside experts for our own improvements."

    --Andrew Gabelman, President, Chief Enterprises