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 WELCOME!
Welcome to the "Manufacturing Matters" e-newsletter!
Please send company news to info@mainemfg.com. Enjoy!
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REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!
2011 ANNUAL MEETING
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Ramada Inn Lewiston
4:30-8:00PM
Please join us to celebrate our 47th year
as the voice of manufacturing in Maine!
Sponsorship opportunities now avaialble!
Click here for the sponsorship
and registration form.
Registration Closes October 21st
If you have any questions please contact
MAMe at 207.854.2153 or admin@mainemfg.com
Keynote Speaker F. Lee Bailey & Entertainment by Comedian, Bob Marley
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What’s Happening at MAMe?
New Members: Please welcome our newest members to MAMe!
Sunsiaray of Maine, Andover, MA.,
Subsidiary of Sunsiaray, Inc.
Tom Murphy, CEO.
Solar Panel Manufacturer www.sunsiaray.com
Priority Group, Topsham, Maine,
Jim Howard, CEO
Commercial Real Estate Investors
jhoward@prioritygroupllc.com
Everborne Consulting Group, Rockport, Maine
Ozzie White, President
Business Consulting Services
www.EverborneConsulting.com
The MAMe Business Services Division:
Business Growth Services (BGS) This month, the BGS division is providing a multitude of companies with services including strategic planning, marketing, Lean, costing, process improvement and certification and training, grant writing, ISO …if you have a need for business services, please call MAMe at 854-2153 or email admin@mainemfg.com Remember, the private sector creates wealth….
Education and Training: Maine Industry Partnership Initiative/Sector Development:
The Manufacturers Roundtable for Education and Training: MAMe is humming with activities to implement a state strategy for workforce development. MAMe is preparing the Maine’s Industry Partnership Initiative (MIPI) model that is data and demand-driven. The Manufacturers Roundtable and MAMe Education Committee are ready to roll out the MIPI and a statewide manufacturing marketing plan. MAMe and several board and committee members are attending the Governors Jobs Creation Summit at SMCC on Oct 19th.
On September 29, MAMe hosted a Welding training consortium meeting with area companies in Lewiston/Auburn to gather information and data related to their training needs. WahlcoMetroflex, Newfab, Cianbro, Mountain Maine Works, Maine Oxy and New England School of Metalwork attended. Implementation of data and services are in the works.
On November 4, the RF/Electronics/Wireless Communication consortium will meet at Howell Labs in Bridgton to determine training and develop assessment tools.
Cluster/Sector Development: MAMe is active in implementing the Medical Device and The Advanced Textile Consortium cluster programs. The plans will assist sector industries with business development activities, training, certifications and overall business needs.
Compliance Plus Program: MAMe will meet with the staff at DEP and Bureau of Labor Standards to begin implementing the Compliance Plus Program. The design team is ready to implement the model of Compliance services to assist members on how to become and sustain compliance within the company. Training and direct assistance for members will be available soon.
Business Insurance Services: MAMe Paradigm Health Plan has rolled out the new Paradigm Health Plan. We currently have several members signing up! We can arrange for company meetings with Walker Winslow, Paradigm Health Consultants. If you want more information, please call us at 207-854-2153 or email info@mmainemfg.com
Member Group Programs:
Legal Shield (formally Pre-Paid Legal Services) —We are pleased to introduce Mark Michaud, Legal Shield Account Representative. Mark will continue to provide MAMe members with Legal Shield programs and services. Welcome aboard Mark! If interested, please contact MAMe directly for referral.
Maine Manufacturers Group Trust (MMGT), a self-funded workers compensation group and partner of MAMe, held their Annual Meeting on Sept 30 in Augusta. What is so exciting about this meeting is the checks, amounting to $1M, were refunded to members of the Group Trust for no loss time and increase in safety of workers!
Joint members of MMGT and MAMe included Fasco, Prescott Metal, Montalvo, Howell Labs and Elmet Technologies,
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Chip Roche, MAMe Board Chair addresses members of the MMGT
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Blackstone Charitable Foundation: As most of you read, Blackstone was in Maine on October, 7 to announce a $3M investment in Maine for entrepreneurship and innovation. The launch of the Blackstone Accelerates Growth Initiative will focus on funding innovation projects and projecting 10,000 new jobs in Maine. The funds will support programs that provide skills training, mentoring and coaching services including The Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development (MCED) Top Gun Program, UM, Innovation Engineering/Jump Start and Maine Technology Institute (MTI) for early start-up capital and commercialization assistance. MAMe is very excited and plans to collaborate on this project for BGS services for companies!
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Seated L-R: Deb Neuman, DECD, Congressman Mike Michaud (MAMe Board of Advisors), Jim Detert, Rynel/ Mõlnlycke Health Care (MAMe member) and Chair of MTI Board, and Karen Mills, SBA.
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Bath Iron Works Tour
Sponsored by the Maine Manufacturers Group Trust
On Thursday September 22, 2011 MAMe and JMQC kicked off the start of the 2011-2012 tour season with a tour of Bath Iron Works.
Over sixty attendees from all over Maine heard John McCarthy, Vice President of Planning and Information Technology at BIW, and MAMe Board Member, speak of the progression of Bath Iron Works over the years. He emphasized the changing face of the shipyard and the technological developments that have led to Bath Iron Works success.
After the tour, Lisa G. Martin, Executive Director of MAMe, engaged tour goers with a lively update of the association's activities.
Thank you to Bath Iron Works for a fantastic tour!
Attendees of the 2011 Bath Iron Works tour!
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Upcoming Events
Fall is here and MAMe is proud to kick off our 2011-2012 Tour/Seminar Season!! Please check our calendar of events regularly for new events. All members are welcomed and encouraged to attend these events!
OCTOBER
Oct 27th: MAMe Annual Meeting
Time: 4:30pm-8:00pm Location: Ramada Inn, Lewiston
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NOVEMBER
Nov 8th: ASQ Professional Development: Calibration Process at Maine Standards
Time: 5:00PM-7:30PM Location: Maine Standards, Windham
Nov 15th: MEAA Meet-n-Greet: Companies with work meeting companies seeking work
Time: TBD Location: TBD
Nov 17th: MAMe and JMQC Monthly Meeting Tour: Thomas Moser
Time: 4:00pm-7:00PM Location: Thomas Moser, Auburn
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DECEMBER
Dec 8th: MAMe and JMQC Seminar: Details TBD
Time: 5:00PM-7:30PM Location: TBD
Dec TBD: MAMe and JMQC Monthly Meeting Tour: Shipyard Brewery
Time: 4:00-7:00pm Location: Shipyard Brewery, Portland
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What's Happening in BGS?
“Innovation comes from the producer - not from the customer.” -W. Edwards Deming
True innovation happens when the producing company fully understands the “consumer’s tough problems”. In this customer/supplier relationship everybody understands their roles and responsibilities. The customer understands the importance of accurately communicating their need or “problem” and the supplier understands the importance of meeting that need or “solving that problem”. American companies have a long history of solving very difficult problems, so why is the topic of this article relevant today?
The difficulty lies in the customer/supplier communication. First, as producers, we are eager to solve the problem, so we do not listen long enough to the customer to fully understand the problem we are facing. Second, as producers, we are eager to solve the problem so we react quickly and produce the “first viable solution”, not the optimum solution; or, third, as producers we are eager to solve the problem, but we also fear failure so we will masticate on a single solution for an extended time before abandoning that idea for a better solution. In this last case, our competition may come to market with an alternate solution and our solution is too late.
It is time to add "rigor" to our product development process much like the rigor we apply to our other business processes. The requirements must incorporate several points of view; the view of the product user, the manufacturer, the supplier, the product maintainer and the end of life recycler to achieve that optimum solution our customers are looking for.
John DuBois, President of optimize, Inc. a Maine based consulting firm, and member of MAMe, BGS Consulting services.
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What's Happening in the MEAA?
On October 5, the MEAA held a Marcum Cronus forum in Portland with MEAA members. The forum topic was “Aerospace and Defense Subcontracting to the Large OEMs: the Opportunities in Large Aircraft and Engine Programs and the Requirements for Success; and a Profile of the Northeast Supply Chain”.
Speakers included Joseph H. Lubenstein, Senior Advisor, Marcum Cronus Partners.
Joseph is former President of Kaman Aerospace Corporation, a diversified aircraft structures and components company and a subsidiary of Kaman Corporation (KAMN), he previously had a 30-year career with Pratt and Whitney that included senior management positions in Engineering, Finance, Manufacturing Operations, Program Management, Quality Assurance, and Commercial and Military Spare Parts. Mr. Lubenstein is currently engaged by the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) as the Director of the Academy of Aerospace and Engineering.
The forum also presented “Capital Restructuring for Small to Mid-Size Manufacturers; and Consolidation Trends in the Sector. Presenting was Jeffrey S. Rubin, Managing Director, Marcum Cronus Partners. Jeffery leads the firm's efforts in services and established companies, with an extensive operational background in heavy industry, and is also an experienced technology banker.
Members that attended were engaged in the forum and received a lot of information on how their companies can get into the supply chain effectively.
Here are comments from some of the attendees:
“I found the forum to be very informational and insightful. Thank you for the invite I'm glad that I attended”. Lewis Waterhouse – LAW Calibration
“We really enjoyed yesterday’s meeting and feel it was very informative. It also gave us the opportunity to meet others in the trade and share similar experiences. We are extremely grateful for MAMe and Maine Aerospace Alliance and the services they provide”. – Paula Cuthbertson – Specialty Products Company
Marcum Cronus (left): Andrea Chase, Jeff Rubin, and Joe Lubenstein
Members (right): Steve Sullivan, John Doran - D&G Machine, Louis Waterhouse - LAW Calibration, and Bart Haley - Kennebec Technology
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Supply Chain: Supplier Relations Seminar
The Manufacturers Association of Maine (MAMe) in conjunction with the Joint Manufacturing & Quality Council (JMQC) hosted a Supply Chain: Supplier Relations seminar on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at Husson College.
Joe Allen, CSCP from APICS discussed the importance of supplier relations. Joe talked about how working collaboratively with suppliers is vital to the success of your organization. This collaboration maximizes the potential value of these relationships. He emphasized the importance the flow of information between suppliers, companies and customers as an essential aspect of supply chain management.
Thank you to all who attended the event and to Husson for hosting us. Keep checking our calendar of events for upcoming seminars, trainings and tours!
Joe Allen, CSCP from APICS speaking on supplier relations
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Take control of your workers’ compensation insurance costs!
Since 1993, the Manufacturers of Maine Group Trust has returned 28% of insurance premiums to its members.
To learn more about how our aggressive safety and claims management programs can put you in control of your workers’ compensation costs, please contact Steven McKay at steve.mckay@willis.com or 1-800-698-3267 ext.1013
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MEAA TRAINING FUNDS AVAILABLE
There are MEAA training funds available! Contact our offices at (207) 854-2153 or click here to email us for more information.
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SEND US YOUR
JOB POSTINGS!!
Does your company have a job opening, let MAMe help.
Send the job description and contact information to info@mainemfg.com and we will post it on our job postings page.
Please contact MAMe at 207-854-2153 or by email at info@mainemfg.com for more information on this free service.
SMCC Job Posting:
Please go to www.mainemfg.com for additional information
SMCC is seeking PT ADVANCED CNC MACHINING INSTRUCTOR in the
INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING DEPARTMENT
APPLICATION PROCESS: Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and a list of three professional references to HR@smccME.edu
HR@smccME.edu or mail to:
Southern Maine Community College
Fort Road
South Portland, ME 04106
Attention: Denise Reny, HR & Benefits Manager
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Great Fall Auction Weekend at Owls Head
OWLS HEAD, ME- The annual Owls Head Transportation Museum's Great Fall Auction & Flea Market will be held Sunday, October 30.
The weekend event begins Saturday, Oct. 29 with a giant Flea Market and auction preview from 10 am to 5 pm. The fun heats up Sunday with a Silent Auction starting at 8 am. Live Auction bidding will start at 9:30 am. There is no charge to become a bidder and admission to the Museum is free all weekend.
Donations will be accepted through October 27. All donations are tax deductible within the limits of the law.
The Museum is located at 117 Museum Street (off Rt. 73) in Owls Head, three miles south of Rockland. There is plenty of free parking, and refreshments will be available. A current list of auction items is available online at www.owlshead.org and more items are being added daily. For more information call 207-594-4418 or click here.
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