Dozens of Iowa manufacturers got their first glimpse of a path to new technologies on September 26, as CIRAS formally opened its new Digital Manufacturing Lab powered by Alliant Energy. Representatives from CIRAS, Alliant Energy, and the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) were joined by Iowa State University and Ames leaders for opening remarks and a tour.
Author: Jeff Eckhoff
Communications Manager at CIRAS, Iowa State University
ILC Mentors Help Put Lean Training into Practice
John Magnussen, continuous improvement manager for Pella Corporation, likes to compare Lean management techniques to riding a bicycle: getting trained is great; but at some point, you just have to grab the handlebars and go. “You didn’t learn to ride a bike by reading a book,” Magnussen said. “You went out, and you rode a bike! You can read and train all you want, but until you go and actually practice it, you’re not going to know.” But wouldn’t be nice to have someone running beside you as you learned?
Did You Know?… FedBizOpps is going away
FedBizOpps currently is the federal government’s website (www.fbo.gov) for posting all procurement opportunities with a value of more than $25,000. By the end of next year, it will disappear. The system, along with several other government acquisition systems managed by the General Services Administration, are gradually being rolled into one new site.
CIRAS Helps Bazooka Farmstar Bring Order to Its Growth
A Washington, Iowa, maker of manure-injection equipment was able to double capacity and drastically reduce lead time after CIRAS arranged coaching for its key managers. Bazooka Farmstar is a rapidly growing 110-person agricultural manufacturer that’s seen sales grow 140 percent since 2016. But as the company took off, its production processes and management seemed to lag. Lead times increased, labor costs rose, and it seemed more and more difficult to maintain an adequate supply of parts. “The manufacturing team was doing a great job of meeting their production requirements but was spending considerable excess time and effort in doing so,” said Jim Poe, a retired CIRAS project manager. “They have great people. They had the education and the knowledge. They just needed some help with organization and focus.”
Simply Soothing, Milkhouse Candles Light Wick on New Product
A popular Iowa-made brand of all-natural insect repellant now comes with a wick—thanks to a new union between two highly successful CIRAS clients. Simply Soothing, the Columbus Junction maker of Bug Soother insect spray, launched a new line of 8-oz. candles this summer with help from Milkhouse Candle Company, a soy-based candle firm with factories in Osage and New Hampton. The candles, which are being manufactured by Milkhouse but sold under the Bug Soother name, are the culmination of years of conversations between the two companies. It all began after Ryan Horgen, head of business development for Milkhouse, read an article on Simply Soothing in CIRAS News.
CIRAS Wants Every Day to be MFGDay – (but especially in October)
More than 8,000 Iowans attended an estimated 150 events last October as the industry’s annual celebration of American manufacturing. It’s not too late for Iowa businesses to get involved in the 2019 festivities.
ProCircular helps MetalCraft Toughen its Cybersecurity
Jonathan Heinz acknowledges that it took a while for his company to get moving on cybersecurity. But Metalcraft, a nameplate and ID tag manufacturer in Mason City, is now behind no longer.
Iowa Program Helps Companies Afford Extra Expertise — by Matching the Cost of Interns
Interns at ALMACO get much more than an overview of the company’s custom-built agricultural equipment. They become part of the team. Brian Carr, ALMACO’s vice president of engineering, said student employees at the Nevada-based company get directly involved in completing projects—from initial design, through problem-solving challenges, to the eventual result. “We ask them to participate in every aspect of the development of a product,” Carr said. “It’s all collaborative engineering, and they’re just one more voice in the game.”
ILC’s 2019 Annual Conference is October 29-31
Are you anxious for inspiration? Excited to learn more about techniques that will help your company continuously improve and grow? Then you need to make plans to be in West Des Moines at the end of October.
Iowa State Offers Certificate in Supply Chain Management
Iowa State University’s Department of Supply Chain and Information Systems has begun offering an online graduate certificate in supply chain management. Prospective students have until August 10 to register for classes that begin this fall.