Tim Miller has joined CIRAS as a manufacturing engineering project manager. Tim has a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Cincinnati, as well as a graduate certificate in system design and management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He comes … Continue reading CIRAS Staff News: Meet Tim Miller
Do you have a Continuous Improvement story to tell? If so, we want to hear about it.
The Iowa Lean Consortium is pleased to issue a call for presentations for our 2021 Annual Conference to be held on October 26-27. This will be a hybrid event, with the main conference taking place Prairie Meadows Events & Conference Center in Altoona. There will be satellite locations throughout the state for smaller gatherings, and there will be a virtual option.
A Sioux City electrical firm landed more than $190,000 in state contracts after CIRAS helped the company register as a vendor with the Iowa Department of Homeland Security.
Stephanie Schramm, office manager at Schramm Electric, said her company turned to the CIRAS Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) in early 2020 when Schramm had questions about how to register for business with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
CIRAS government contracting specialist Mary Zimmerman responded by providing detailed instructions for navigating the FEMA registration process. She also suggested that the company get on a vendor list for the Iowa Department of Homeland Security.
CIRAS and other members of the MEP National Network are sharing this message to alert manufacturers to important news about new tax credits available to help companies assist their workers with COVID-19 vaccinations:
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden called on employers across America to do everything they can to help their employees – and their communities – get vaccinated. As part of that effort, President Biden is calling on every employer in America to offer full pay to their employees for any time off needed to get vaccinated and for any time it takes to recover from the after-effects of vaccination. Now is the time to step up our efforts to reach every working-age adult in America, and today’s announcement to help employers offset the cost of paid time off is an important step in getting America’s workforce vaccinated.
Besides helping you with your government vendor registrations and figuring out tricky interpretations of contract clauses or requirements, PTAC counselors also can help small businesses during the bidding process! But how?
A Bloomfield metal fabricator expects to see a roughly $5.5 million benefit after CIRAS helped the company prepare for ISO 9001:2015 certification. Sam McClure, co-owner of M3 Fabrication, said his company initially sought ISO certification both to improve its overall quality and to set the company apart when trying to recruit new customers. “The main … Continue reading ISO Helps M3 Boost Business
An Eldridge arms manufacturer won business worth more than $17 million after CIRAS helped the company wade deeper into government contracting.
Lewis Machine and Tool Company, which does business as LMT Defense, for decades has been a major manufacturer of firearms for military and law enforcement customers, many of them overseas. The company had performed a variety of U.S. government work since it was founded in 1980, but LMT leaders last year set a new goal to vastly increase the percentage of company sales inside American borders.
A Muscatine solid-waste treatment facility is building what it hopes will become a major biogas production plant after Iowa State University helped the city discover its best formula for using food waste to produce methane.
Jon Koch, director of the city of Muscatine’s Water and Resource Recovery Facility, said his agency recently completed the first two-year, $4 million phase of developing Muscatine Area Resource Recovery for Vehicles and Energy (MARRVE). The effort has turned a former recycling center into a hub for food manufacturers around the Midwest to drop off food waste for treatment by Muscatine’s anaerobic digesters.
The goal eventually is to handle enough food waste—and produce enough biogas from that process—to generate and sell the equivalent of 1,000 gallons of vehicle fuel per day.
A 165-year-old Des Moines lumber company has gained new efficiencies, better customer service, and a tangible reduction in injuries after its employees embraced continuous improvement. Rick Kyser, operations manager at Gilcrest/Jewett Lumber Company, said company leaders have seen a massive cultural shift since the lumberyard took its first steps toward Lean management at the end … Continue reading Gilcrest/Jewett Finds Success in Bringing Lean to Lumber
Government contracting can be an excellent path for a business to diversify its customer base and build a stable source of revenue. But the pool of available opportunities can expand dramatically when large prime companies team with small businesses. How do companies of different sizes with complementary capabilities find each other? To help with that, … Continue reading Virtual Matchmaking Session on April 8