L’ANSE MANUFACTURING: Rural Manufacturing Doing Some Impressive Things
CIG has provided a valuable learning experience for both seasoned continuous improvement individuals and new CI personnel.
-- Kim Dunnebacke, Cost Estimation Manager/Project Manager
L'Anse Manufacturing (www.lansemfg.com) is an AS9100D, ISO 13485, ITAR, and HUBZone registered manufacturer located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in L’Anse. They provide precision machining and casting machining solutions to companies throughout the United States, serving industries from defense/aerospace, medical device, OEM, and special products. They employ 25 in their facility.
Challenge
L’Anse Manufacturing is a small company who depends on its own employees to take on special projects in addition to normal job duties when hiring talent to fill the need is not possible. The “can-do” attitude of the company makes this approach work, but taking on new tasks sometimes requires additional training.
Solution
L’Anse Manufacturing turned to the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (MMTC) for project management training. This training helped upskill three key employees so they were better prepared to manage multiple projects more efficiently. Supplementing the hands-on experiences provided by the Continuous Improvement Group (CIG), a Lean-focused group that meets quarterly with other like-minded businesses, this training taught employees to approach problem solving from a new perspective and provide thoughtful, constructive solutions.
Results
- Retained Jobs: 24
- Increased Sales: $150,000
- New Investment: $50,000