MR. CHIPS: Family Business Growth Inspires Continuous Improvement Through Leader
The training was beneficial for our company. The employees gained insight and have brought back new skills and knowledge.
-- Jay Janicke, Vice President of Sales
Mr. Chips (mrchipsforpickles.com), a subsidiary of Bay View Foods and third-generation family-owned business, is one of the largest grading and brining operations of pickling cucumbers in the United States. Mr. Chips is a leading global supplier of pickle, pepper and relish products, supplying to many of the top quick service and fast casual restaurant chains around the world. This vertical integration has enabled Mr. Chips to provide superior quality, better consistency and an assured supply that makes them the only option in a pickle! Since it was founded by Joseph Janicke in 2000, Mr. Chips has grown to employ 90 at their Pinconning, Mich., facility.
Challenge
Mr. Chips experienced substantial growth during the past five years. To adjust to this, the company invested in land, people and equipment and incorporated several procedural changes. This expansion led to additional jobs and business opportunities for Mr. Chips. As the company grew, Mr. Chips recognized the need to invest in employees’ skills by providing the training and tools needed to increase productivity, create less waste, reduce expenses and control the cost of production in order to stay competitive in the market. Three areas of focus were identified for training: leadership, office operations and machine reliability.
Solution
Mr. Chips turned to the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center) - Northeast to assist with continuous improvement efforts through training in Supervisor Skills, Lean Office Champion, Total Productive Maintenance and Quick Changeover (TPM/QCO). Supervisor Skills training provided participants with ideas, skills and knowledge to better oversee and interact with employees. Lean Office Champion training taught the employees how to improve efficiency and reduce waste. Working more productively has lessened stress and reduced room for error. TPM/QCO helped the maintenance team implement 5S principles and put preventative maintenance procedures in place to increase production and business growth. Overall, the greatest success has been observed in the maintenance department. An inventory system was implemented, and checklists and work order procedures were established to ensure continuous improvements are sustained.
Results
- Production Downtime reduced by 5%
- Changeover Time decreased by 20%
- Packaging Waste reduced by 1%