Contrast Equipment Open House

April 18, 2012 By KCMN

Contrast Equipment invites you to their open house.  We’re having an open house to thank our customers, vendors, contractors, and employees for all their patience & hard work during our fire recovery. We are back in our remodeled facility and want to share it with you. Plan to stop by and see our state-of-the-art office, warehouse, and demonstration lab.

Contrast Equipment Company
1449 N. Topping Kansas City, MO 64120
May 15, 2012
10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Please RSVP by phone or email to:  Deb Gallant / Phone: 816-241-2412 / Fax: 816-241-4134 / Email: dgallant@contrastequipment.com

Call for directions and hotel recommendations.  Light food & beverages will be served throughout the day. Vendors will be on hand to display new products.

Fire salvage items will be available for sale on Saturday, May 12, 2012, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.and again during the open house. Visit our website, http://www.contrastequipment.com/ Demo/Preowned page for pictures. First come-first serve. Cash or charge card only accepted.

Filed Under: Resources Tagged With: contrast Equipent company, finishing equipment, fluid handling

Missouri Customized Training funds available w/new budget year beginning in July

February 21, 2012 By KCMN

Missouri Customized Training Program

The Missouri Customized Training Program provides assistance to Missouri employers for the training and retraining of new and existing employees. Your company may apply for funding to cover costs related to classroom training, such as curriculum development, instructional salaries, and training materials.

Eligible Applicants
Your company is qualified to apply if it meets the following criteria:

provides permanent, full-time employment to Missouri residents;
is creating new jobs in the state above the company’s peak employment level in the past year; or
is retraining existing employees as a result of a substantial new capital investment.

Application Procedure
Your company should contact the MCC Institute for Workforce Innovation 30 days prior to the start date of training or hiring to initiate the application process. The Missouri Division of Workforce Development staff will review the application and then notify you as to whether funding will be awarded and at what level. Training may be provided by a Local Education Agency such as MCC, a private vendor, or company personnel.
For more information, contact Jessica Craig – jessica.craig@mcckc.edu 816-604-1560

Filed Under: Resources

Resources for MO companies facing layoffs

December 19, 2011 By KCMN

Lay off – It’s never a pleasant time mainly because of the uncertainty each employee feels. As a Rapid Response Coordinator, Duke Crosswhite will meet with the company HR manager and provide materials that the affected employees can use to determine their next step. Resources that Duke can bring and explain to the affected workers includes Missouri’s Unemployment Insurance procedure; United Way 211 information; and Local Labor Market Intelligence. The Missouri Career Centers are conveniently located within the counties of Platte, Clay, Cass, Jackson, and Ray to assist displaced workers. For more information call Duke Crosswhite – 816-838-0776.

Filed Under: Resources

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAAF) for Manufacturing Firms

November 3, 2011 By KCMN

TAA is a grant through the U.S. Department of Commerce to assist firms negatively impacted by competition from foreign imports.  TAA Centers assist firms through each phase of the program-from application to project completion.  Basic parameters for entering the program include declines in sales and employment at least partially due to import competition.  For more information call the TAA Center below.

Kenneth F. Scheve
Project Manager
Mid-America TAAC
Mizzou Center
1600 NE Coronado Drive, Suite 131
Blue Springs, MO  64014
Phone: (816) 655-3481
Fax: (816) 655-3483
e-mail: schevek@taacenter.org

Filed Under: Resources

Greater KC Chamber of Commerce 2011 Manufacturing Summit Presentations

September 20, 2011 By KCMN

Made in Kansas City – Manufacturing Your Future

Manufacturers and distributors are  becoming increasingly optimistic  about the future. Changes forced  by the recession are taking hold and  companies are hiring more, exporting more, and spending more on innovation  and advancement.
The Manufacturing Summit was held on October 25.

Featured presenters:
• Jay Timmons, President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers
• Karen Kurek, National Manufacturing & Distribution Practice Leader at McGladrey Download the presentation here
• Dr. Chris Kuehl, Economist and Managing Director of Armada Corporate Intelligence  Download the presentation here

Sarah Manning, Senior Account Planner, VML : Digital Acceleration for Manufacturers Download the presentation here

Filed Under: Resources Tagged With: innovation, KC Chamber, manufacturing summit

Does Innovation Make You Uncomfortable?

January 26, 2011 By KCMN

From the blog Innovate on Purpose, the author argues that managers who are programmed to be process and control oriented do not embrace innovation due to it’s uncertain outcomes. Interesting analogies, including the comment that companies who focus on cutting 5% from their bottom line every year will cut themselves out of business in 15 years. Check out the article here.

Filed Under: Resources Tagged With: innovation

Lean Confusion?

September 1, 2010 By KCMN

As we launched our Lean Benchmarking Group, this was a central issue – how do we define what Lean is? Brian McCarthy shared this article with me, and it’s a great summary on the issues surrounding Lean – how do you define it, and who is implementing it. Ultimately, the article summarizes the challenges of Lean, and proposes that employee buy in at all levels is the key to sustaining gains.
Link to the article: http://www.industryweek.com/articles/lean_confusion_22538.aspx

Filed Under: Resources Tagged With: Lean