What a challenging time we live in! We face every day challenges not only in our work environment but our personal lives. Isn’t it nice to know that we have peers and family, good working partnerships, new opportunities and a country we love to help stabilize us during these times? Working with manufacturing, I realize that employees are not as much worried about what type of manufacturing work they will do, but will work be available? I grew up in a town with a cot-ton mill that provided for my family and met industry needs at that time. It was hard work and provided an income. Times have changed. Manufacturing jobs today require skill and a higher education. Manufacturing has changed and it will continue to change. This new change will require training, innovation and leaders who love manufacturing

and its roots and those who want to take the U.S. to the next level of competition. The changes are being made. We can’t lose faith and hope. This new industrialization will bring more opportunity and revitalization. Not moving forward is not an option. The MTC and its partners are here to help. Give us a call if you have questions or need assistance. If you would like your

company featured in our newsletter, please contact me. We would love to include you in December’s Newsletter. Linda

July 2013 www.mtcofswva.org

1000 East Main, Wytheville, VA

(276) 223-4799

Serving 17 counties and 4 cities in SWVA

I assumed my new role as Executive Director in February. I inherited a great staff, strong partners, and a long list of loyal clients. The MTC’s success has always been built on close working relationships and cooperation among a wide range of people and organiza-tions. As Executive Director, my focus is to

build upon and expand this network of resources to better serve our 17-county and 4-city region. I can’t do this alone and I welcome input and suggestions of any kind from all MTC stakeholders. The MTC is part of, and belongs to, the business community in Southwest Virginia and the entire community has a say in how we pursue our mission. We will be revisiting and refining this mission when we complete strategic planning exercises later this year. Strategic planning has always been a vital component in the success of the MTC and your input is encouraged and welcomed. Please contact me if you have any ideas to share. As we approach our 20th year, the MTC is as strong and effective as it has ever been. This has been made possible by our willingness to adapt to our client’s ever-changing needs and the support of our

partners and friends. Thank you for being a part of our continued success.

Vision: “The MTC will be recognized as the technical resource of choice for Southwestern Virginia’s business community.”

Nelson Teed, Executive Director

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Linda Newman

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Jeff Kohler, Executive Director

News From the Director 1

Farewell Wishes to Jeff Kohler 1

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt /Yellow Belt Ceremonies 2

Environmental and Energy Corner 3

MTC Board Recognizes Dr. Richard Phillips 3

MTC and Workforce Development Renew MOA 4

MTC Board Welcomes New Members 4

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

UPCOMING EVENTS

Peer-to-Peer/Energy Manager’s Workshop

Fall, 2013

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt W/Project

Fall, 2013

Jeff Kohler, Executive Director of GENEDGE Alli-ance, MTC’s Partner NIST MEP Affiliate in Virginia, has announced his departure. The MTC would like to wish Jeff the very best as he closes a chapter of his life and begins another. We appreciate Jeff’s support of the MTC for the past 16 years. Good luck, Jeff, in all your future endeavors!

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MTC AWARDS CERTIFICATES IN LEAN SIX SIGMA GREEN BELT WITH

PROJECT COMPLETION TO TEMPUR PRODUCTION PROFESSIONALS

DECEMBER 19, 2012

In a ceremony held on April 23, 2012 at Tempur Pedic in Duffield, VA, the Manufacturing

Technology Center (MTC) presented certificates to manufacturing professionals completing a

12-week Lean Six Sigma Green Belt with Project Completion course. Engineers instructing

this course were: Herb Bird, Claire Pickrell, and Nelson Teed.

L-R: Anthony Reece, Kerry Covey, Randy Peterson, Jason Jones, Rudy Herz, Jim Klug, and Bob Wilson.

MTC AWARDS CERTIFICATES IN LEAN SIX YELLOW BELT TO

TEMPUR PRODUCTION PROFESSIONALS

December 19, 2012

In a ceremony held on December 19, 2012 at Tempur Pedic, Duffield,VA, the Manufacturing

Technology Center (MTC) presented certificates to manufacturing professionals completing a

six-week Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt course. Engineers instructing this course were: Herb

Bird, Claire Pickrell, and Nelson Teed. Those receiving certificates in Yellow Belt were: Peggy

Dockery, Nicholas Hood, James Meadows, Charles Pitts and Greg Robinson. (No picture).

MTC TO AWARD CERTIFICATES IN LEAN SIX SIGMA GREEN BELT WITH

PROJECT COMPLETION TO PYOTT BOONE (PBE GROUP) PROFESSIONALS

Two Pyott Boone professionals are finishing up their 12-week Lean Six Sigma Green Belt with

Project Completion course. They are in the project completion stage and will finish up some-

time in July. Nelson Teed, Executive Director, is instructing this course. Those who will re-

ceive certificates in LSSGB with Project Completion are: Mary Myers and Kevin Sparks.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

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ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY CORNER

MTC BOARD RECOGNIZES DR. RICHARD PHILLIPS FOR TWENTY YEARS OF SERVICE

The Board presented Dr. Richard Phillips with a Resolution for his faithful and

unceasing devotion as a charter member of the MTC Board since the first day

of June, 1993. Richard has provided numerous hours of guidance, counsel,

and leadership in numerous roles. The Board expresses sincere appreciation

to Richard for twenty years of valued contribution to the Board and MTC.

The Manufacturing Technology Center (MTC) and the Board offer Dr. Phillips

best wishes in his retirement and gratitude for his support and service to the

MTC.

Sixteen E3 Technical Assessments and three Lean and Green Events have been provided

to Southwest Virginia manufacturers resulting in savings recommendations of $7,075,515

and 158 separate projects. Presently there is no process in place to determine the degree

and benefit of implementation activities undertaken by the manufacturers.

The E3 funding entities require implementation documentation to support the ongoing an-

nual funding ($208,000) that supports the 17-county and 4-city service area.

During the past four months Claire Pickrell and I attended Lean Six Sigma Black Belt training and testing. Dur-

ing the next few months we will be conducting a project utilizing the DMAIC process to understand recommend-

ed implementation successes and failures and develop an implementation process that can be used by the pre-

sent sixteen E3 sites and all future sites for maximum implementation successes. Our goal is to ensure a mini-

mum of 25 percent of these projects be implemented or 40 projects resulting in $1,768,879 savings.

Our plan is to survey all Southwest Virginia E3 sites (16) to determine:

Degree of recommendation implementation activities (Measure);

Understand reasons for implementation successes and failures between counties, business types, (public

versus private ownership);

Sales volume;

Facility size and employment numbers (Analyze);

Apply knowledge of analyze phase to implementation of improvements;

Reduce obstacles causing failures of implementation;

Provide access to service providers, training, funding sources etc. (Improve); and

Develop a schedule for follow up for MTC and coordinate future service provider activity (Control).

If you have received E3 assistance, please support this project by providing implementation information at your

facility including road blocks you have encountered. We will be contacting facility personnel in the near future.

Please remember: E3 services continue to be available to facilities interested in improvement opportunities.

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The MTC Board Meeting was hosted by Mountain Empire Community College on May 30. The Board

welcomed consortium college Workforce Development Leaders to serve on the Board and to represent the

service regions of Mountain Empire Community College, New River Community College, Southwest Vir-

ginia Community College, Virginia Highlands Community College, and Wytheville Community College.

RENEWAL OF MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

The Manufacturing Technology Center and the Consortium College Workforce

Development (WFD) Leaders renewed their Memorandum of Understanding

for 2012-2014. This agreement establishes a process for MTC to deliver non-

credit industry services throughout the 17-county and 4-city service region and

allows for both parties to join in partnership to:

Exchange leads and marketing opportunities;

Award community college CEU’s to MTC workshop attendees;

Include each other in written materials;

Link to each other’s websites;

Exchange marketing resources for the purpose of increase marketing exposure;

Refer customers, employers and participants, based upon requested core service; and

Meet annually for the purpose of exchanging information and reviewing MOA.

MTC NOMINATES NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Wes Bolton, Engineering Manager for Tempur Production USA, LLC (Duffield,

VA) has a degree in Industrial Technology. Wes holds a Master in Lean Six

Sigma Black Belt. Wes will represent and serve MECC’s service region.

Anita McGinnis, Executive Director of Policy, Programs, Employment and

Training for the Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing, Inc., has a de-

gree from the University of Pittsburgh. Anita is new to her position and will be

aligning the educational and workforce training resources with manufacturers’ priorities to close the skills

gap to meet manufacturing employment needs. Anita will serve as a Member at Large.

Wayne Kinder, Materials Manager for the PBE Group in Tazewell, has a degree in Mechanical Engineer-

ing. He currently works with PBE’s transition team in bringing manufacturing from a Canadian company

to the PBE Group in Tazewell. Wayne will represent and serve SWCC’s service region.

E3

Nelson Teed, Executive Director

Manufacturing Technology Center, and

Consortium WFD Leaders

MTC BOARD MEETING HELD AT

MOUNTAIN EMPIRE COMMUNITY COLLEGE MAY 30, 2013