Tailored Label is Small Business of the Year; National study shows small manufacturers struggling to survive; Recession takes toll at 3 more Wisconsin factories
Tailored Label is Small Business of the Year
Tailored Label Products Inc. in Menomonee Falls today was named the Waukesha County Small Business of the Year.
The Menomonee Falls-based custom label printing and bonding company has grown to $12 million in annual sales and 64 employees.
The award was presented by Waukesha County Chamber president Patti Wallner and BizTimes Milwaukee publisher Dan Meyer to Tailored Label president Mike Erwin.
The other companies honored last week as Top 10 Small Businesses of the Year were Advanced Waste Services Inc., Batzner Pest Management Inc., Brookfield Academy, BuySeasons Inc., Interstate Sealant & Concrete Inc., Kinateder Masonry, Mantz Automation Inc., MSI General Corp. and Velcheck & Finger Roof Consulting & Service.
The companies were saluted for excellence in their treatment of stakeholders, including customers, employees and the community. The event took place at the Country Springs Hotel in Pewaukee.
The winning companies will be profiled in this week’s edition of BizTimes Milwaukee.
National study shows small manufacturers struggling to survive
A national study released last week by the American Small Manufacturers Coalition (ASMC) identifies critical threats to the ability of U.S. manufacturers to compete and win in a fast-changing 21st century global economy.
More than 2,500 manufacturing firms across the nation participated in the Next Generation Manufacturing Study, a research effort coordinated by ASMC and member Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) centers.
"The results are a wakeup call," said Michael Klonsinski, ASMC board chair and executive director of the Wisconsin MEP. "The consequences of inaction could trigger even more job losses in manufacturing and ultimately a lower standard of living for all Americans."
The study is the first step in a long-term effort to help U.S. manufacturers survive the recession and renew America’s manufacturing leadership over the next decade.
Next Generation Manufacturing refers to a framework of six strategies essential for global competitiveness today and in the future. The strategies are customer-focused innovation, systemic continuous improvement, advanced talent management, global engagement, extended enterprise management and sustainable products and processes. The study included a 61-question web-based survey that asked manufacturers to rank their progress in these areas.
Among the key findings:
- A serious gap exists between the strategies U.S. manufacturers believe are critical to their future success and their actual progress in implementing those strategies. More than a quarter of American manufacturers – representing more than 90,000 firms – are at risk because they are not at or near world-class performance levels in any of the next generation strategies.
- Small and midsize manufacturers are less likely than larger firms to be at or near world-class status in each of the next generation strategies. One third of respondents with less than $10 million in annual revenue are not at or near world-class in any strategy, in contrast to 14 percent of respondents with more than $100 million in revenue. In a country where 282,000 small and midsize firms comprise the backbone of the industry, this is a significant threat to U.S. competitiveness and the viability of these companies.
- Green/Sustainability ranks low among the strategic priorities of U.S. manufacturers despite increasing government regulation, growing consumer demand and new requirements from large manufacturers in their supply chains.
- Only 28 percent of respondents believe global engagement is highly important despite a near-term future in which markets, talent, competitors and partner opportunities are growing faster outside the U.S. than within its borders.
- Leadership loss represents a significant threat – or opportunity. One quarter of respondents say a planned leadership succession will occur within the next five years – potentially impacting 80,000 U.S. manufacturing firms.
- Measurement systems are inadequately deployed. Even in one of the most fundamental and easiest-to-measure areas – process improvement – 46 percent of the respondents had no or only ad hoc measurement systems.
- Effective partnerships with employees, suppliers and regional support organizations are the exception rather than the norm. For example, the majority of respondents engage less than half of their employees in improvement initiatives, falling short of industry best practices that require company-wide participation.
To download more information on the study and findings, visit www.smallmanufacturers.org.
Recession takes toll at 3 more Wisconsin factories
Three more Wisconsin manufacturers notified the state last week they will soon impose layoffs at their factories.
MeadWestvaco Corp. announced it will eliminate 65 jobs at its Consumer and Office Products-Envelope Product Group plant in Kenosha at 5612 95th Ave. The layoffs will take place beginning Aug. 3. About eighty-five others employees will continue to work at the plant for the foreseeable future.
Gardner Denver Inc. announced that it will eventually close its plant in Sheboygan at 3524 Washington Ave. The company will initially eliminate 22 jobs in August. Additional information about future layoffs will be forthcoming, the company said.
Visual Systems Inc., which does business as Lehigh Phoenix-Milwaukee, informed the state that it will consolidate some of its production and administration operations, resulting in the elimination of 45 jobs at its plant in Milwaukee at 8111 N. 87th St. The separations are expected to begin Aug. 7.
The company informed the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development that the layoffs are expected to be permanent. Some operations and employment will remain at the plant, the company said.
