Company address: 4145 Courtney Road, Franksville, WI 53126
Company Web site: www.cdlms.com
Industry: Manufacturing
Number of employees: 16
Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; additional certifications from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, Gateway and MRA – Institute of Management.
Family: Wife, Michele Marie; and sons, Alexander and Zachary.
What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?
"In the last year, we continued our efforts to get ‘smart.’ We invested in our existing employees through professional development and recruited and hired extremely talented and experienced manufacturing professionals. Cornerstone Design Ltd. was built on the principles of continuous improvement. Our ability to move the company to the next level hinges on our ability to hire, develop and retain the brightest and most creative team of manufacturing professionals in the country. I’m glad to say that we are making progress in this regard."
What’s new at your company?
"We recently invented a process that is the first of its kind in the world. We integrated an Italian material bender with a Japanese robot using Rockwell Automation controls, which will take work away from China. The machine will bend and cut zinc and brass caming for decorative windows that are sold in front entranceway doors. Taking an otherwise hand-rafted operation and turning it into an automated process will give our customer a huge competitive advantage over their competition."
Do you plan to hire any additional staff or make any significant capital investments in your company in the next year?
"We are working on behalf of one of our clients to move an entire manufacturing facility from Mexico back to the U.S. While the details are not yet firm, we do know that the project will require an investment of several million dollars in people and infrastructure."
What will be your company’s main challenges in the next year?
"American manufacturing companies are in a cycle, a cycle based on false choices. For years, American companies have moved their manufacturing operations out of the country only to find that quality, shipping and inventory issues are increasing rather than decreasing their costs. As a result, many companies are moving their operations back to the U.S., where they face many of the same problems that forced them to move production out of this country to begin with. Our biggest challenge is to break that cycle. To do that, we work with our clients and urge them to not only employ different manufacturing strategies, but to use smarter manufacturing strategies, to think long-term, to invest in what works."
What’s the hottest trend in your industry?
"Combining automation/robotics and lean manufacturing – we call it smart automation and best practices. Machine components and robotics are much more sophisticated and affordable, like computers have become. And lean is a great foundation in which to build an entire company. However, lean is only a tool – its how you use it that counts.
Do you have a business mantra?
"’That’s good enough’ is not good enough."
From a business standpoint, who do you look up to?
"I continue to be awed by Toyota’s success. In 2005, Toyota gained more than eight times more profit than General Motors, Ford and Chrysler combined. They are going to become the world leader in automotive sales this year. How are they doing it? They have been and continue to focus their efforts on smart manufacturing, best practices and continuous improvement. It is important to note that Toyota learned lean manufacturing from Ford in the 1940’s; they internalized it and worked to improve it. Now it’s America’s turn to take manufacturing to the next level, to gain back the advantage, and we feel that Cornerstone is leading that comeback."
What was the best advice you ever received?
"Don’t forget to keep your priorities straight. Family comes first. Money can’t buy love and happiness."
