Manufacturing Tomorrow

Dan Newman, principal analyst of Futurum Research and CEO of Broadsuite Media Group, works with the world’s largest technology brands to explore digital transformation and help enterprises leverage disruptive innovations to gain a market advantage.

A five-time best-selling author, including his most recent Human/Machine:The Future of Our Partnership with Machines; and Building Dragons: Digital Transformation in the Experience Economy. Daniel is also a Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Huffington Post contributor. A special thanks to the Ohio State’s Center for Operational Excellence for arranging this interview.

Brad Henry is founder and CEO of EduTechnologic, a company that specializes in augmented reality, cognitive services and wearable solutions for industry. He works to integrate advanced technologies for training, on-the-job support and usability.

Brad has more than 25 years’ experience in educational technologies and e-learning environments. Prior to founding Edutechnologic, he was director of Learning Technology at the Ohio Department of Higher Education eStudent Services, where he also served as an educational instructional designer and software engineer.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in Education, Adult and Continuing Education at The Ohio State University, he completed his master’s in Career and Workforce Development and is now a PhD candidate in Educational/Instructional Technology.

Jim Vinoski, Forbes contributor and manufacturing expert, has covered the challenges and opportunities that manufacturers face, highlighting topics as diverse as the role of digital technologies in prosthetics production, generative design, mass personalization and Fiestaware.

Jim leads teams for plant and corporate manufacturing and supply chain initiatives. He has been a site leader for Midwest Grain Products, a large distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and spent more than 15 years in plant system engineering and corporate leadership roles at General Mills.

Phil Winkelmann serves as continuous improvement manager at Plastic Packaging Technologies. After a rigorous lean journey, the Columbus, OH-based facility now has the distinction of being named a 2019 IndustryWeek best plant finalist.

The flexible packaging manufacturer produces innovative packaging solutions for customers in food, snack and beverage, health and medical, lawn and garden, pet care and specialty consumer products. The company’s roll stock supplies include stand-up pouches, 3-sided seal packages and single-web quad bags.

Prior to Plastic Packaging Technologies, Phil worked as a continuous improvement leader at a number of manufacturing and logistics companies, including project manager at Cardinal Health and Senior Honeywell Operating System Specialist. He earned a master’s in business administration as well as a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Dayton and is a Six Sigma Black Belt.

Ben Marsh is CEO of Scout Systems, a manufacturing software company that supplies Machine Learning, human and process solutions to manufacturers. Their technology increases plant productivity, reduces defects, and includes an interface that reduces worker training time.

Before Scout Systems, Ben held a number of manufacturing, mechanical, and applications engineering roles, including at RedDOT Seattle, CASCADE Engine Center, and Vaporcor. His bachelor’s degree is in mechanical engineering from Santa Clara University and he has earned a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma.

Art Barter is not only owner and CEO of Datron World Communication, he founded the Servant Leadership Institute from his experiences rebuilding his company’s culture. Datron World Communications is a 30-year-old, privately owned company located in Vista, California, that manufactures tactical military and public safety radio equipment to a diverse worldwide customer base in over 80 countries. The company produces HF and VHF military and commercial voice and data radio products, a complete line of radios for the public safety market, and a network of solutions support staff.

After purchasing Datron World Communications in 2004, Art upended the company's traditional power-led management culture and replaced it with a servant leadership model that he developed. After years of hard work, not only were the employees of Datron happier, they were more efficient. As a result, Datron grew from $10 million to $200 million in revenues in only 6 years.

In order to spread his passion for servant leadership, Art founded the Servant Leadership Institute in 2010. Since its inception, the Institute has developed curriculum geared toward empowering others to become effective servant leaders.

Matt Long, vice-president of continuous improvement and John Miller, engineering manager at Herman Miller, offer up lessons learned during their journey toward their version of Lean, the Herman Miller Performance System (HMPS) during this episode.

Herman Miller is a 108-year-old furniture and home furnishings manufacturer based in Zeeland, Michigan that garners more than $2 billion-a-year in earnings. Revered not only for its iconic designs, as evidenced by the company’s Eames Lounge Chair, but also for its culture, Matt and John are visiting Ohio State to communicate best practices in lean manufacturing.

For eight years, Matt has served as VP of continuous improvement with the responsibility of global implementation of the business processes, supply chain and dealer management; he directed the program for 14 years prior to that. Prior to that, he held manufacturing and tooling engineering management positions at the company. He also worked in manufacturing and systems engineering positions at Lift Tech International, Kaydon Corporation and McDonnell Douglas Aircraft.

John has been an engineering manager at Herman Miller for almost 20 years. He specializes in lean product development, failure mode and effects analysis and lean Manufacturing. Both Matt and John are engineering alums of Lawrence Technological University.

Greg Paulsen is director of Applications Engineering at Xometry, an innovative industrial engineering company that specializes in CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, 3D printing, urethane casting, and injection molding services. They offer a 24/7 online quoting platform and a network of partner manufacturing facilities.

Greg has also directed Xometry’s molding and new manufacturing technologies, applications engineering, the project engineering group and served as business development manager. Prior to Xometry, Greg worked as a project engineer at Prototype Productions. He earned his master’s degree in Integrated Science and Technology at James Madison University.

Mick McCormick, Robotics Business Leader at Yale Materials Handling Corporation, has worked in the material handling field for 30 years. He has experience in automated guided vehicles (AGVs), robotics, lift trucks and distribution management. Before his term at the Hyster-Yale Group, he served as director of product management, robotics, business intelligence and information solutions at The Raymond Corporation and as a business integration manager at Toyota Industries.

Yale Materials Handling is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of materials handling equipment. They provide products and applications for more than 700 industries, including warehousing, large-capacity cargo and container handling. The operating company Hyster-Yale Group includes three operating divisions at 26 facilities, 13 counties and employs more than 5,000 people.

Ben Redwood is director of business development at 3D Hubs, headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Founded in 2013, 3D Hubs offers parts prototyping and production to manufacturers using 3D Printing, CNC Machining and Injection Molding.

Ben has also served as the director of supply chain, where he grew the 3D Hubs global supply chain across all manufacturing technologies. He began his tenure at 3D Hubs as a technical marketing manager, establishing the 3D Hubs Knowledge Base and authoring the 3D Printing Handbook.

Prior to 3D Hubs, Ben was market development engineer at Galvanizers Association of Australia. He received his doctorate in Mechanical Engineering at University of Canterbury.