Enterprise Minnesota Magazine - June 2010HELPING MANUFACTURERS GROW PROFITABLY |
The Innovation and Sustainability of Minnesota Manufacturers
BY BOB KILL Every time I tour manufacturing businesses across the state, I am amazed and honored to have the opportunity to see the cutting-edge innovations, commitment to sustainability and drive to create value that characterizes so many of our state's manufacturers. It's cultural, it's continuous and it's truly impressive. Nowhere was this sentiment more notable than at this year's Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Awards--the Academy Awards of our industry. Harmony Enterprises, a waste and recycling products manufacturer located in Harmony and led by Steve Cremer, company president, received a nomination for the Excellence in Innovation Award. Harmony has a knack for uncovering the unique challenges that nag at pockets of the market. They thrive on studying problems and designing out-of the- box solutions. Living innovation is the foundation of Harmony's success in product development and their growth opportunities. Central Container, a Minneapolis-based leading manufacturer of custom and stock packaging supplies and solutions, is another homegrown national leader. Under the guidance of president Jim Haglund, Central Container was nominated for the Excellence in Sustainability Award. Central Container's use of Lean and green principles to generate business growth is second to none and benefits both its customers and its balance sheet. Congratulations to Harmony Enterprises and Central Container on these accomplishments--and on setting the bar high for other manufacturers to follow suit. The path to business transformation, as David Shapiro, vice president of Marquette Capital Partners points out , requires creating strategic value that sets your company up to be sustainable and can generate momentum for growth. Perhaps no sector of the manufacturing industry has displayed a greater commitment to combating this challenge than the printing industry. Facing both a shrinking industry and an economic recession, Minnesota printers have shown a perennial optimism and drive to remain relevant well into the digital age. All told, Minnesota's manufacturing community is esteemed nationally for creating products that are highly valued by their customers. Congratulations to Harmony Enterprises and Central Container--and all manufacturers that make the industry thrive and drive Minnesota's economic engine. |
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