Enterprise Minnesota

Join us November 14th for the biggest night in Minnesota #manufacturing! It's the 2024 State of Manufacturing® survey release event at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest. Register today: https://lnkd.in/eZbBjH4 Join hundreds of manufacturers, industry business leaders, economic development professionals, educators, public policy makers, and local community leaders to learn the latest trends in this critical industry. Following the big event, we'll be taking the results on the road across Minnesota - find an event near you. The SOM is open to all supporters of #manufacturing. Thank you to our 2024 Platinum, Regional, and Focus Group sponsors for helping us make this initiative possible. Bremer Bank, Dayta, Fafinski Mark & Johnson, P.A., Granite Partners, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, Olsen Thielen and Co., Ltd., PROduction Workforce Professionals, Productivity Inc, True North M&A, Widseth, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, Southwest Initiative Foundation, West Central Initiative, Northwest Minnesota Foundation, APEX, Area Partnership for Economic Expansion, Entrepreneur Fund, Minnesota Power, Hennepin Technical College, Alexandria Technical and Community College, Alexandria Area Economic Development Commission, Lake Superior College, St Cloud Technical and Community College, South Central College, Marsh McLennan Agency.

Enterprise Minnesota® magazine tells the remarkable stories of Minnesota's manufacturing leaders and innovators. Fall 2024 issue is now available! Read it here: https://lnkd.in/gwrEwVwJ In this issue, we cover supply chain resilience, the power of strategic planning, and a recent surge in technical education investment at St Cloud Technical and Community College and Pine Technical and Community College. Company features including Metal Services of Blooming Prairie, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, Pequot Tool and Manufacturing, Squid Ink Manufacturing, Qualimac-Inc, and many more. Stay informed and connected by subscribing here: https://lnkd.in/d8WikAQB

Our upcoming State of Manufacturing® focus groups offer executives an opportunity to provide input and connect with other manufacturers. https://lnkd.in/g28DhCaF All our focus groups are anonymous and confidential, enabling executives to share their unvarnished opinions and insights. These discussions provide real-world context to how manufacturing leaders see economic and industry trends impacting their businesses and communities around the state. Open to manufacturing executives - register today!

At his next manufacturing workshop on September 10, business growth consultant Ryan Steinert will show how helping employees understand the entire manufacturing operation is the key to successful continuous improvement. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gbgyv7y9 "As we have introduced automation and advances into manufacturing, operations have become less visible,” Ryan says. “You have to make processes as transparent as possible even though they are automatic.” Learn about how your organization might benefit from attending Ryan's workshop in Edina in this week's Weekly Report.

Enterprise Minnesota helps manufacturing enterprises gain and retain valuable business certifications. Recently, one of our clients, MTG Inc. of Glenwood, MN, passed their ISO 9001:2015 certification audit and we visited their shop for a tour and celebration. Congratulations to Marcus Amble and the team at MTG. Thank you for choosing Enterprise Minnesota to help you become #ISO certified!

Companies are embracing ISO – once considered a document-heavy process limited to product quality – as a path to operational excellence. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dUY5VrNq The manufacturers we work with pursue ISO certification for a variety of reasons, including customer requests and the opportunity to enter new markets. We’ve seen more OEMs requiring their suppliers to earn the certification because it shows they follow processes that lead to predictable outcomes and quality products. But the benefits of ISO typically go far beyond appealing to customers. Amy Thimmesh, one of our ISO consultants, says updated ISO processes have three features that make it especially appealing to companies going through it the first time.

By combining their insights in one workshop, Ally Johnston and Michele N. will give participants a comprehensive understanding of how to integrate leadership training with continuous improvement efforts. Guests will learn how to help leaders work with their teams to identify and measure progress toward daily goals that fuel larger objectives within their organizations. Read all about it in this week's Weekly Report: https://lnkd.in/gbEh7p6B

Recent legislative tours highlight the value of the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation and its leader Tim Penny as advocates for manufacturing. In early June we joined State Senator John Jasinski (R-Faribault) and retiring State Representative John Petersburg (R-Waseca) as they toured two thriving Owatonna manufacturing companies, Advanced Coil Technology and Modern Metal Products. Both Jasinski and Petersburg have been strong supporters of Minnesota manufacturing at the Capitol, and it was a treat to give them an inside look at a pair of vibrant manufacturers. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gMer9DMG

It was a thrilling day at the Back to the 50s event where students from Lakeville North High School and Minneapolis Public Schools unveiled the custom-built rat rods they've been working on this school year, featuring our new NorthStar engines. As part of Northern Tool + Equipment's Tools for the Trades program, this is a great example of how our program aims to get students hands on experience and show them the path to a rewarding career in the trades. Thank you to all the students, teachers, staff, mentors Billy Lane and Richard Petty, and NTE team members who made not only this event possible but the year-long build a success. #supportthetrades #toolsforthetrades

Northern Tool + Equipment's Tools for the Trades™ program revs up high school students’ interest in hands-on careers. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gmHwZ2Kt Kevin Baas, a teacher in the STEM Engineering and Innovation department at Lakeville North, says that his students are so pumped to work on their go-kart that he can barely take attendance before they race into the shop. “As a teacher, this is a win-win,” Baas says. “They want to work on it immediately. They are learning tools and fabrication and engineering, and they are learning real world skills that will make them successful.” Read the full article in the Summer 2024 issue of Enterprise Minnesota® magazine, available now.