Top Dayton-Area Manufacturers to be Honored

By Gary Weldon (Staub Manufacturing Solutions)

The Dayton Business Journal (DBJ), with support from the Dayton Region Manufacturers Association (DRMA), has launched a new annual awards program to recognize successful manufacturing companies in and around Dayton.

Carol Clark, publisher of the DBJ, says that this new program stemmed from an appreciation of the contribution that manufacturing makes to the Dayton region. According to information on the DRMA website, the impact manufacturing has on the Dayton area is substantial with: 2400 companies; 100,258 employees; $4.7 billion annual payroll; $2.5 billion economic development and $32 billion in annual sales. In advertisements for this awards program, the DBJ refers to manufacturing as the “backbone of the Dayton region’s economy”.

Building Permits: Expanding Your Business

By Keith Klein (City of Dayton)

Most of the time, a manufacturing company only interacts with local government on routine things like water bills, street repairs, and public safety. When it comes time to expand your business, you may have to enter the seemingly mysterious world of building permits.  Constructing a new addition or a new building can be an exciting time for your company.  On the other hand, the word “permits” can conjure up feelings of frustration, fury, or even fear.  The reality is that most of the problems that arise from building permit issues are preventable. By planning ahead and working with local officials, you can ensure that your project is done on schedule.

For example, the City of Dayton uses two key innovations that help companies get their permits quickly and efficiently. The first is something affectionately called a “Frank Meeting” which is a roundtable discussion between a company, contractors, and building officials. The key to its success is that it occurs at the beginning of the design process, so that potential concerns and issues can be identified before the plans are officially submitted.  This saves time and effort by avoiding the costly cycle of submitting plans and revising them over and over again.

Sinclair to Offer Two Precision Machining Classes Beginning in August

By Sinclair Workforce Development (Sinclair Community College)

Sinclair Workforce Development is working to meet the advanced manufacturing needs of the Dayton region by offering two precision machining courses in August and September.  A five-day Introduction to Precision Machining class will run Aug. 6-10. A more advanced CNC Precision Machining class will meet for five consecutive Fridays, Sept. 14 through Oct. 12.

The Introduction to Precision Machining training focuses on the operation and programming of two and three axis milling machines including manufacturing a variety of machined parts utilizing ProtoTRAK and Anilam computer numerical control (CNC) controls. It will also include the demonstration and use of hand tools, measurement instruments, and grinding. The beginning of the course, taught by instructor Kevin McNeely, will focus on manual mills and lathes. The last four sessions of the course focuses on conversational CNC milling. Print reading, sketching, orthographic projection, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing will be incorporated into each session. Students are expected to complete work outside classroom sessions.

Why Should Your Prospects Buy from YOU??

By Debbie Wanamaker (B2B Marketing Consultants, LLC)

Why should your prospects buy from you rather than your competition? Can you clearly and effectively answer that question?

I was recently at a trade show and asked many of the salespeople staffing the booths this very question. I was surprised how many were clearly stumped but not surprised at their improvised answers - 'our quality is better,' 'we have better people'. I wanted to ask, “Do you really?”

If a company hasn't taken the time to truly analyze and understand what unique value(s) they bring to their target markets then they will typically fall back on the standards - better quality, better people, lower prices. But honestly, everyone can't have better quality - someone has to be at the top and bottom of that scale. People are extremely important but are your people truly 'better' than all your competitors' people? And everyone knows the results of a price war - lower profitability for everyone. In reality, good quality, good employees, and market-bearing prices are the foundation, not the differentiators.

“Why should your prospects buy from you rather than your competitor?” The answer is your company's 'competitive advantage' or 'unique selling proposition' or 'value proposition' - what makes your company special in the marketplace.

Prospects want to understand your value proposition - they want to understand why your company is 'better' than your competitors' to fulfill their particular needs.

Read FULL POST to learn how to find your unique value proposition!

When Good Culture Goes Bad

By Steve Staub (Staub Manufacturing Solutions) 

Every company has a culture.  Some are good, some are bad.  Some companies have multiple sub-cultures and the overall organization can have both good and bad culture!  Have you ever taken the time to step back and review your company culture?  Are you even familiar with the word culture?  Now I’m not talking about when the doctor sticks the Q-tip in your mouth to check for Strep throat or something like that.  I am talking about company culture, but what is culture?  Oh sure Webster’s had a much fancier way of saying it, but the basic definition of culture is “the way we do things around here."

It’s tough being in business today, frankly there is a lot of stuff to deal with.  Much of the issues in our companies come from the outside and from many different sources.  However many of us get busy looking at the outside influences on our business, but one area many of us neglect to really look into is the inside of our own companies.

When every company starts the founders have dreams of utopia.  The customers love you, the suppliers love you, the entire world loves you.  Birds actually sing for you when you come to work each day!  You’ve got the best people and everyone is working as a team… then you start hiring people and more people.  But you don’t know how to hire anyone, you just take the first guy that walks through the door that has the skills you need.  He has a bad attitude, but you only work with him a few hours a day and he shouldn’t affect the shop that much!  Then you hire several other folks with bad attitudes and your attendance, discipline and a host of other problems like quality and on-time delivery begin to grow!  Then one day you realize that you have a culture that has gone bad.  Frankly this is a common problem, it happens all the time!

How Honest Are You In Performance Reviews?

By Heather Martin (Innovative InterChange Associates)

Do you beat around the bush or give higher marks than you really want to? Consider whether or not you’re really doing your employee a favor.

When managers are not authentic with employees, employees don’t get the benefit of the managers’ experience and perspective. Leaders have a great opportunity to help their teams develop the self-awareness and skills to know when they’re tapping into their true talents and when they might be heading down a difficult path.

Some managers get sidelined, though, by buying into the culturally accepted notion that they are responsible for their employees’ happiness.

The best thing we can do for the people who work for us—or for anyone who looks to us for guidance—is to offer honest feedback, respectfully, while sending the message that how they respond to and integrate that feedback is up to them. If Joe chooses to feel sad or angry because you tell him he’s not a strong salesperson, Joe is responsible for his own feelings.

There’s a subtle but important difference between helping someone develop awareness of his self-worth and feeding his self-esteem. Self-esteem is insatiable. It depends on outside factors. Self-worth is a constant, just waiting to be discovered.

Young Manufacturers Part of Dayton History

By Steve Staub (Staub Manufacturing Solutions)

Today on MadeInDaytonBLOG.com we show another interesting item that was manufactured right here in the Miami Valley.  Pictured here is a tray from my personal collection that was made by the Juvenile Manufacturing Company of Dayton Ohio.  Here is the information on this company as provided by noted local historian Curt Dalton:

“The address of 319 Central Avenue in Dayton, Ohio, was made famous by being where the first electric self-starter for automobiles was invented in Edward Deeds’ barn in 1911.  But little has been written on the unique company that was formed in a playhouse there by his son, Charles, and Charles’ friends the year before.

The Juvenile Manufacturing Company was organized on February 26, 1910.  The corporation was made up of six children, ranging in age from eight to thirteen years, who agreed to invest two dollars each. The boys were: Charles Deeds, age 7, President and General Manager; Fulton Davisson, Jr., age 11, Vice President and Superintendent; Robert Canby, age 10, Secretary; Charles Whidden, age 13, Treasurer; and board members Stanley Rouh, age 11 and Evan Whidden, age 11.

Charles Deeds’ playhouse was remodeled into a miniature factory and furnished with a drill,  saw and other woodworking equipment.

Stock was issued in the company at $1 a share. The business was quite profitable, the company paying out two separate dividends of 100% in less than a year’s time.  Within the first ten months it was estimated that the six boys had sold over $150 worth of merchandise. Business had grown to the point that the company issued an 8-page catalog. On the cover page appeared a picture of the factory and office and the company’s trade mark. Along with descriptions of the products and the prices charged, the catalog also told of future plans for the company. The catalog stated, in part, the following:

Please welcome Col. Edward Deeds...

By Steve Staub (Staub Manufacturing Solutions)

Today we induct Col. Edward Deeds into the MadeInDaytonBLOG.com Hall of Fame. Col. Deeds was a brilliant man who was behind the scenes for many of the larger-than-life success stories here in the Miami Valley. From improving the ignition system and inventing the electric starter to heading up wartime aircraft production during World War I. Not only did he take the lead in founding Miami Conservancy District and our system of Dams, he is also one of the founders of the Engineers Club. Another one of Col. Deeds great accomplishments is coming back to literally save NCR and turn it into a well run organization! 

During World War II Col. Deeds led NCR as part of the project to crack the German communication codes for submarines. Along with his wife Edith, they donated large sums of money to the Dayton community and founded Deeds Carillon Park today managed by Dayton History. You’ll even see Col. Deeds original barn where the electric starter was invented as part of the displays!

As we were researching this article we realized that there was no reason to write a whole new summary of this man's life when a great one was already written. So if you wish to continue learning about all of the great things Col. Edward Deeds accomplished in his life, we encourage you to follow this link to a wonderful article written by William G. Ritchie.

The Story of Bob and Fred

By Steve Staub (Staub Manufacturing Solutions)

Last week we revealed the results of the Manufacturers Employment Survey and over the weekend I was talking about those results with a friend of mine. The discussion turned to what the highest paying jobs are that are available in our country. Attorneys were mentioned because everyone knows attorneys make big money, right? Well, not necessarily.

In a recent Dayton Business Journal’s Daily Update there was an article on the average pay for attorneys. In looking at the list I saw that the average attorney in Springfield, Ohio earns $63,380. This is good pay, but are there other jobs available TODAY that are going unfilled that have the same pay range and don’t require a college degree and a mountain of debt?

Let’s look into this a little further as we consider the story of Bob and Fred.

My name is Bob, I’m 18 years old and I want to be an attorney, so I’m off to college for 4 years and then I have to go to law school for an additional 3 years. According to statistics, as an average law student I will graduate with over $100,000 in debt. So I’ve been in school for seven years and have huge debt and no job. Now I have to find a job as a clerk or an entry level attorney. I have finished school and have passed the BAR exam, I’m 27 years old and ready for my first real job!!!

DRMA taking Business Q&A Event to Springfield

By Angelia Erbaugh (DRMA)

“It would be great if I could ask one of the country’s leading business strategy thinkers some questions.”

That’s what we’ve heard from DRMA members, so we’re giving you the opportunity to do just that on Wednesday, June 20, with a session of Q&A with Dave Sullivan.

This is your chance to participate in an interactive discussion with a renowned business expert. Ask questions and pick Dave’s brain about professional business management, about the speech he delivered at the DRMA March member meeting (on the importance of looking forward and outward), or about other business issues facing you right now. As one of the founders, executive in residence, course facilitator and a consultant for Aileron, Dave’s goal is to give business leaders the tools and knowledge they need to build a management system of their own.

Proof! Huge Opportunity in Local Manufacturing Industry!

By Steve Staub (Staub Manufacturing Solutions)

For the past year we have heard manufacturing business owners say that while they have many job positions available, they have not been able to find enough skilled help to fill them. With a fairly high regional unemployment rate, that seemed almost contradictory. Well, the results of our regional manufacturing employment survey are clear. Our local industry really is facing a great challenge, and this same challenge presents a tremendous opportunity.

Let me first say thank you to all the companies who participated in this survey and those individuals and organizations who helped spread the word. We were thrilled to have over 100 companies respond. There was a good reflection of the industry, from small five-man shops to companies that employ over one thousand.

The first thing everyone wants to know is how many jobs openings are there?  Well, those 101 companies have 697 manufacturing jobs available!  If you look at the number of jobs available, divided by the number of responses, that equals 6.9 jobs available per company.  There are 2,400 manufacturing companies in the Dayton region, so can we assume that there are 16,560 manufacturing jobs available in our region?  Possibly yes... but I really doubt it.  So let’s dive a little deeper into the numbers and see what we come up with.

Survey Says...

By Steve Staub (Staub Manufacturing Solutions)

Remember Richard Dawson, host of the TV show Family Feud from 1976-1985? Well, Mr. Dawson passed away over the weekend at the age of 79. As a kid I remember watching the show and hearing him yell “Survey Says!” to reveal the answers.

Last month this blog conducted a survey of the Dayton region's manufacturing companies to see just how many jobs are actually available. The results of that survey are now complete and I think they will generate some very interesting discussions. Some of the figures were very surprising!

There were a wide variety of companies that participated. Employment ranges from the participating companies were from small, 5 man shops to global manufacturers with local operations employing over 1,000 people! The full results of this survey will be published this Wednesday morning as we yell “Survey Says!” on MadeInDaytonBLOG.com.

Perspectives from Local Government: EDGE program

By Keith Klein (City of Dayton)

By most reports, the economy is slowly gaining speed and having a positive impact on the manufacturing sector. Exports in particular are driving growth for many companies. Sooner or later, your company may want to consider an expansion or relocation project in order to facilitate growth and be ready for future opportunities.

Montgomery County has a unique program to help growing companies. The Economic Development and Government Equity program (EDGE) was established in 1992 and remains a remarkably successful example of regional cooperation. EDGE offers grants to help growing companies, including manufacturers, who are expanding their operations in Montgomery County. The grants are funded by a portion of the county’s sales tax proceeds.