PODCAST: Self Reflection, Supreme Standards, Scuba Diving and Super Powers

 

 

How do you define excellence in mold manufacturing? Well, we at MoldMaking Technology strive to do just that with our annual Leadtime Leader Awards (LLA) Competition, which started back in 2003. 

Each year, the moldmaking industry helps us recognizes outstanding performance and innovation through this Awards program. LLA is the culmination of the entire mold manufacturing process. A quality mold delivered on-time is the result of a team of professionals working together from sales, design and manufacturing to validation, delivery and support. It’s not just about being the shop with the shortest delivery times. It’s about what shops are doing with what they have.

We look at a mold builder’s achievements in customer satisfaction, workforce development, industry involvement, continual improvement, business growth, and technology deployment.

Recently, I sat down with Tony Demakis of The Manufacturing Alliance Podcast to chat with MoldMaking Technology’s 2018 and 2019 winners during Amerimold: Charlie Krietner of Maximum Mold Group and Brian Dippel and Mike Novel of X-Cell Tool & Mold, respectively. 

Here are some outtakes from our conversation:

• In striving for continuous improvement, this is just another mark off the list. 
• The next generation wants to know they are making a difference in the world. Making an impact.
• If we could have super powers they’d be rest, retirement, ability to fly, power to not wear multiple hats at work.
• Work until the work is done.
• Rent’s due every day and it’s time to pay up
• It’s not done until it’s done right.
• Nothing is fast enough, clean enough or good enough.
• One year later … it’s been a good year. Good and steady during this slow period. Two new VMCs, new five-axis Parpas, and 3-axis VMC. Added Magnum, a prototype shop in Michigan for more value add.
• Video and feature exposure helped us show who we really are. Helped convey how big we actually are. We have capacity. We have lots of hands through the group.
• 20-30 emails from customers in two weeks from announcement via social media!
• 1,300 hits in first six days.
• A lot of time, team and effort to collect the data we need to fill out the questionnaire. 
• It’s good work. Substantial questions. Makes you look at your business deeply.
• We are going for the repeat!
• New technology that we added made the most impact.
• Self reflection made us have to look deeply into what we really do and how we really do it.
• Hobbies of these moldmakers: wood working, scuba diving, ship wrecks in the Great Lakes, sky divers;  fast vehicles, working out, making money; and, working on cars and ATVing.
• 14-16 standard delivery time, it’s never changed over time, it’s our mold complexity that changed … 12 & 24 to 332 and 64 cavity in same time frame. More thoughput!
• Take time to learn who you really are and what you are doing is actually special!
• Our customers and our competition drives us!
• It was a fun ride!
• The owner will be sleeping with the Award.
• Past winners set the standard, we just beat the standard!

Listen to the full conversation in this podcast here:

 

For more MMT/Manufacturing Alliance Podcasts, click here.