Essential Leadership Behaviors To Nurture a Healthy Manufacturing Workplace
Communication challenges, differences in perspective, and variations of approach to achieve tasks is inevitable and natural. After all, we’re human and with humanity comes diversity and uniqueness. It’s a great thing when our uniqueness brings breadth and depth of ideas, innovation, and solutions. On the other hand, when not understood…
What is Grow 3 Degrees?
In a rebranding effort, High Desert Enterprise Consortium (HiDEC) has been transformed to Grow 3o. Since 2007, Grow3Degrees (formerly HiDEC) has strived to connect those who are passionate about economic development and continuous improvement in Central Oregon. Their goal is to make high quality content affordable and accessible to the Central Oregon region by…
The Number One Killer of Lean Improvements for Manufacturers
During my time as a consultant at OMEP, I partnered with many successful manufacturers over the years. While their products and industry sectors varied, the determination shown by each business leader to continually improve required the same level of dedication and commitment. Manufacturing is a challenging industry, but these men…
Supply Chain Management
This is a guest blog post by OMEP sponsors Schwabe Williamson and Wyatt. Sometimes it helps to simplify a complicated concept by looking at it through the eyes of a child. The other day as I was thinking about this article, I jokingly asked my six-year-old son what he thought…
2017 Portland State of Urban Manufacturing Survey
This important survey will help Portland State University to understand the challenges and opportunities confronting manufacturers in Portland, from small-scale entrepreneurs and makers to global-scale enterprises. The results of this survey will enable local officials to develop effective policies, programs and investments that support emerging and incumbent manufacturing businesses, in…
Is the Business Innovation Workshop for you?
If you’re an owner or president at a manufacturing company who wants to rise above the chaos of daily activities to stabilize and grow your business, come to this workshop. You will experience a shift in how you think about your business, and how you operate moving forward. It doesn’t…
Cybersecurity concerns and how to better safeguard data
In a recent KeyBank cybersecurity survey, theft of client data ranked as the greatest concern for middle market business owners and executives. For good reason. According to CSO Magazine, cyberattacks set a record in 2016, and the threat environment is going to be even more dangerous in 2017. Today’s…
The Number One Challenge for Oregon Employers
Recently the Oregon Talent Council (OTC) released their latest report on the manufacturing workforce landscape in our state. OMEP is proud to partner with the Oregon Talent council on several initiatives, including our Smart Talent program. Over the past two years the OTC has sought out the opinions and…
Top 10 Retail Trends for Growing Manufacturers
The manufacturing industry is changing at a pace far surpassing previous decades, moving from the product era to the consumer era to the information era. At this pace, manufacturers are challenged to respond to the advances made by closely related industries, such as technology and retail. To remain competitive and…
Marijuana in Manufacturing
The manufacturing labor shortage has become more acute with the legalization of marijuana. Long-standing, highly-regarded companies are struggling to find—and keep—qualified workers able to pass a drug test and work physically demanding jobs. This post tackles the question: should manufacturers relax testing for marijuana? Given legal liability, shortfalls in current…