Springs Magazine, Winter 2019 Vol 58 No 1

Winter 2019

a publication of the Spring Manufacturers Institute / Vol. 58, no. 1

The InTernaTIonal MagazIne of SprIng ManufacTure

hiring and r e ta i n i n g the next g e n e r at i o n page 26

Five Tips to Engage the Next Generation 28 Engage! Three Strategies for Keeping Your Top Talent from Becoming Someone Else’s 31

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Future Springmakers: Where Will They Come From? 34

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President’s Message From Steve Kempf

The Daunting Task of Hiring and Finding Young Talent A throng of Lee Spring employees recently piled into an oversized SUV en route to lunch. I surveyed the tenure of those crammed in the vehicle with me and added up their collective experience: 198 years across seven people, for an average experience of 28 years. Impressed, I analyzed our company roster that afternoon to find that our 20 longest-tenured employees have amassed 670 years of spring know-how, or 33.5 years of service on average. Perhaps more striking was the fact that all but one of those 20 individuals had started with the company before their 30th birthday. Juan, who leads the group with 42 years of service, started at Lee Spring days after his 19th birthday.

I can’t take any credit for these impressive statistics. Those loyal employees spent more than half their years with Lee Spring before I even arrived on the scene, but it is my task to try to carry such depth of knowledge into the future. The task is daunting, yet it is perhaps my most critical role as the leader of our company to do just that. We need to find young talent, inspire them to join our company and engage them in such a way that they choose to grow with the company for years and years to come.

The success of Lee Spring — of any company — is entirely dependent on its people.

The articles in this issue provide insightful guidance for hiring and retaining the talent of the future. Their advice resonates with me personally as it’s in line with a few successes we’ve had at Lee Spring in recent years.

On the hiring side, internships with local high schools and technical colleges have led to several promising young employees within our company. And they have had a snowballing effect, as administrators and professors at those schools — not to mention the young employees themselves — recommend further students to our company. We are also currently putting several young workers through apprenticeship programs in conjunction with community workforce development organizations. On the retention side, we offer a tuition reimbursement program, and a number of key employees have taken advantage of this. We also try hard to maintain a culture of care and trust, both amongst employees as well as from ownership.

We have a long way to go to match the hiring and retention accomplishments of the past. And today’s Twitter culture with short attention spans and a proclivity to job hop doesn’t help. But with intentional and proactive long-term strategies like those suggested within this issue of Springs magazine, I am hopeful that the next generation of springmakers can fill the shoes of their predecessors. Good luck!

SMI Executive Committee President: Steve Kempf, Lee Spring Vice President: Bert Goering, Precision Coil Spring Secretary/Treasurer: Dan Sceli, Peterson Spring At Large: Gene Huber, Jr., Winamac Coil Spring Past President: Mike Betts, Betts Company Executive Director: Lynne Carr, SMI

SMI Board of Directors John Bagnuolo, MW Industries • Dave Deerwester, The Yost Superior Co. • David Devoe, Plymouth Spring • Joe Devany, Betts Company • Ritchy Froehlich, Ace Wire Spring & Form • Brett Goldberg, International Spring • Agustin Estalayo Ibanez, RPK Mexico SA de CV • Don Jacobson III, Newcomb Spring • Don Lowe, Peterson Spring • Daniel Pierre III, JN Machinery • Chris and Jeff Wharin, Bohne Spring

Springs Magazine Staff Lynne Carr, Advertising Sales, lynne@smihq.org Gary McCoy, Managing Editor, gmccoy@fairwaycommunications.com Dina Sanchez, Assistant Editor, dina@smihq.org Sue Zubek, Art Director, zubekdesign@gmail.com

Springs Magazine Committee Chair, Don Jacobson III, Newcomb Spring • Reb Banas, Stanley Spring & Stamping • Lynne Carr, SMI • Ritchy Froehlich, Ace Wire Spring & Form • Bud Funk, Fourslide Products • Brett Goldberg, International Spring • Tim Weber, Forming Systems • Europe Liaison: Wolfgang Herrmann, VDFI • Technical Advisor: Dan Sebastian, Honorary Member Advertising sales - Japan Ken Myohdai, Sakura International Inc. 22-11 Harimacho 1-Chome, Abeno-ku Osaka 545-0022 Japan Phone: +81-6-6624-3601 • Fax: +81-6-6624-3602 E-mail: info@sakurain.co.jp Advertising sales - Europe Jennie Franks, Franks & Co. 63 St. Andrew's Road Cambridge United Kingdom CB41DH Phone/Fax: +44-1223-360472 E-mail: franksco@BTopenworld.com Advertising sales - Taiwan Robert Yu, Worldwide Services Co. Ltd. 11F-B, No 540, Sec. 1, Wen Hsin Rd. Taichung, Taiwan Phone: +886-4-2325-1784 • Fax: +886-4-2325-2967 E-mail: stuart@wwstaiwan.com Springs (ISSN 0584-9667) is published quarterly by SMI Business Corp., a subsidiary of the Spring Manufacturers Institute: 2001 Midwest Road, Suite 106, Oak Brook, IL 60523; Phone: (630) 495-8588; Fax: (630) 495-8595; Web site www.smihq.org. Address all correspondence and editorial materials to this address.

The editors and publishers of Springs disclaim all warranties, express or implied, with respect to advertising and editorial content, and with respect to all manufacturing errors, defects or omissions made in connection with advertising or editorial material submitted for publication.

The editors and publishers of Springs disclaim all liability for special or consequential damages resulting from errors, defects or omissions in the manufacturing of this publication, any submission of advertising, editorial or other material for publication in Springs shall constitute an agreement with and acceptance of such limited liability.

The editors and publishers of Springs assume no responsibility for the opinions or facts in signed articles, except to the extent of expressing the view, by the fact of publication, that the subject treated is one which merits attention.

Do not reproduce without written permission.

Cover art created using the following images: ©iStockphoto.com/bonetta, ©iStockphoto.com/4x6, ©iStockphoto.com/Tomwang112

Steve Kempf Lee Spring skempf@leespring.com

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Contents

40 FEATURES

COLUMNS

26 Hiring and Retaining the Next Generation

15 Be Aware Safety Tips

By Gary McCoy

28 Five Tips to Engage the Next Generation

By Randy George

31 Engage! Three Strategies to Keep Your Top Talent from Becoming Someone Else’s

by Lisa Ryan

34 Future Springmakers: Where Will They Come From?

by Gary McCoy

36 Flashback

26

50

Attract, Retain and Motivate

By Judith Segal

40 CASMI Hosts Successful SpringWorld 2018

Not Your Grandfather’s Independent Contractor: Are You Certain He/She Is Not an Employee?

By Laura Helmrich-Rhodes

19 Dean of Springs

What Business System Will Make My Business Succeed?

By Dan Sebastian

23 Technically Speaking

Mistake Proofing — A Review of Handheld X-ray Fluorescence Analyzers

By C. Richard Gordon

DEPARTMENTS 2 President’s Message

The Daunting Task of Hiring and Finding Young Talent

42 Revised Audit Standard a Key to Organizations Striving for ISO 9001:2015 Recertification

7 Global Highlights

43 Forecast 2019 48 WAFIOS AG Celebrates 125th Anniversary

Don Lyons and Jonspring: A Legacy Preserved and a Dream Fulfilled

By Gary McCoy

49 More Than an Anniversary

63 Book Corner

10 Regional Spring Association Report 57 Springmaker Spotlight

By Brian Shafer

65 CTE News

50 SMI Members Celebrate Manufacturing Day 2018

67 Inside SMI

54 2019 SMI Metal Engineering eXpo Gets Ready for Pittsburgh

71 New Products

69 Committee Connection 75 Advertisers’ Index 76 Snapshot

Rick Gordon, C. Richard Gordon Consulting LLC

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“Creating value... with innovative technologies”

EcoCoiler F Series Technical Data Wire dia. (Rm 290 KSI) Wire dia. (Rm 261 KSI) Spring dia. (max.)

In-feed speed (max.)

Output rate (max.)

Designed for the production of high-precision compression springs in the medium wire diameter range, the WAFIOS EcoCoiler stands for an economic alternative for the production of all common compression springs.

• Cost optimized standard model with 4 CNC axes • Axes for infeed, straight-cut, vertical pitch and shape • High precision roller infeed with two or three (F6) pairs of feed rollers • Manually adjustable cutting mandrel, optionally available with pneumatic mandrel displacement • Rigid driven 2-finger coiling unit • Straight cut (multi-cut optional) • Vertical pitch (parallel optional) • Can be modularly configured as a stand alone solution or integrated into existing production lines

F2 .014 - .063 in .014 - .063 in 1.18 in 328 ft / min 500 pcs / min

F3 .028 - .098 .028 - .118 1.77 328 330

F4 in in in ft / min pcs / min

F6

.059 - .157 in .059 - .177 in 3.94 in 328 ft / min 280 pcs / min

.083 - .236 .083 - .276 5.12 328 160

in in in ft / min pcs / min

Economical • Versatile • Reliable Engineered for What’s Next Spring Coiling & Forming Machines

WAFIOS Machinery Corporation 27 NE Industrial Road, Branford, CT 06405 WAFIOS Midwest Technical Center 9830 W. 190th Street, Mokena, IL 60448 USA www.wafios.us / 203 481 5555 / sales@wafios.us Canada www.wafios.ca / sales@wafios.ca

Wire Bending & Forming Machines

Wire Straightening, Cutting & End Working Machines

Tube Bending & Forming Nail, Fastener & Chain Machines Machines

125 years

WAFIOS Machinery Corporation is a subsidiary of WAFIOS AG

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Global Highlights North America

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The Wire Association International (WAI), Inc. reports that planning is underway for its biennial Interwire Trade Exposition, 89th Annual Convention, and 3rd Global Continuous Casting Forum, to be staged concurrently at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia. The convention and casting forum run May 13–16; exhibits for Interwire and the co-located International Fastener Manufacturing Exposition (IFME) run May 14–16 in Hall A. Remarking on the co-location, WAI second vice president and Enkotec Co. Inc. president Jan Sørige said, “The rapid development of new manufacturing materials, combined with the emerging opportunities that Industry 4.0 presents, make this an incredibly exciting period for manufacturing that should be experienced firsthand. These two events—staged under one roof—share a synergy that is emblematic of the next generation of manufacturing.”

“For Interwire, 175 stands already have been allocated to 190 exhibiting companies,” said Bob Xeller, WAI’s director of sales. “We expect a sold-out floorplan by January 2019, which ensures that Interwire 2019 will uphold its earned reputation as the largest wire and cable marketplace in the Americas.”

WAI has issued calls for papers requesting presentations focused on the convention theme: “The Next Generation of Wire & Cable”; and for aluminum and copper continuous casting technical papers. WAI accepts online abstract submissions for both segments until Nov. 5, 2018. Visit: https://goo.gl/sVxGvq. The International Fastener Manufacturing Exposition (IFME) will co-locate with Interwire 2019. The IFME features machinery, materials, tooling, control systems, and support services for the design and manufacture of fastener or precision formed parts for a broad range of applications. Regarding the co-location, IFME organizer Ray Zirkle said, “Although IFME is a new launch, we have been organizing successful exhibitions concentrating on the machinery aspect of the fastener industry for over 35 years. The name of this new event reflects our focus on, and dedication to, providing the machinery manufacturers a much higher profile than may be available elsewhere.

The decision to co-locate IFME in Atlanta with Interwire 2019 is based on previous successful co-locations and the synergy between the fastener and wire industries.”

Information about IFME is available from Ray Zirkle or Doug Zirkle, at rzirkle@bzsales.com or dzirkle@bzsales. com, respectively.

Two sponsorship programs, featuring various levels of backing, will be available to support both Interwire and the Global Continuous Casting Forum. Contact WAI’s Bob Xeller, bxeller@wirenet.org or Shannon Timme, stimme@wirenet.org for details about exhibiting and/or sponsorships.

The OMCG open house, held June 19–21, 2018, Bensenville, Illinois, was a great success according to the company, with ma ny demonst rat ions, food, good weather and many attendees.

The demonst rat ions a nd education por tion included these highlights: Mini CNC front feed with torsion control, allowing for better control of small diameter wire when generating and forming.

Easy Programming Among those attending the OMCG (EP4) demonstrated how open house was Mark Theis of to create a program from a Spiros Industries. drawing on your desktop to the machine. With a couple of clicks, the part is simulated being made on the machine screen in 3D, allowing visual confirmation that the part will run without interference.

The operator axis control pendant advantages were shown and explained.

At the rear of the CNC, the straightener flipper advantages for different wire sizes were demonstrated, along with the hand or power wire in feed, allowing you to input the start of a new coil without opening the feed rollers, thus not losing position of straightness.

Also demonstrated was the CNC31 W10mm wire and tube machine with the eccentric multi radii bend head, allowing bending out of sequence and a great advantage in finishing difficult parts.

The OMCG 2D CNC demonstrated flat parts including frames and plating hangers.

The company's mechanical multislide with the 20 ton die head was set up for strip, showing the progressive stamping of strip components being made at +3,000/hour.

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Global Highlights

Hundreds of sample parts were available with educational videos of parts previously made on the OMCG systems.

Discussions on forming, cold heading, chamfering, grooving, coining, punching, coiling, welding, nibs, threading and optical part measurement flowed freely.

Also featured was the wire industry’s first all-electric CNC wire bender from 1986 in operation.

Attendees received OMCG literature, plus Chapter 34 from the Ferrous Wire Handbook on a jump drive. This chapter, rewritten by Bob Sears, provides many wire manufacturing options to allow companies to be successful.

Rolled Metal Products-South was recently recognized by the Tennessee Occupation Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) as a SHARP (Safety and Health Achievement and Recognition Program) workplace.

SHARP recognizes companies who have developed safety and health management systems and safety programs that are the result of a partnership between employees, management and TOSHA’s consultative services program.

Qualified workplaces have exemplary safety and health programs and injury rates below the national averages for their industry.

Acceptance by TOSHA as a SHARP workplace is a prestigious recognition of a company’s accomplishments, as there are only 15 workplaces in Tennessee that currently hold the title of over 150,000 companies in the state.

Safety has always been the first priority for RMP, because according to the company “it is the right thing to do and we want to keep our team safe. This team approach, with the extra emphasis on employee involvement, is key.”

International “ Yo u a r e n e v e r f a r f r o m o u r w i r e ”

Another option for Spring Manufacturers who prefer a wet drawn wire.

Introducing “LRW” Low Residual Wet-drawn music wire from MJW: 1. 100% American made.

2. Clean, bright surface.

3. Capabilites from .020 to .090.

4. Available in coils or reels.

Tell: 717-653-1461 Toll Free: 800-321-2305 Fax: 717-653-6144

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Spring manufacturing is rarely gla morous. However, all t hat changed when European Springs and Pressings were invited to design a bottle top for probably the most beautiful gin in the world.

Tinkture, a new drink manufacturer focused on delivering a purer, clean element to beverages, approached the Redruth company to create a signature bottle top like no other. The family firm led by Hannah and Sam Lamiroy developed a world first using the finest organic roses to create a rose gin which now graces the bars of some of the most exclusive drink establishments across the UK. Di rector Ha n na h La m i roy explains: “For a long time I’ve been really conscious of the food I eat, the ingredients I cook with and the best way to keep my body healthy.

However, I never really paid much attention to the provenance of my

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Global Highlights

Left: Tinkture; Above: Michael Gibbs

drinks on a night out, until a couple of years ago. Once I really started looking for answers I just could not find what I was looking for, so my experiments began.”

Tinkture is the result, with the goal, according to the company, “the finest alcohol, organic ingredients, nothing nasty, amazing flavours and all distilled by hand in copper pot stills at their distillery on the Cornish coast.”

“We knew we had an incredible product and to complete this new approach to drink manufacture, wanted to ensure the packaging achieved exceptional results too, and that’s when we discovered the team at European Springs & Pressings. They understood exactly what we were looking for, were dedicated to achieving everything we wanted and wonderfully, have produced a stunning bottle top that embodies our uniqueness.”

Michael Gibbs, managing director of European Springs & Pressings, says: “Working with innovators like Tinkture is everything we love about engineering and manufacturing. To be part of their passion, to be part of a family so focused on achieving exceptional results, helping bring to market a new way of thinking about how we drink has been a true privilege. Our bottle top design seals an extraordinary journey that simply gets every element right from the clean, organic contents to the processing, right through to the reusable packaging, environmental refills and of course, the taste! Tinkture and their rose gin really is something very special - I drink nothing else now.”

To discover more about Tinkture, visit www.wearetinkture.com.

In other European Springs & Pressings news, the company has doubled the size of its Cornwall operation with the purchase of a new 2,000 square metre site.

The spring manufacturer, with factories in Redruth, Cornwall and Beckenham near London, has multiplied the size of its southwest operation to over 4,000 square metres with the purchase of new premises in Penryn, Cornwall.

More than 20 staff will be based at the new site, which is planned to be fully operational from Q4 2018.

Messe Düsseldorf has added end products to the spring and fastener segments at the wire Düsseldorf trade show, March 30 – April 3, 2020, in Düsseldorf, Germany.

According to Messe Düsseldorf, “End products will be thematically integrated into our halls for greater proximity and visibility.”

For exhibitor or attendee information on wire Dusseldorf, go to www.mdna.com or call 312-781-5180. n

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Regional Spring Association Report

NESMA’S Focus on Education and Workforce Development

Dr. Laura Rhodes, SMI regulatory compliance consultant, addresses the Pittsburgh-Ohio Spring Association.

Pittsburgh-Ohio Group Meets in Downtown Pittsburgh Sponsored by SMI, the PittsburghOh io Spr i n g A s s o c i a t ion m e t Sept. 13–14, 2018 at the Westin Convention Center in Pittsburgh. The event started with a group dinner Thu rsday, Sept. 13, The Gra nd Concourse in Pittsburgh.

The group meeting convened Friday morning, Sept. 14 at the Westin Convention Center with an introduction by SMI executive director Lynne Carr. Presentations were delivered

by SMI’s Rick Gordon, technical director, Gary Van Buren, technical advisor and Dr. Laura Rhodes, regulatory compliance consultant.

With the SMI Metal Engineering eXpo scheduled for Pittsburgh in Oct. 1–3, 2019 at the David L. Lawrence

Convention Center, Chris Gowe, vice president strategic growth, Tradeshow Logic, shared plans with meeting attendees about the 2019 event in downtown Pittsburgh.

An open discussion with attendees followed, including representatives from Ace Wire Spring & Form Co., AMW Springs, Bloomingburg Spring & Wire Form Co., Central Wire Industries, Diamond Wire Spring, Elyria Spring & Specialty, Interwire Group, JN Machinery, Lee Spring, Marik Spring, Stadler Spring Works, The Yost Superior Co., Vodvarka Springs and WAFIOS Machinery.

Follow i ng lu nch, t he g roup embarked on an off-site tour at nearby CapSen Robotics in Pittsburgh.

By Jim Mintun, Gibbs With the current robust economy, attracting new talent to well-paying jobs in manufacturing remains a top priority for the New England Spring and Metal Stamping Association (NESMA). The spring and metalstamping industry employs thousands of people in the New England area and plays a vital role in the local, national and global economies. NESMA has helped its member companies with a wide variety of resources designed to develop the value and skills of their employees, and programs to promote interest in various manufacturing career opportunities.

NESMA offers two annual scholarships to attract graduating high school students who are pursuing postsecondary education in an accredited manufacturing/mechanical skilled trades program or engineering. We have developed partnerships with several local post-secondary educational institutions to support curricula in fourslide operation, metalstamping, and spring coiling to assist member companies in their workforce development strategies.

Bristol Technical Education Center in Bristol, Connecticut will offer introductory classes in fourslide operation and spring coiling as part of their spring and fall course offerings using curricula developed by SMI. They will partner with Naugatuck Community College, who offer several certificate and apprenticeship programs designed

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Regional Spring Association Report ©iStockphoto.com/Scott Hirko

toward jobs in manufacturing. Additional programs are being developed with Tunxis Community College, who offer degree and certificate programs in advance manufacturing technology, lean manufacturing and others that are critical in today’s manufacturing environment.

Goodwin College offers several degrees, certificate programs, and workforce training that have been of benefit to several member companies in the school’s ongoing effort to shore up the manufacturing skill set of their employees. Goodwin offers an Advanced Mobile Training Lab that is available to all NESMA members and will provide classroom training on-site at member company’s facilities.

The Lab provides bona fide college professors to a facility to teach on a variety of topics, one of which is blueprint reading. NESMA members were introduced to the program during the SMI Metal Engineering eXpo in Hartford in October 2017.

Goodwin’s training costs can be offset through a grant from the Connecticut Department of Labor’s Incumbent

Worker Trainee Grant (50 percent) and t he Goodwin College Continuing Education Manufacturing Workforce Investment Fund (50 percent) up to $50,000 per year.

G o o d w i n ’s M o b i l e Lab ha s a capacit y for 10 students. After some collaboration between a few NESMA members in t he Bristol com mu nity, Trainees included (l-to-r): Tom Murrone, Susan LeFrancois, and Whitney LaBranche.

Goodwin was approached to teach a basic blueprint reading course Each participating company found the and the mobile lab was off to Colonial mobile classroom to be of benefit to Spring. Bill Lathrop, Colonial’s presi- their organizations and additional dent, reports, “We consolidated a class on-site classes are planned.

While many areas in the country made up of employees from Colonial Spring, GEMCO, FAD Tool and Plym- are desperate for skilled manufacouth Spring. Our class was made up turing talent, NESMA continues to of seven students and was held over a provide resources to enhance workperiod of two days in early October. In force development and education to addition to the typical class materials, help our members compete in today’s several prints were provided by the economy.

For more information on the Goodparticipating companies as teaching aids, so the discussion could contain win College Advanced Manufacturing real-life examples of products made Mobile Training Lab, visit: https://nesmain the shops the students came from.” usa.com or www.goodwin.edu/training.

WCSMA Mourns Loss of Colleen Trost The West Coast Spring Manufacturer A sso c i at ion (WCSM A) h a s announced the passing of its past president Colleen Trost, owner and president of Vaga Industries. Trost lost her valiant battle with stage 4 metastatic lung cancer at the end of

October 2018. A memorial celebrating her life was held Nov. 17, 2018 at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church in Hacienda Heights, California.

A donation page has been created to raise money for lung cancer research at City of Hope, where Trost was being treated; the family asks t hat f riends pl e a s e c o n s id e r donating in lieu of flowers. The donat ion page ca n be accessed at https:// ourhope.cityofhope. org/colleentrost Tr o s t ’s f r ie nd and co-member of WCSM A, D ebr a Don ley of FTR Associates, shared

this: “I wanted to include a picture of Colleen in my announcement and came across so many that made me smile. Some were crazy, some beautiful, but almost all of them reflected a story of the fun we had and that she brought to the lives of so many. In the end, that is the great gift that she left us with.”

An announcement f rom Vaga Industries noted, “Things will largely remain unchanged at the company.

Over the past year, Colleen’s two sons, Jimmy and Jeff, have come on board as part of Vaga’s succession plan.

They, along with the rest of the Vaga family, will continue to provide the quality service [customers] have come to expect over the past 40 years, and we look forward to serving [them] for many years to come.”

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Regional Spring Association Report

CASMI Set to Hold February Dinner Dance

By Michael Bandy, CASMI Co-Executive Director All primary and associate members, 2018 SpringWorld exhibitors and non-members a re invited to join the Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers, Inc. (CASMI) for a special evening at the “Biennial Spring Fling Dinner Dance and Board Induction.” The event will be held Saturday, Feb. 23, Twin Orchard Country Club, Long Grove, Illinois.

This event features cocktails, extraordinary food, dancing and the return of Hip Pockit (featuring one of our own members) for your musical entertainment, and a festive evening to mingle with your peers. Plan on bringing your spouse or loved one to help celebrate CASMI and the spring industry, and to welcome the organization’s new board of directors for 2019–2020.

OCTOBER 1–3, 2019 • PITTSBURGH

It’s a powerful experience to interact with new people on the show floor.

The traveling nature of MEE allows us to share our equipment with local companies who wouldn’t otherwise be attending.

Jackie Flint Zenhye, Director of Marketing, Right Lane Industries

EDUCATION AND EXPERTISE FOR THE ENGINEERED SPRING AND PRECISION METAL COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES.

Presented by

Become an exhibitor or register to attend at

metalengineeringexpo.org

Registration for this event closes Tuesday, Feb. 19. Registration for CASMI members and 2018 SpringWorld exhibitors is $250 per couple or $135 per individual. Fees for nonmembers and non-member suppliers is $285 per couple or $165 per individual.

Visit www.casmi-springworld.org for complete registration details.

CASMI Rounds Out 2018 with Two Events CASMI hosted its November 2018 member sh ip d i n ner meet i ng at Maggiano’s Little Italy, Oak Brook, Illinois. The meeting was a followup to the organization’s March 2018 meeting, where members enthusiastically suggested that CASMI host future moderated roundtable discussions on the topic of “Our Competitive Future and Our Workforce.” The discussion addressed the skills gap cha llenge facing ma nufactu rers today. The event moderator was David Boulay, president, IMEC. Boulay did not present, but helped the audience build upon the presentation and discussion from the previous meeting through breakout roundtable discussions. They discussed why manufacturers face this challenge and how they can act both within their companies and together as an industry to achieve success.

CASMI held its Annual Holiday Party, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018, in a private dining room at Carlucci in Rosemont, Illinois. Members participated in an informal evening of networking and great food. Each member and guest were asked to contribute a $5 donation at the door, with the proceeds given to the Mercy Home for Boys and Girls to assist the less fortunate during the holiday season.

For details on all CASMI events, visit www.casmi-springworld.org, or call the office at 630-359-4273. n

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Be Aware Safety Tips

Not Your Grandfather’s Independent Contractor: Are You Certain He/She Is Not an Employee?

By Laura Helmrich-Rhodes, CSP, Ed.D.

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his article will alert the reader to Failing to properly distinguish between significant liability exposures likely employees and independent contractors not considered for temporary employees, contractors and employees of contractors can impact your bottom line. It affects how who are involved in day-to-day work, or even you withhold taxes and avoid costly legal minor construction projects, at their facilities. consequences. Not knowing the differProtecting assets is the intent herein.

First, let’s address the typical “indepenence can have a detrimental impact on an dent contractor.” Perhaps someone cleans your employer’s obligations to the Occupational facility, performs plumbing repairs on occaSafety and Health Act (OSHA) state workers’ sion, repairs or upgrades electrical wiring or installs a new roof — all of whom you assume compensation as well as IRS and wage and are independent contractors. You might even hour regulations.

“1099” them (IRS lingo for paying independent contractors). Failing to properly distinguish between employees and independent contractors can impact your bottom line. It affects how you withhold taxes and avoid costly legal consequences. fatality of temporary workers (see news release link below).

Not knowing the difference can have a detrimental impact Some of these are industries similar to the springmaking on an employer’s obligations to the Occupational Safety industry and worth reviewing. and Health Act (OSHA) state workers’ compensation as The determination of the employer-employee relations well as IRS and wage and hour regulations. requires consideration of all aspects of the worker’s interAccording the United States Small Business Adminis- actions with the host employer. There are many factors tration (SBA), an independent contractor “operates under a and the following is not necessarily an exhaustive list. separate business name and invoices for work completed.” The factors presented are taken from Nationwide Mutual But that definition is incomplete and only gives us two of Insurance Co. v. Darden, 503 U.S. 318, 323-24 (1992). These the defining characteristics! This classification has been are used by agencies, such as OSHA, and state workers’ further defined by U.S. court decisions. Independent compensation bureaus as well as labor relations arbiters to contractors can sometimes qualify as employees in a legal determine if someone deserves redress as a true employee. sense, even when an employer is unaware of the liabilities. In Darden, the court adopted the “common law test” for Often this does not become an issue until a concern arises such as a vehicle accident, OSHA inspection, wrongful termination suit, the need to report an incident to OSHA or Laura Helmrich-Rhodes, CSP, Ed.D., is an independent regulations compliance consultant to the when someone files a surprise workers’ compensation claim.

Spring Manufacturers Institute (SMI). A former Before you decide that you and your human resources member of PA/OSHA Consultation, she is an (HR) staff have this all figured out, read on. The devil associate professor in the Safety Sciences Departtruly is in the details in this situation. For both OSHA ment at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where and workers’ compensation, the presence of an employeeshe teaches graduate and undergraduate classes on topics such as OSHA standards, safety comemployer relationship must exist and depends on whether munications, workers’ compensation and human the employer controls the means and manner of the workrelations. Rhodes is available for safety advice er’s work performance. There are numerous OSHA news and information. Contact SMI at 630-495-8588 or releases dedicated to the citations of companies throughlaurahrhodes@gmail.com. out the U.S. whose violations stemmed from the injury or

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The touchstone is, who is directing the contract employees day-to-day work activities? When an employer dictates the contractors’ daily routine, the ballgame changes. If the employer is setting start/stop times, breaks, daily job duties, etc., the contractor is likely going to be viewed as an employee and would be entitled to benefits offered to other employees and a subject of OSHA recordkeeping.

determining who qualifies as an “employee.” Let’s look at these factors to see if your “temps” or “subcontractors” are truly covered by statute as employees.

Indicators that a worker is in an employment relationship with an employer include the following: • The employer has the right to control when, where, and how the worker performs the job.

• The work does not require a high level of skill or expertise.

• The employer furnishes the tools, materials and equipment.

www.vulcanspring.com

• • • • • •

• The work is performed on the employer’s premises.

• There is a continuing relationship between the worker and the employer.

• The employer has the right to assign additional projects to the worker.

• The employer sets the hours of work and the duration of the job.

• The worker is paid by the hour, week,

or month rather than the agreed cost of performing a particular job.

• The worker does not hire and pay assistants.

• The work performed by the worker is part of the regular business of the employer.

The employer is in business.

The worker is not engaged in his/her own distinct occupation or business.

The employer provides the worker with benefits such as insurance, leave or workers’ compensation.

The worker is considered an employee of the employer for tax purposes (i.e., the employer withholds federal, state and Social Security taxes).

The employer can discharge the worker.

The worker and the employer believe that they are creating an employer-employee relationship.

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Our focus has been and continues to be finding “creative solutions” for finishing ferrous as well as non-ferrous materials. We take pride in serving our customers in innovative ways to assist them in meeting their goals and objectives. We offer both resin and metal bonded diamond and CBN products. For more information contact Syntech Abrasives at 704-525-8030 or email to

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Based on the above, owners and EXAMPLE SCENARIO HR staff decided if individuals meet A manufacturer of metal cans, Metal Can Co., needs machine operators the test. According to the American for a short-term increase in production. Metal Can Co. contracts with Staffing Association (ASA), during Industrial Staffing, a staffing agency, to provide machine operators to the course of a year, U.S. staffing work shifts on a temporary basis. Industrial Staffing hires 10 operators companies hire more than 15 million with minimal knowledge of English and sends them to work on-site temporary and contract employees. at Metal Can Co. The staffing agency also hires a person to act as the Thirty-seven percent of temporary temporary workers’ team lead, who will translate the employers’ orders workers are in an industrial setting and any provided training and perform administrative duties such as with an average duration of employtime and attendance tracking. At the worksite, a supervisor from Metal ment of 14 weeks. (ASA, retrieved Can Co. assigns each of the temporary workers to a particular machine.

10/25/2018) If you employ temporary workers, The supervisor also controls and checks on the employees’ work you must ask yourself: Do you provide throughout their shift. On their second day, one of the temporary workall the materials to do the work and ers suffers a finger amputation injury from an inadequately guarded direct the work? An important quesmachine press. Who is responsible for recording this injury? tion OSHA has provided in the recordkeeping interpretations is this: Analysis: Are you using the temp agency merely For recordkeeping purposes, Metal Can Co. must record the injury as a quasi-human resources departon its injury and illness log. The key fact in this scenario is that Metal ment, followed by the “temp” working Can Co. supervises and controls the day-to-day work of the tempodirectly under your supervision? Do rary employees at its facility. The team leader provided by the staffing the supervisors who come with your agency is not empowered to modify or override the host employer’s temps honestly have the authority to directions and therefore is not considered a supervisor under OSHA’s make changes or stop work? recordkeeping regulation. While Metal Can Co. should inform the staffTemporary employees, short or long ing agency of the injury, the staffing agency should not record it on term, obtained through a temp agency can be construed as your employees its own log because the injury should only be recorded on one set of if not properly contracted and coorinjury and illness logs. Should Metal Can Co. refuse or ignore its duty to dinated. Celeste Hutchens, director record, the company may be subject to an OSHA citation. of human resources and safety for AC Miller Concrete and adjunct professor in safety sciences, provides this expert advice, “The touchstone is, who is directing the contract employees' day-to-day work for construction, alteration, and/or repair, including paintactivities? When an employer dictates the contractors’ ing and decorating” (29 CFR 1910.12 (b)). When a company daily routine, the ballgame changes. If the employer is has construction occurring on-site, they potentially can setting start/stop times, breaks, daily job duties, etc., the be cited under OSHA’s Multi-Employer Citation Policy. contractor is likely going to be viewed as an employee and OSHA has very specific recommendations for coordinatwould be entitled to benefits offered to other employees ing when you act as a “host employer” on their website. and a subject of OSHA recordkeeping.”

Developing a formal “Contractor Safety Program” is in your As noted by Hutchens, OSHA recordkeeping is another best interest, and certainly your insurance carrier (both obligation in question here. One spring company contacted workers’ compensation and premises liability) also recomme about a week after an amputation, wondering if they mends obtaining certificates of insurance (with appropriate needed to report it to OSHA. Of course, I was stunned limits of liability) for both workers’ compensation (for their by this question: first, because any amputation must be employees) and premises liability (for injuries they might reported within eight hours and secondly, the relationship cause to your employees, customers, etc.).

Contractors and employers who do construction work was not specifically spelled out in the contract as to who would be obligated to record any OSHA recordable injury must comply with standards in 29 CFR 1926, Subpart C, or illness. Double-check your contracts. Ignoring will not General Safety and Health Provisions for Construction. make the matter go away.

These include the responsibilities for each contractor/ Another liability exposure associated with using employer to initiate and maintain accident prevention contracted employees arises when a general industry programs, provide for a competent person (that is a formal company is involved in any type of construction. Accord- title under OSHA regulations) to conduct frequent and ing to OSHA, the definition of construction means “work regular inspections, and instruct each employee to

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recognize and avoid unsafe conditions and know what regulations are applicable to the work environment.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board released a statement about the importance of contractor selection and oversight to assure both quality of work and worker protection.

The Board conducted a study of contracted work between 2007 and 2011 and determined that inadequate contractor selection and oversight contributed to 10 fatalities and four injuries. They noted that financial capacity is often considered when selecting a contractor and safety records of contractors are overlooked. In other words, your selection process needs to include prequalify and disqualifying criteria of contractors. Both the ANSI Z10 Safety Management Systems and the new ISO 45001 Safety Management Systems Operations include excellent template of characteristics to consider in safe contractor selection and oversight. Consider using either of these as the foundation for your new system.

Once you have selected a contractor using characteristics such as their workers’ compensation Experience Modification Rate (EMR) and OSHA citation history (go to www.OSHA.gov then statistics followed by establishment search), the key to avoiding an OSHA citation is to coordinate whose programs will be used (for example hot work or hazard communication). Communicate how hazards will be eliminated and how you will train and protect your employees from the hazards created by the construction

contractors. In terms of avoiding workers’ compensation claims, Hutchens emphasizes the most important item is the need to properly classify all workers.

This list is not exhaustive discussion! Other aspects of the relationship between the parties may affect the determination of whether an employer-employee relationship exists. It is a complex connection that must be spelled out before work commences. The use of an attorney for many aspects of human resources is necessary today, due to the intricacies in state and federal regulations and impact of court decisions. For example, not all or even a majority of the listed Darden criteria need be met. Rather, the determination must be based on all of the circumstances in the relationship between the parties, regardless of whether the parties refer to it as an employee or as an independent contractor relationship. A federal agency and/or the courts will make that determination if you have not done so clearly before the start of work.

Review your practices to assure your contractors meet the legal definition. This will prevent the need to pay back taxes and penalties, provide benefits and reimburse for wages, as well as obligation to pay for insurable losses.

Develop a written “Contractor Safety Program” and have your legal counsel review your contracts to answer these specific questions, not just the financial agreement. n

Source of more information Small Business Administration https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/hiremanage-employees#section-header-2 Who is an employee? Equal Employment Opportunity Commission http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/threshold.html#2-III-A Communication and coordination of host employers and contractors (US Department of Labor OSHA) https://www.osha.gov/shpguidelines/communication.html Protecting Temporary Workers (US Dept. of Labor OSHA) https://www.osha.gov/temp_workers/ OSHA News releases –Citations to those with temporary employees https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/temporary_workers US Chemical Safety Board-Safety Digest https://www.csb.gov/assets/1/6/csb_digest_-_contractor_safety.pdf

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Dean of Springs

What Business System Will Make My Business Succeed?

By Dan Sebastian

©iStockphoto.com/erhui1979

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t the end of May 2018, I celebrated 50 years working in the spring industry. On my first day of work, I was given a project to develop data that would assist our spring engineers in predicting the life of garter springs in radial lip seals. Little did I know that this little project would open an opportunity to use my metallurgical education and ultimately provide the opportunity to lead a large spring company.

Over the course of those many years, the management and owners of each company always looked for a “better way” to improve profits and grow the business. I met and worked with what seemed like an endless group of consultants that were going to help me become a better manager. It began with Peter Drucker’s Management by Objective (MBO) and the belief that a good manager could manage any business well. What followed was:

• “In Search of Excellence” by Thomas J. Peters

• • • • • • •

and Robert H. Waterman Jr. taught us that management by walking around our plants and customer facilities would give us the answers to success The need to focus on the customer and give them what they wanted The Statistical Process Control (SPC) revolution led

by W. Edwards Deming and Joseph Juran Philip Crosby’s Total Quality Management (TQM) Employee empowerment The theory of constraint The commitment to continuous improvement The “Blue Ocean Strategy” And many more.

Each consultant would begin with two principles: 1. You must commit all your efforts to the program they were selling.

2. No program can be successful without the unwavering commitment from the top management to their program.

My experiences taught me that a slavish commitment to a single method to run a company will lead to failure.

The best proof of this can be seen in the book, “In Search of Excellence.” Every one of the studied businesses ran into near, if not complete failure, because they did not know how to react to a changing marketplace. In fact, one of the leading managers in a featured company went to jail.

I learned valuable lessons from each of these different theories of management. I found that if you take the best pieces of each theory you can build a truly successful business. You need to keep in focus the people you have to work with, the markets you serve (or want to serve),

Dan Sebastian is a former SMI president and currently serves as a technical consultant to the association. He holds a degree in metallurgical engineering from Lehigh University and his industry career spans more than four decades in various technical and management roles. He may be reached by contacting SMI at 630-495-8588.

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I found that if you take the best pieces of each theory you can build a truly successful business. You need to keep in focus the people you have to work with, the markets you serve (or want to serve), and a complete and thorough understanding of the art and science of the parts you are making. and a complete and thorough understanding of the art and science of the parts you are making. Let me assure you, I learned many lessons the hard way. Here is one of those “teaching moments.”

We worked with a customer who was the market leader and had the reputation as being the best at what they produced. They had a project that required us to develop a state-of-the-art spring solution for their engineers. The

“Unbelievable” Tom Lusinski Plant Manager/Spring Division, Stanley Spring & Stamping

engineers were delighted and worked closely with us to perfect the product. We worked so hard to get it right that we did not see that the customer had a cost issue with the new product.

They brought in a new team, fired the engineers that led the product development and the supplier who worked so hard to “satisfy and delight” the customer.

Summary There are many ways to run a business and different management theories you can use to run your company. The best strategy is to take the best of each theory that fits your company culture and works in the marketplace in which you operate. A company whose core markets are in the appliance industry, a cost driven business, will have a difficult time producing parts for an aerospace market that demands high quality and technology. n

“An excellent, well executed design package for all spring types”

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Advanced Spring Design ©1982–2011 by Spring Manufacturer’s Institute & Universal Technical Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Photos from quoted individuals and by Engeline Tan; used with permission.

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Technically Speaking

Mistake Proofing — A Review of Handheld X-ray Fluorescence Analyzers

By C. Richard Gordon

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here is nothing more confounding or troublesome than thinking you are producing springs with a specific material to find out that it is something else.

“Mixed steel” (for this discussion, mixed steel includes both ferrous and nonferrous materials) can unfortunately occur throughout the supply chain for any number of unacceptable reasons. Although every effort is made from the material producer through the warehouse and manufacturing facility to eliminate mixed steel, it can occur.

In order to poka-yoke (poka-yoke is a Japanese term that means “mistake-proofing” or “inadvertent error prevention”) or mistake-proof the process, a simple composition verification tool can be used.

Handheld XRF units have been in use for some years for sorting materials. This technology found great success in the steel industry for separating scrap metal intended for minimill steelmaking operations. Today, a handheld XRF can be used for eliminating misidentified incoming material, in process inventory mixes, and QA/QC of the final product. They are portable and require minimal sample preparation.

The Science XRF stands for X-ray fluorescence, which is the name for a type of radiation used in material spectrometry.

X-rays called “secondary” or “fluorescent” are generated by the sample being analyzed when irradiated with high-energy X-rays. The atoms that make up the material are elevated from their normal or “ground” state to a state of higher energy called “excitation.” The emitted X-ray fluorescence can be read and interpreted by an XRF spectrometer. This is the basis of XRF analysis. X-ray fluorescence is produced instantly; it takes a slightly longer time for the analysis to reveal the material’s elemental makeup, e.g., the proportions (by weight or expressed in ppm) of the constituent chemical elements.

The characteristic atomic X-ray fluorescent spectra of the constituent elements serve as their identifiable fingerprints, making qualitative XRF analysis possible. The intensity of XRF is proportional to the amount of the element present, which enables quantitative XRF analysis1.

Equipment The technology has improved over the years through the development of improved detectors, software, and

Olympus Vanta Handheld XRF analyzer2 (Photo courtesy of Quality Magazine and is used by permission)

hardware. New detectors include silicon drift detector (SDD) technology, which allows analysis of elements down to magnesium (atomic No. 12) on the periodic table without the use of helium or vacuum. Units are smaller, faster and lighter with near in-lab performance. Instruments include the CCD camera to observe and capture the image of the part being analyzed. Small spot size (3 mm) is available as an option on some instruments for specific applications.

Some suppliers offer optional test stands for testing small pieces and parts. The handheld unit can be readily attached to the stand. For example, a small spring can be placed over the window on the unit for analysis.

You can expect to spend from $30,000-$35,000 (U.S.) for a nicely equipped unit.

Rick Gordon is the technical director for SMI. He is available to help SMI members and non-members with metallurgical challenges such as fatigue life, corrosion, material and process related problems. He is also available to help manage and oversee processes related to failure analysis. This includes sourcing reputable testing labs throughout North America, forwarding member requests to the appropriate lab and reporting results and recommendations. Gordon’s career spans many years working as a technical service metallurgist, most recently at Gerdau Ameristeel. He can be reached at c.richard.gordon@gmail. com or 574-514-9367.

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Ha nd held X R F equ ipment is available from: Bruker 1, Hitachi3, Olympus 4, Spectro Ametek Materials Analysis Division5, and Thermo Fisher Scientific6.

Operation This is a handheld point-and-shoot tool. For most sample analysis it is reported that typically less than five seconds is required for most material “ go-no go” analysis. Up to 30 seconds may be required where light element analysis is needed for more sophisticated grades.

Units are preloaded with the library of standard material grades, including carbon alloy steels, stainless steels, nickel alloys, cobalt alloys and titanium alloys. Custom grades can be added to the libraries by the user for unique alloys.

Sa mple pr epa r at ion m ay b e required if products a re plated, coated with lubricant, or have a light oxide finish. In many cases, this can be accomplished with light surface grinding.

OCTOBER 1–3, 2019 • PITTSBURGH

Similar to the way Pittsburgh has evolved from a steel town to a technology hub, our industry is changing and MEE is where the collaboration and idea sharing begins.

Chris M. Fazio, General Manager Diamond Wire Spring Pittsburgh Plant

Safety Operator training is mandatory and safety precautions must be followed due to the X-ray radiation. Operators are required to wear a personal dosimeter to monitor radiation exposure.

Shielded test stands offer additional protection for operators.

Future Work Field test ing of severa l u nits is planned and results will be reported in a future Springs magazine article.

If you are currently using this technology and would be willing to share your experience with SMI, please contact Rick Gordon via email: c.richard.gordon@gmail.com.

Moving Forward Depending on the product application, final product analysis using this type of equipment has been mandated by some customers in the automotive, aerospace, nuclear, and defense industries.

The good news for spring manufacturers is that by the time the springmaking material arrives at your doorstep, it passes through many quality checks, from metal casting to final wire and strip products. However, to be positive that the product that you send out the door is the “right stuff,” XRF can be a tool of choice. n References 1) Bruker website https://alloytester.com/ handheld-xrf-analyzer

Education and expertise for the engineered spring and precision metal components industries.

2) L. Pickett, Handheld XRF Analyzers are Fast, Accurate, and Indispensable, Quality Magazine, July 2017 3) Hitachi website https://hha.hitachihightech.com/en/pages/handheld-xrf-analyzer 4) Olympus website https://www.olympusims.com/en/metal-fabrication/vanta 5) Spectro website https://www.spectro. com/products/xrf-spectrometer/xsort-xrf-gunhandheld-analyzer

Presented by

Become an exhibitor or register to attend at

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6) Thermo Fisher Scientific website https://www.thermofisher.com/search/results ?query=niton+xl3t+goldd%2B&navId=11034& persona=Catalog

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hiring and retaining the next Generation

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Is there a secret formula to recruit and retain a productive, engaged manufacturing workforce for the spring industry?

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uch as most of us would like to hear about a magic bullet, unfortunately one does not exist. This issue provides ideas on how you can recruit and retain young workers.

You will notice that one word is important to your hiring and retention efforts, and it is not “easy.”

“Engage” is a word you will read in the two articles we’ve assembled for this issue from Randy George of Betts Company and Lisa Ryan of Grategy.

In his article, “Five Tips to Engage the Next Generation,” George presents some ideas for connecting with the younger generation to garner their interest in pursuing manufacturing careers.

George wisely points out, “Many people think that the only way to build that connection is through technology and social media. While it’s a great way to catch the attention of millennials, it’s not the only way. In fact, there are a lot of ways you can connect with the younger generation and expose them to the benefits of a manufacturing career at your company.”

George says the five tips he wrote about are not about tactics. “They are about seeing personal connections with tomorrow’s youth – our future workforce – in a different and increasingly personal light.” Read more on page 28.

Ryan, in her article “Engage! Three Strategies to Keep Your Top Talent from Becoming Someone Else’s,” (found on page 31), believes embedding a culture of appreciation within

your organization is an important component in keeping employees. She lists three ways to build a culture of appreciation in your workplace: 1) build trust, 2) invest in training and 3) acknowledge positive action.

How do you get started? Ryan advises, “Sit down with your leadership team and determine the type of culture you want to create. Don’t focus on the things that you ’should’ do, but rather the unique things that make your workplace a great place to work.

Choose one or two of the top ideas that you will commit to doing over the long term. Then do it.”

We also feature a helpful “bonus” article by Ryan, “Seven Ways to Use Video for Recruiting and Retaining Talent.” She says, “A video is a valuable tool to connect with and engage potential hires as well as your current employees. Have fun with it.”

Our Flashback article on page 36 looks back 15 years ago to the April 2004 issue of Springs in an article by Judith Segal, “Attract, Retain and Motivate.”

Finally, we feature the article “Future Springmakers: Where Will They Come From?,” which recaps a member survey we completed last year to gauge the number of young people who are in the pipeline to possibly one day join the spring industry (see page 34). A sidebar to the article talks about an innovative middle school STEM camp in California. Scandic Spring became a sponsor of the program and hosted a field trip at their San Leandro headquarters.

I think most of us are aware that changing perceptions of manufacturing and making it a viable career option is an essential part of any spring company’s employment recruitment and retention practices. Holding events like Manufacturing Day (see our report on Manufacturing Day 2018 in the spring industry on page 50) is one method to expose young people to modern manufacturing. It is an important way to get the next generation inside a manufacturing facility and help change their perception that manufacturing is not the grimy, low-tech environment they’ve been led to believe.

Changing perceptions will take hard work and starts on the local level.

A video produced by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) titled “Manufacturing: Your Future?” features young people who are asked about their knowledge of manufacturing. The young people featured seem very intelligent, just uninformed about the real facts concerning manufacturing. You can view the video to get an idea of the work needed: https://youtu. be/wk4SjFWD6tg.

Best wishes to all spring manufacturers and suppliers in your recruitment and retention efforts! Send me your ideas on how you are finding success in these areas to: gmccoy@fairwaycommunications.com. n

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Five Tips to Engage the Next Generation

By Randy George

Engagement tip #1:

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earning how to connect with the next generation workforce is the first step toward ensuring that your business survives and prospers. Many people think that the only way to build that connection is through technology and social media. While it’s a great way to catch the attention of millennials, it’s not the only way. In fact, there are a lot of ways you can connect with the younger generation and expose them to the benefits of a manufacturing career at your company.

At Betts, we have had a good amount of success attracting young talent.

That’s why I’m happy to present you with five of our best practices to catch the attention of young people exploring careers in manufacturing.

Engagement tip #1: Engage online Engagement tip #2: Communicate your culture Engagement tip #3: Work with education Engagement tip #4: Involve your team Engagement tip #5: Invest in internships

These five next generation engagement tips are going to leverage elements of your business that you likely already have up and running. Here’s how to use them to connect with the up-and-coming workforce.

Engage Online The old adage “show, don’t tell” couldn’t be truer than in the world of the online job search. Tools such as social media platforms and your company’s website are an investment in connecting not only with your customers, but also with an up-andcoming millennial workforce.

The data cannot be ignored. Almost 5 billion videos are watched every day on YouTube, and 300 hours of video are uploaded to the platform every minute. According to a recent Pew Research Center study, 94 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds use YouTube and some 71 percent of this group visit Instagram multiple times per day. The popular photo sharing app reached the 1 billion user mark earlier this year.

The bottom line is that millennials want to know inside information about your company and they will go online to find it. They will almost certainly check out your website, want to speak to current employees, figure out their commute time, and read employment reviews.

Social media has been an area of steady growth for our company over the past two years. Being in the industrial sector, there was initial skepticism regarding social media’s value to our organization. However, our presence on platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook has gradually matured. There is now no doubt that our website and social media presence have been valuable avenues to engage the next generation.

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Engagement tip #2:

Communicate your culture Fundamentally, millennials have the same core needs, hopes, and desires that any generation has. Some of their main motivations include: • A stable career path • A sense of identity and belonging • A game plan to achieve their career goals • The hope of a better future We have found that sharing our core values and our work culture speaks to these needs in millennials just as it does to our veteran workforce that has chosen to remain in the spring industry for 10, 20, even 30 years.

And, to cite tip #1, millennials will go online to find out more about your company culture. Updating your website design, adding videos highlighting your company culture, and posting information on available job openings will provide young job seekers with more incentives to apply.

While there are certainly enticing career paths in other industries, it is important that we not sell our industry short. We have a great deal to offer, and by communicating your value you will have won half the battle of attracting a next-gen workforce.

Engagement tip #3:

Work with education No matter where you are located, you are likely within close proximity of a college or trade school.

Therein lies a wealth of future talent if you choose to reach out and connect with faculty and administration, who are actively seeking to place their students in stable career paths with local companies.

Moreover, by connecting with local educational institutions, you will have the opportunity to attend their career fairs, speak to classes, and talk personally with youth who are considering their options.

Lastly, if you offer internships, you will gain access to a steady stream of

potential candidates for almost any area within your business. Before long, you will have gotten to know school faculty, who will begin recommending students for internships. They will likely also be eager to arrange tours of your facility for students.

Hosting student tours will present you with the perfect opportunity to speak to them about your core values and culture, see your facility firsthand, and meet and talk to your team — which leads us into tip #4.

Engagement tip #4:

Involve your team As you engaged your audience online and in person by speaking at colleges and hiring fairs, be sure to extend a personal invitation to prime candidates to tour your facility. Introduce them to your engineers and managers — and be sure to introduce them to the younger members of your team.

Here’s an example of how powerful this last part can be.

On a series of recent Manufacturing Day tours, one of our youngest managers escorted a group of high school and college students on a facility tour. As he took them from one manufacturing. process to the next, it was impossible to miss how they interacted.

Right out of the gate, I could tell that they were surprised to see a young manager. It quickly became clear that

they were impressed by his knowledge and the respect he had earned from older colleagues.

The students listened to him intently through the entire 40-minute tour and asked questions at every stop, leaning in to hear his answer over the noise on the manufacturing floor. In the process, I gained a newfound respect for our manager as well as the kids.

One vital lesson I learned from this experience was to enlist the aid of our younger team members. The rapport and connection between our manager and our slightly younger visitors couldn’t have been more memorable.

While you may not have a millennial manager on your team, you can still involve other younger employees in your tours and recruiting efforts when it makes sense.

Engagement tip #5:

Invest in internships M a nu f ac t u r er s a r e cont i nu a l ly searching for skilled team members who align with their culture. But employers also must balance the risk that often comes with hiring millennials. Offering internships are a great way to foster that balance.

Like many employers, you may have interviewed young candidates eager for a job though lacking in skills and experience.

While millennials operate in a hightech world rife with information overload and voices competing for their attention and dollars, they still need — and are seeking — personal connections, validation and satisfying careers.

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On the flip side, millennials are frustrated with their job search since even entry-level job openings require the applicant to have prior experience and a pre-existing skillset.

The dilemma is, of course, that the young worker wants the job you’re offering in order to get experience, while you are looking to hire someone who already possesses skills that add value.

Inter nships ca n add ress t hat no-win scenario for both millennials and employers, however.

Our own internship program continues to be an onramp for the younger generation to bridge the skills and experience gap. One of our interns recently told me how happy he was to have an entry point into the workforce, as well as the opportunity to use real-world skills.

Internships also expose young, inexperienced workers to ma ny different facets of your business, from finance to marketing, quality to engineering. This, in turn, opens

additional career choices that they may not have considered.

Even if you don’t end up hiring, the end result will still be a benefit to both the company and the intern and can lead to even closer ties with the intern’s school and faculty as they see their students prospering under your direction.

Invest in people If there’s one thing that I hope readers gain from this article, it’s that the youth of tomorrow have the same hopes and fears that you and I have. While millennials operate in a high-tech world rife with information overload and voices competing for their attention and dollars, they still need — and are seeking — personal connections, validation and satisfying careers.

The five tips I wrote about are not about “tactics.” They are about seeing personal connections with tomorrow’s youth — our future workforce — in

a different and increasingly personal light. They are about each of us expanding our way of thinking, to include the possibility that we may need to be the ones to reach out to millennials in ways in which we may not be comfortable— ways that are far from traditional and which take us out of our comfort zone.

In the end, we must ask ourselves if we are willing to adapt. n Resources http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/ social-media-use-in-2018/ https://hiring.monster.com/hr/hr-bestpractices/recruiting-hiring-advice/attractingjob-candidates/millennial-job-search.aspx Randy George is the marketing manager for Betts Company and its three divisions in Fresno, California. He is responsible for the company’s marketing strategy, brand development and execution. George holds a B.S. in International Business from California State University, Fresno. He can be reached at randy.george@ betts1868.com.

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Engage! Three Strategies to Keep Your Top Talent from Becoming Someone Else’s

by Lisa Ryan

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f you have had more than two jobs in your career, you have probably had several bosses to go along with those positions. Most manager personalities can be broken down into three categories. I like to call them my “A-Team” because they all begin with a letter A. The first type of boss is the awesome boss. When you think about your favorite boss of all time, what characteristics does that person possess?

Some common traits include “trustworthy,” “has my back,” “challenges me,” “approachable,” and “fun to be around.”

The second kind of boss is the average boss. For this boss, you probably worked hard enough so that you didn’t get fired, and you were probably paid precisely enough so you did not quit.

This type of boss is neither inspirational or offensive. He or she did not really make a positive or negative difference in your career.

The third type of boss is, of course, the awful boss. Words that describe this person often include “plays favorites,” “unfair,” “backstabber,” “takes all the credit” — you get the picture.

Using the following techniques will help you to become the “awesome” boss that you would have liked to report to in your career.

Here are three ways you can create a culture of appreciation in your workplace.

Build trust. Trust is the foundation on which you build your culture. If there is no trust, nothing else matters.

Your company culture took a long time to get to the point that it is right now, and it’s not going to change overnight.

What often happens to leaders is that

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they suffer from a condition called BSO — Bright Shiny Object Syndrome.

After attending a seminar, conference or industry event, they discover “the next big idea” to increase engagement.

Managers then excitedly implement these new strategies, but when they don’t see immediate results, they discontinue the program.

One frequently used example is implementing “Lunch and Learns” for the professional development of your team. Don’t get me wrong, having Lunch and Learns is a terrific idea.

You have people from your organization gathered together, learning new

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ideas and having the same conversation. After the program, they can help and support each other in taking action. Terrific, right?

Unfortunately, here’s what happens instead. The idea of a Lunch and Learn is proposed, and the person in charge gets really excited about the big event.

Managers promote the event. They post fliers everywhere. They splurge for lunch or snacks for the session, and they may even bring in an outside trainer. The big day arrives, and only three people show up, instead of the 42 they were counting on to “make it worth their while.” The person in charge figures, “Well that didn’t work.

We’re not going to do that again.”

Instead, what if you asked those three attendees, “What did you like and what can we do better next time?”

Be interested in their feedback, implement their ideas and try it again.

Maybe the second time, you’ll have eight people show up. Same thing, “What did you like and what can we do better next time.” This is how you build a program — over time.

Because employees are used to managers chasing BSO’s, they know that it only takes a few weeks for things to go back to “normal.” Employees won’t trust you until they see consistency in your actions.

Seven Ways to Use Video for Recruiting and Retaining Talent Lisa Ryan believes using video in your recruiting and retention strategy is a terrific way to attract today’s top talent. Here are seven ideas to consider:

Trust takes a long time to build, and it can be erased in a moment. The deadly eye roll, the lack of followthrough, and not setting the example that you want to see within the organization are all things that destroy trust. When you, as a leader, commit to making a change no matter how long it takes, you are well on your way to creating a culture of trust.

Invest in training. Help your employees become better tomorrow than they are today. This means investing in their personal and professional development. Out of all the attributes that potential employees are looking for in their next job, one of the most important is the opportunity to grow and develop. Some managers feel that spending money on training is a waste of resources. Those managers may say, “Why should we spend money to train our employees, they’re just going to take what they learn and leave anyway.” And, while in a few cases that is true, here is a little food for thought. What if you don’t train them, and they stay? What you’ll find is that when you invest in your employees, they will work harder for you.

While speaking at a conference, I asked the participants what they did to invest in their employees. One woman shared that they get each employee

Recruiting. You’re using online resources to search for candidates anyway, so why not embed video into your job ads? The nice thing about this strategy is that the use of video increases your search engine optimization (SEO), making your job opening more likely to show up in a candidate’s search results than those ads that don’t include video. You’ll set your company apart from your competitors that are vying for the same talent.

$2,500 per year to invest in their own personal and professional development. There was a collective gasp in the room, as several people blurted out, “I have way too many employees to be able to spend that kind of money in training. We’d go broke if we did that.” So, I asked her, “What percentage of your employees take you up on this generous offer?” and she responded, “About 3 to 5 percent of them.” These are the percentages that are mentioned just about every time I ask the question, so you don’ t have a lot of risk. The good news is that those employees who do take advantage of your financial support for education — those are the ones to watch. Those people are your future leaders.

When trying to figure out the best ways to invest in your employees, you may directly ask them what they would like to see in that training or professional development program.

You’ll also want to change the conversation when it comes to training. Most employees, who are being “sent” to training, look at it as punishment. If instead, you let that employee know that you see something in them and would like to help them expand and grow their capabilities to help them grow both personally and professionally, you have a better chance of that

Interviewing. Video can widen your talent pool by giving you the opportunity to interview candidates who are out of the area. There are plenty of tools including Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts and FaceTime which make it easy, cheap, and convenient to personally connect with candidates. You may also be able to record these interviews so other members of the hiring team who couldn’t make it to the meeting can still view the interaction.

Experiencing. Use a spedup time-elapsed version to create a “day in the life” video, so potential hires can see what goes on in your facility.

These videos resonate with candidates because it lets them see themselves in the position and they can determine if there’s a good fit. It’s always better to know if the hire is a good match BEFORE you spend all the time, money, and effort on an employee that doesn’t make it through the initial training.

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employee taking full advantage of the educational program to which you are sending them.

Acknowledge positive action.

Catch your employees in the act of doing things well. In other words, find ways to acknowledge, appreciate, and applaud the efforts of your team members. Mother Teresa once said, “We are more starved for appreciation than we are for bread.” Showing appreciation is just as valid at work as it is at home.

Research by Marcial Losado finds that high performing teams work with a 6 to 1 positivity ratio. This statistic means that for every one negative comment that employees hear, they hear at least six positive reactions. These opinions are not necessarily, “Yea! Everything that you do is perfect,” but rather, “That’s a good start of an idea, let’s see how we can build it from here.”

It’s respectful communication. In an average performing team, there is a 3 to 1 positivity ratio. At this point, the company is barely surviving. Employees are doing just enough work so that they do not get fired, and the company is probably paying them just enough so that they do not quit. It’s an even balance.

Finally, on a low performing team, there is a 0.3 to 1 positivity ratio. People on a low performing team are hearing

Welcoming. Send your new hires a video to welcome them to your company before they walk-in the door for the first time. One client uses a “video handshake” where employees film a short video about themselves – their interests, likes, responsibilities, fun facts— and they put it in the email signature. Now your new employees will recognize the people they work with before they personally meet. It’s a great way to make an immediate connection.

three times more negative remarks than they are positive comments. It’s almost like the old saying, “The beatings will continue until morale improves.”

That doesn’t work.

Stop trying to always fix what’s broken and instead, acknowledge what’s working. What gets recognized gets repeated, so if you want your employees to behave productively, let them know you notice their good work. The chances are good that they will like the positive feedback and will look for ways to get more of that.

When you give positive feedback, don’t just say, “Great job!” Be specific so they know that you were paying attention to them. Look for ways to recognize your employees in the way that they like to be recognized. Some of your employees will love public applause, while others will hate it. Maybe for those more reserved employees, you’ll set up a one-toone conversation with them. Written notes are also a terrific way to connect.

When you tell someone you appreciate them, you create a wonderful memory; when you write it down, you create a treasure. A well placed Post-it note

Training. Capture your employees doing what they do and adapt these videos for training purposes. One machine shop had a press operator wear a Go-Pro camera, so they could capture exactly how he performed his job. The worker didn’t mind doing it because he didn’t have to explain what he did — he just had to do it. Creating a training series also ensures that a consistent message is being given to new hires and gives your managers some of their time back.

Trust is the foundation on which you build your culture. If there is no trust, nothing else matters. can make all the difference in someone’s day.

To get started, sit down with your leadership team and determine the type of culture you want to create. Don’t focus on the things that you “should” do, but rather the unique things that make your workplace a great place to work. Choose one or two of the top ideas that you will commit to doing over the long term. Then do it. n Lisa Ryan helps organizations who want to keep their top talent from becoming someone else’s. She is the founder of Grategy and is an award-winning speaker and best-selling author of 10 books, including “Manufacturing Engagement: 98 Proven Strategies to Attract and Retain Your Industry’s Top Talent.” Learn more at www.LisaRyanSpeaks.com.

Reinforcing. Let your employees share why they like working for you. Give your employees the chance to be in the spotlight. Let them share the reason they joined your company, what they have learned since coming on board, what their responsibilities include, and why they enjoy working there. By allowing your current team members to share their perspective, they may answer many of the questions that potential hires may have. It also gives them the opportunity to share their pride in working for you.

Ongoing. Keep your videos up to date and post often. Get creative and get your employees involved in creating their own fun videos. Not only will they enjoy the “bragging rights” that come along with starring in the videos, they will share their videos with their friends – another potential source of candidates.

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Future Springmakers: where will they come from?

By Gary McCoy Sofia Williams

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ast year SMI conducted a survey of its members to inquire about future springmakers. It was a modest effort to gauge the number of young people who are in the pipeline to possibly one day join the industry.

We first asked respondents: “Do you have a young person (high school or younger) who has expressed an interest in working for your company?”

Of the 25 who responded, 60 percent answered “yes.”

A second question asked: “What opportunities have you provided him/her to be exposed to the world of springs and how they operate in the world?”

In the open-ended question, many said they offer job shadowing events, apprenticeships, tours, internships and cooperative (co-op) programs to high school and college students. In addition, they work with local career technical centers to offer various programs. Many spring companies offer plant tours and cite Manufacturing Day events as another valuable program to help recruit new workers.

A final question asked how SMI can assist members in bringing more awareness to spring industry careers.

Here’s a sampling of answers:

• “By promoting career growth within the manufacturing environment to show the younger generation that the manufacturing industry is not always a dead-end job.”

• “Educating school administrators and parents about the importance of manufacturing.”

• “Providing school presentation[s] and training materials and job fair and recruitment collateral would be wonderful.”

• “Manufacturing Day promotions; encourage students to attend the SMI Metal Engineering eXpo. There is currently a definite upswing in manufacturing in the USA with more people realizing

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it can be a great place to have a career.”

• “Maybe create flyers than any of the companies could use to show products and the skills needed for different levels of staffing.”

• “Develop posters for high school guidance counselor offices to provide information on the industry.”

• “Get more involved in vocational schools at the high school level.”

• “Invest in educating students to show that there are other options beyond college.”

Last year, Nina Fazio-Williams of Diamond Wire Spring sent SMI a picture of her 10½-year-old granddaughter, Sof ia Willia ms. Sof ia accompa nied her gra ndma on a

sales call where they toured a crane manufacturer. It was her email, titled “The Future of Diamond Wire,” that inspired the survey.

Please send us your ideas on how you are exposing children to the world of springs and how they operate in the world. Send your submissions to: gmccoy@fairwaycommunications. com. n

Middle School STEM Camp Outside of Manufacturing Day, springmakers across the U.S. participate in various events to help promote careers in manufacturing.

Hale Foote, president of Scandic Spring in San Leandro, California read an article about a middle school STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) camp in his community and decided to get involved.

She Stems Camp attendees visit Scandic Spring.

According the group’s website, “She STEMs Summer Camp was started with the goal of supporting girls interested in STEM.” The program was started by three students at Alameda (California) High School “who have a passion for STEM and education.” The organizers related, “In middle school, we didn’t realize how cool STEM was and the importance technology has on the world which is why we developed She STEMs. We hope to show girls about the influence of technology, how they can use tech for social good, and help every girl feel confident and capable to make a change.”

In June 2018 at the Harbor Bay Community Center in Alameda, 15 girls spent two weeks learning how to create “cool” projects with STEM. The camp featured hands-on projects, inspirational speakers and field trips.

On the website, the organizers stated the purpose of She STEMS Summer Camp, “At the end of our camp, our goal is for each and every one of our students to feel confident and capable to follow their passion and understand how technology influences the world.”

Scandic Spring became a sponsor of the program and hosted a field trip at their San Leandro headquarters. “I think we helped broaden the curriculum’s focus from coding and software to add some hands-on manufacturing,” explained Foote.

You can read more about the program at: https:// shestemscamp.github.io/campWebsite/#about.

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Flashback

Attract, retain and Motivate

By Judith Segal Ph.d., The J. Segal co.

(Editor’s note: This issue of Flashback harkens back to an article from the April 2004 issue of Springs, under the theme “Best Employees: How to Find Them, How to Keep Them.” This article looks primarily at how to retain employees.)

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oday, like most business owners and senior managers, you are most likely facing sobering and frustrating realities: a challenging economy, rapid change in global marketing and sales practices, and rightsizing fatigue. Finding and retaining the best employees is a business strategy nightmare; a situation that creates stress for you, even if you are one of the toughest of the tough and the roughest of the rough.

If you expect loyalty from employees, you may find yourself not only extremely surprised at their disloyalty, but also deeply disappointed, hurt and confused. You are realizing that your best employees are no longer willing to continue to be your employees unconditionally, and that new high quality employees are increasingly harder to find and even harder to keep.

So, what’s a heretofore exuberantly successful and stable business person to do? Recognize that you must change not only the way you have been doing business, but also the way you have been working with employees and the environment you have created.

What to Do? Where to Start?

As an employer, you must step back and take a fresh look at several things: the employees you are trying to retain, the employees you need to obtain, and how to keep both groups attracted, motivated and committed.

This assessment and overhaul process need not be depressing or agonizing. In fact. it can be quite refreshing. Tuning in to what needs to be done will motivate even the most resistant or interpersonally fossilized people and get them on the new program. By following a simple set of actions, you, or those who have leadership responsibility and impact potential in your company, can make a big difference.

“Motivate” Means Just What It Spells

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Mutually agree upon goals with everyone in the company. If people don’t agree with the goals, talk about the source of the disagreement. They may see something you don’t see, or they may not clearly understand what you have in mind. This means that you need to have a strategic plan that spells out what needs to happen for the next year. People need to know where they have been, where you expect them to go and how you expect them to get there. If you asked people to take a trip with you for a year, the first question they would ask is, “Where are we going? Would you answer, “Don’t worry ... just follow me?” If you did there would be an echo in the room ... in the very empty room. The idea of just drifting in a reactive mode does not attract or keep the best or the brightest - although it does work well for snoozers and losers.

Al, a second-generation president, told his managers and line workers that they didn’t need to know the company goals because he would take care of them if they did what they were told. People resented being treated like children and, to not let Al down, they began acting like children by being emotional, challenging and hostile. It worked out well for me, though, because it took a lot of consulting to stabilize and revitalize his company.

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Offer support and guide people toward global thinking. Don’t keep people in the dark. Tell them what the global marketplace is all about. Make sure they understand that they are going up against competitors all over the world. Some leaders don’t want to worry their employees or think they won’t be able to grasp complex issues about how small the world has become. Often these are the same people who are still excited about the Edsel as a new car concept.

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Talk about the good, the bad and the ugly parts of the business. Don’t try to scare people. but don’t try to protect them either. If you are employing grown-ups, treat them as such. Tell them the truth.

Talk about their role and their performance. Describe the change you think they need to make and the change they think they need to make, and explore together what will happen when the changes kick in.

Harry, a top-level manager, consistently missed key opportunities to

harness positive energy. He refused to talk to people about how they would need to bump up their skills. He was not honest in the feedback he gave them because he thought they were too fragile. Most of his best people left and went to places where their growth and development was emphasized and nurtured. Who’s fragile now?

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Invite and ignite innovation and hard questions. You already know what you think. Now you need to know what they think about your idea and what else they are thinking about. And don’t “yes, but” them if they raise issues or a point of view that you don’t like, don’t want to hear or don’t want to deal with. This is work. not marriage.

Alice, a senior vice president and sister of the owner, tried to keep all her communication via email because she thought that she could escape hard questions. Her brother didn’t object to her staying in her office because he knew she was not stellar in dealing with people. Unfortunately, while she

was hiding at her desk, two of their best people were walking out the door to a competitor. She missed critical opportunities to build commitment and get people involved. He, by enabling his sister, perpetuated a fatal double standard. Double whammy!

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Validate concerns and verify victories. Give people credit for knowing that, in a tough economy like this, success is not guaranteed. Give their reservations status. At the same time, be sure to make any success a really big deal. When things go well, it is important to make a point of acknowledging people, effort and outcomes. Celebrating even the smallest victories goes a long way toward making people feel optimistic about what they are doing and about what is happening in the company.

When Bob’s team figured out a way to beat a competitor who was knocking on the door of one of the company’s oldest customers, he brought in pizza for lunch and presented each person with a victory mug. For a minimum

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investment, he got maximum motivation. Validation matters, and it takes so little to do it well.

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Ask for help in solving problems. Engage people in the process. Build commitment by building involvement. You want people to be stakeholders, not just shareholders.

Let them in and use their creativity and perspective to work through tough issues. Assume that employees know more than you do, and you will be right. You have your perspective, but they also have theirs, and from their vantage point they might see things that you miss. And when you ask for help, make sure that you really listen.

When they talk, be sure you’re not just waiting for the noise to stop.

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Train and teach new skills and knowledge areas. Make sure people keep growing. The younger the employees, the more interested they are in enhancing their skills and

areas of expertise. They didn’t join the “fossil of the month club.” They joined a company where they thought they would learn and which they thought would evolve to meet the changing global demands of the industry.

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Empathize with your employees.

They may feel out of control or they may have concerns about providing for their families. If they have been with the company a long time, they may not want to have to change. New ideas may be a challenge and might seem like a bad dream to them. They may feel insecure and doubtful about their ability to adapt to your new, tougher way of moving forward.

How people feel about what they do, and whom they do it with and for, spills over into everything that happens in a company. Motivated employees a re t he ly nchpin for creating an environment of trust, innovation, growth and development.

Today’s workers are not expecting to

If your company is still pitching loyalty and not addressing current wants and needs, you are missing the boat.

get a gold watch; they are motivated by other things. Knowledge development, responsibility, the opportunity to participate, teamwork and enhanced cross-functional relationships are today’s new challenges. If you r company is still pitching loyalty and not addressing current wants and needs, you are missing the boat. Go ahead: Trade in that old row boat and those battered oars for a new motor boat that hums and see if you can use it to transport your brother-in-law to your nearest competitor. n

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HIGH SPEED CNC COILERS

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CASMI Hosts Successful SpringWorld 2018

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pringWorld 2018 took place Oct. 3–5, 2018, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois. SpringWorld, which is presented by the Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers, Inc. (CASMI) every other year, provides a unique opportunity for spring manufacturers, wireformers, OEMs and their suppliers to network, including one-on-one discussions with colleagues to share challenges, discuss solutions, and provide new insights for business.

According to CASMI, total registered attendance for SpringWorld 2018 was approximately 2,200. The trade show floor was comprised of 111 exhibiting companies occupying 31,800 net square feet of exhibit

space. The ratio of buyers to exhibitor personnel was up 2 percent for SpringWorld 2018 when compared to the 2016 event.

CASMI is currently conducting an exhibitor survey, and while results aren’t final, exhibitors are reporting brisk sales and meaningful contacts with both current and potential customers. Additionally, preliminary results indicate this year’s show was successful in meeting or exceeding exhibitor expectations.

In addition to the trade show itself, the event featured several educational sessions—presented by industry personnel and exhibiting companies—in the education theater on the show floor.

SMI co-hosted an opening reception with CASMI after the conclusion of the first day of the show, Wednesday, Oct. 3. An Oktoberfest, sponsored by WAFIOS Machinery Corp., was held on the trade show floor, immediately following the second day of the show, Thursday, Oct. 4.

SpringWorld 2020 will take place Oct. 7–9, 2020 and returns to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. Preliminary information, including the exhibitor floor plan, contract, and rules and regulations, are available on the CASMI website at www.casmispringworld.org. n

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©iStockphoto.com/Astri Fresilia

Revised Audit Standard a Key to Organizations Striving for ISO 9001:2015 Recertification

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he recently updated ISO 19011:2018, which contains guidance on managing audit programs, sets forth key guidelines internal and external auditors should use when examining companies striving for ISO 9001:2015 recertification.

ISO 19011:2018 provides valuable information on improving an audit program systematically, including establishing program objectives; initiating, preparing for and conducting an audit; and preparing and distributing an audit report. The standard provides the necessary information for organizations in all industries that conduct audits.

The latest revision harmonizes the standard with other recently revised management system standards, like ISO 9001:2015, offering a broader scope of management system auditing and incorporating the concept of risk-based thinking.

Last revised in 2011, the standard was updated to: • Add risk-based approach as a new principle of auditing; • Expand the generic competence requirements for auditors; • Adjust the terminology to reflect the process; and • Expand the guidance on conducting an audit, particularly the section on audit planning.

Standards are critical for businesses and consumers. Standards have been proven to help businesses lower costs by minimizing errors and reducing redundancies, while standards provide safeguards for users of products and services.

ASQ administers the technical groups that develop the most popular standards, including ISO 19011, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. ASQ also develops books, articles, training and other supporting materials to help organizations improve their use of standards.

For more information about the ISO 19011:2018 or any other standards, visit asq.org/learn-about-quality/learnabout-standards. n

Denise Robitaille, chair of the ISO project committee that revised ISO 19011 and ASQ member, said there were other significant additions to the revised standard regarding remote and virtual auditing.

“The inclusion of text relating to remote and virtual auditing acknowledges the changes in our global economy, and enhances individuals’ ability to better understand how to apply auditing principles in virtual environments and across continental spans,” Robitaille said.

“The other important elaboration is guidance on how to audit requirements relating to the context of an organization,” Robitaille said. “These are key requirements that permeate all major management system standards.

Therefore, this guidance can only serve to augment organizations’ understanding and effective implementation of these strategically important requirements.”

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©iStockphoto.com/Astri Fresilia

Forecast 2019

By Phillip M. Perry ©iStockphoto.com/erhui1979

B

usinesses should enjoy brisk economic “Our member companies are reporting signifitail winds in 2019. Corporate profits will continue to rise at a nice pace, and cant upticks in business growth, and most are the improving job market will inspire consumanticipating a healthy 2019,” says Tom Palisin, ers to spend freely. It should all translate into a healthy operating environment for the coming executive director of The Manufacturers’ 12 months, although economists are starting Association, a York, Pennsylvania-based to see early signs of an eventual slowdown.

“The business cycle has entered its boom regional employers’ group with more than 370 phase,” says Sophia Koropeckyj, managing member companies. “There is so much demand director of industry economics at Moody’s Analytics, a research firm based in West Chesthey can’t keep up. Lead time has extended ter, Pennsylvania. The nation’s total revenues appreciably, from a couple of months a few from goods and services, or the Gross National Product (GNP), the most commonly accepted years ago to three to six months today.” measure of economic growth, is expected to grow at a 2.7 percent clip in 2019.

Despite the generally sunny outlook, the GNP forecast represents a modest deceleration from Profits Grow the 3 percent increase anticipated when 2018 numbers Going into 2019, business owners possess a lot of optiare finally tallied. Why? “There are several reasons for mism. That’s fueled by healthy corporate profits, which slower growth in 2019,” says Scott Hoyt, senior director of are expected to rise by 3.7 percent in 2019, according to consumer economics for Moody’s Analytics. “The largest Moody’s. “We expect corporate profits to benefit from the is that deficit-financed tax cuts at the start of 2018 lifted tax reform, mainly through the lower top tax rate and growth. No such support, in terms of an additional increase the new equipment accelerated expensing provision,” in after-tax income, is expected in 2019. In addition, job says Koropeckyj. “Another positive to corporate profits growth will be slower because of there being fewer avail- is the rollback of Dodd-Frank Act provisions, which had able workers.” Finally, Hoyt notes that interest rates will increased costs for businesses.” The anticipated level of likely be higher, a factor that can have a softening effect business growth actually represents a deceleration from the 6.9 percent increase expected when 2018 numbers are on business investments.

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tallied, a moderation largely due to an anticipated rise in labor costs and higher interest rates.

Reports from the field corroborate Moody’s readings.

“Our member companies are reporting significant upticks in business growth, and most are anticipating a healthy 2019,” says Tom Palisin, executive director of The Manufacturers’ Association, a York, Pennsylvania-based regional employers’ group with more than 370 member companies.

“There is so much demand they can’t keep up. Lead time has extended appreciably, from a couple of months a few years ago to three to six months today.”

Business optimism rests atop a firm base of consumer confidence, always an important driver for the economy.

“Consumers seem to be euphoric right now,” says Hoyt.

“The fiscal stimulus in the form of tax cuts, as well as the tight job market, mean there are very few negatives when it comes to consumer fundamentals. The fact that consumer confidence is near historic highs makes sense, given the current conditions of low unemployment and the gradual increase in wages—even though wage growth is still not high.”

Wages Rise There’s no doubt that consumer confidence is rising in response to a happier jobs picture, one that should only brighten in the months ahead. Moody’s expects

unemployment to drop to 3.4 percent by the end of 2019, down from the 3.7 percent recorded at the end of 2018.

(Moody’s Analytics first declared that the economy had reached the state of what is often called “full employment” with its 4.1 percent showing in 2017).

“The fundamentals of the labor market look good at least into the midyear of 2019 and probably longer,” says Hoyt. “The nation is adding jobs faster than the growth in the wage-earning generation, so we expect a further tightening of the labor market in 2019.”

And it seems that healthy job growth is finally affecting wages. Average hourly earnings are expected to grow by 3.2 percent in 2019, up from the 2.8 percent of 2018 and the 2.6 percent of 2017, according to Moody’s.

“The recent rise in wages is very good for the economy,” says John Manzella, a consultant on economics and global business, Buffalo, New York. “The more disposable money consumers have, the more they spend, and consumer spending represents 70 percent of the nation’s economy.”

You’ll get no argument about the importance of steady work from consumers. Indeed, the flurry of paychecks seems to be a more important consideration for people than any negative economic news. “Consumers do not seem to be worried about the effects of a possible trade war, or gridlock in Washington, or the rise in gasoline prices that has taken place over the past year,” says Hoyt.

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Watch These Trends Early in 2019

How will 2019 turn out for businesses? Will commercial activity begin to slow in the months ahead? When will the next recession begin?

To help answer these questions, economists suggest watching several important indicators in the early months of 2019.

“I would keep a close eye on the political environment,” says Scott Hoyt, senior director of consumer economics for Moody’s Analytics, a research firm based in West Chester, Pennsylvania. “What is going on with tariffs, and is there a risk of a trade war? Beyond that, I would watch for indications about the anticipated pace of interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. At some point those will start to bite and put a damper on growth. That will probably be an issue for later in 2019, but the faster rates go up, the sooner the economy might be affected.”

Wage growth will also be an important leading indicator, according to Sophia Koropeckyj, managing director of industry

economics at Moody’s Analytics.

“Despite nearly a decadelong streak of job gains, wage growth has been slower; that would be expected given the tightness of the labor market. Over the past few quarters, wage growth has finally reached near 3 percent and with the economy close to or at full employment, wage gains could begin rising faster than expected. This could translate into higher than expected inflation if employers pass through higher wages.” Similarly, says Koropeckyj, price growth could be faster than expected if trade actions cause companies to pass on their higher costs in the form of higher prices.

“Given the tight labor market, employment growth is another important indicator,” says Koropeckyj. “The economy has been adding jobs at a remarkably steady pace, around 200,000 per month since 2012. The labor market may run out of steam in 2019, especially if the stimulus from higher government spending and tax cuts begins to fade.”

Finally, keep an eye out for excessive business risk-taking

Housing Rebounds Yet another powerful driver of business and consumer sentiment, the housing market, should deliver good news in 2019. Moody’s believes housing starts will rise by 19.4 percent in 2019, a substantial increase over the 7 percent expected to be clocked when 2018 results are finally tallied. Median home prices should rise by 2.7 percent, slower than the 4.8 percent of 2018.

The challenge for homebuilders is finding enough workers. “Residential construction as a whole remains bedeviled by a shortage of capacity,” says Koropeckyj. “The unemployment rate for experienced construction workers is at a record low of less than 5 percent, suggesting that construction labor for the U.S. as a whole is critically short.”

Shortages in workers with certain skills, such as electricians and steel-erection specialists, are particularly acute.

Indeed, the labor shortage contributed to a leveling out of construction starts for new and existing home sales and

that can backfire on the larger economy. “Businesses eventually make investments that do not pay off, developers overbuild, and creditors extend too much credit,” says Koropeckyj. “Most notable today is heightened lending to alreadyhighly-indebted nonfinancial businesses. This so-called leveraged lending has taken off recently, creating concern that these companies will have difficulty navigating the next recession and that resulting bankruptcies and losses will stress the economy and financial system.

“More broadly, by requiring banks to hold more capital and be more liquid, risk-taking is shifting to the less regulated and more opaque part of the financial system known as the shadow system, an array of nonbank institutions, including asset managers, derivative exchanges, payment processors, insurance companies and pension funds."

multifamily housing, through the first half of 2018. “The construction industry has been operating at full capacity and is still struggling to reduce its backlog of projects,” says Koropeckyj. The coming 12 months should experience a rebound as new multifamily building ebbs, releasing workers for the less labor-intensive single-family category.

A healthy retailing sector is an important factor in a growing economy, and here again the outlook is good.

“The coming 12 months should be a good year for retailers,” says Hoyt. Core retail sales are expected to grow 4.7 percent in 2019, a bit slower than the 5 percent growth expected when 2018 numbers are finally tallied, but better than the 4.1 percent increase clocked in 2017. (Core retail sales exclude the volatile auto and gasoline segments.)

Clouds Loom Troubles, as always, loom on the horizon. The major nearterm concern for businesses is the rise of protectionist

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trade policies. “The growing uncertainty caused by the trade war is throwing a monkey wrench into a finely tuned system and creating volatility,” says Manzella. A common cost-cutting measure—sourcing products from countries not subject to import tariffs—is no panacea. “Unless such companies can buy in large quantities, they often find that price points are higher,” says Manzella.

“As a result, they end up raising their prices to unfavorable levels.”

An equally troubling issue is the effect tariffs have on confidence, says Manzella. “When companies are faced

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with an uncertain future they typically hold on to their cash, invest less and spend less, and that puts downward pressure on economic growth.”

Koropeckyj agrees. “Escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and China could dampen investment more than expected,” she says. “Company profits may be squeezed by the higher costs of imports. Not only could affected companies be hurt more than expected, but an erosion in business confidence due to heightened uncertainty would weigh on spending decisions.”

A related issue involves Chinese tariffs placed on U.S. imports, boosting costs to Chinese consumers and industries, says Manzella. “Chinese importers are reacting by looking for alternative sources from other countries,” he says. “A major fear is that the Chinese may just stick with those alternative sources even after the trade war is minimized.”

Retailers largely share the concerns of general businesses. “For retailers, tariffs are the monkey wrench that everyone is trying to figure out how to deal with,” says Bob Phibbs, a retail consultant based in Coxsackie, New York. “They will affect margins, and ultimately consumers will pay for them.”

Here are some other potential problems peeking over the horizon, for businesses of all stripes: Labor shortage. “The labor shortage and skills deficit are major issues for businesses,” says Manzella. “If you can’t find the employees you need, you can’t grow your business. And if you have to go where the skills are, that might mean moving overseas.”

Palisin concurs. “In our survey, about 70 percent of manufacturers plan to increase employment next year, but over 90 percent have had difficulty hiring enough skilled trades.

They are especially concerned about what’s called ‘the silver tsunami,’ in which baby boomers are leaving the workforce, taking their skills and knowledge with them. At the same time, not as many young people are going into skilled trades.”

In response to the talent shortage, manufacturers are increasing work hours for their current employees, introducing more automation, and running apprenticeship training programs to build workforce pipelines within their companies. “All this will help, but it won’t solve the problem,” says Palisin. “That’s why many companies are being proactive in promoting manufacturing careers in their local school districts.”

Wage hikes. It’s the negative result of low unemployment: Higher labor costs. “With the economy chugging along as it is and unemployment

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lower, employers may need to raise wages to attract enough people,” says Hoyt. That can crimp profits.

Rising interest rates. Higher costs of money pose a challenge for everyone, especially if the Federal Reserve raises rate too quickly. “Rising interest rates may not cause much impact in the short term,” says Palisin. “But later in 2019 the higher cost of money may start to constrict the availability of capital.”

Health care costs. “On the cost side, health care is still a concern,” says Palisin. “Some 70 percent of our members report an increase in medical costs over the past year.

Again, there is a lot of unpredictability in that sector. Will the Affordable Care Act continue? Be replaced? And will that result in higher costs? Employers don’t know where all this is going.”

A “hard Brexit.” If the U.K. fails to land a favorable deal with the European Union, an unmoderated departure can cause problems to the world economy. “We expect a Brexit deal to be reached at the last minute,” says Hoyt.

“If it is not, it would be a negative for the global economy and U.S. consumers as supply chains and movement of workers would be disrupted.”

of the roller coaster. “The nation is experiencing robust economic growth, tightening labor and product markets, intensifying wage and price pressures, monetary tightening and higher interest rates,” says Koropeckyj. “These characterize a business cycle nearing its end, just prior to a recession.”

When might that event occur? “We prefer not to forecast recessions, because they are often caused by shocks that cannot be predicted,” says Koropeckyj. “However, our forecast for 2020 includes a set of conditions that are consistent with a recession. While we do not expect the textbook definition—two quarters of GDP decline—to occur, real GDP growth is expected to slow to a crawl.”

Other relevant predictions include a too-rapid increase in unemployment, the cessation of job growth, flat industrial production, and a deceleration of personal income growth.

For businesses of all stripes, the prudent course seems to involve capitalizing on the current good times while setting up Plan B for the inevitable correction. “Businesses are optimistic about 2019, but we are all aware that recessions are cyclical,” says Manzella. “And there is no doubt that the next recession is on its way. The only question is when.” n

Business Cycle Ages To look a bit further down the track, there are signs that the fast-moving economic carriage may be nearing the top

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WAFIOS AG Celebrates 125th Anniversary

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AFIOS invited 400 guests to celebrate its 125th anniversary during a three-hour dinner show in September 2018 in Reutlingen, Germany. In addition to the WAFIOS apprentices, who performed an impressive choreography, numerous other people from near and far made the evening an unforgettable event, including the Lord Mayor of Reutlingen, Barbara Bosch, and the president of the German Federnverband, Paul Vogtland.

Two members of the executive board of WAFIOS, Dr. Uwe-Peter Weigmann and his colleague Martin Holder, took the opportunity to provide the audience with a great deal of interesting information from the long and exciting history of the company.

One of the highlights of the evening was the stage show of the shadow theater dance group “Les Misérables,” which was specially adapted to the WAFIOS program.

Earlier in the day, WAFIOS provided guests with factory tours, specialist lectures and machine exhibitions, providing them with the opportunity to inform themselves about WAFIOS, products and services and the history of the company.

According to WAFIOS, the grand finale at the dinner show was not the end of the evening, as “guests continued dancing and chattering until the early morning hours.”

More than 1,000 guests attended the various WAFIOS events, and each was offered a beautiful 32-page brochure, “125 YEARS WAFIOS FORMING INNOVATIONS.” The

brochure outlines the company’s start in 1893 with the production of manual chain link fencing machines.

Mayoress Bosch provided words of greeting in the brochure to board members and employees. “When a company has been present on the market for 125 years, this can be termed an extraordinary event without any exaggeration. The number of industrial companies in Reutlingen that can look back on a corporate history far in excess of 100 years can be counted on one hand. This is one more reason to congratulate WAFIOS, a company steeped in tradition, on its anniversary.”

She continued, “The global market leader for wire processing machines stands out thanks to its huge power of innovation.”

Visit www.wafios.com. n

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More Than an Anniversary Brian Shafer, Sales/Marketing Manager Winamac Coil Spring, Inc.

O

n Aug. 31, 2018, Winamac Coil Spring and their 185 team members gathered together in Kewanna, Indiana to celebrate the company’s 70th anniversary in true Walter Pesaresi style.

Walter, who founded the company in 1948, believed in hard work, fun and, above all else, family. He probably had no idea that his extended family would grow into such a large, dedicated group of talented individuals.

While most days the WCS family puts their talent to making top quality springs and wireforms, on this day they put their talents to the test in volleyball, kickball, corn hole and hillbilly golf, prior to sitting down to a steak and chicken luncheon cooked on the open grill.

The third-generation family members worked diligently at cooking the food and preparing for the meal, while members of the fourth generation organized and carried out the games. “It was great to see everyone come together competitively, and have a tremendous amount of fun in the process,” commented WCS president Tony Pesaresi.

After the games and the fine meal, WCS employees were treated to ice cream, 70th anniversary t-shirts and embroidered camp chairs.

It was a great time to laugh, tell stories and reminisce about times gone by, and to marvel at the exponential growth the company has experienced since Walter bought his first coiling machine.

Walter’s passion for springmaking and for family has carried over now into generational members, both with the ownership and employees alike.

The day turned out to feel more like a huge family reunion than a company anniversary celebration. n

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SMI Members Celebrate Manufacturing Day 2018

The first Friday of October is set aside each year to celebrate Manufacturing Day, an event that brings together thousands of manufacturers to host open houses for students, teachers, parents, job seekers and local community leaders. The event is designed to showcase modern manufacturing technology and careers.

Most Manufacturing Day events took place on the official day of Friday, Oct. 5, 2018, but some were held at other times throughout the month. Here are a few reports from SMI member companies about their Manufacturing Day activities.

Wolverine Coil Spring

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Precision Coil Spring Located in El Monte, California, Bert Goering, president of Precision Coil Spring, said his company hosted three different events, Oct. 18, 23 and 24. Goering reports that approximately 104 CTE students and three teachers from area high schools participated.

The L.S. Starrett Company As he clicked through to a new PowerPoint slide, human resources manager Joel Shaughnessy of The L.S. Starrett Company recited a quote from founder Laroy S. Starrett to the room.

“I have believed that I could do no greater good than help create a business t hat would give people employment and a chance to earn an honest living.”

“He wa s a pioneer,” Shaughnessy said when he

finished. “He was promoting manufacturing and knowing that it would give people good jobs back in the 1880s.”

Among the crowd stood State Representative Susannah Whipps, who excitedly announced to the room that she was wearing her grandfather’s 25th anniversary Starrett watch. “The Starrett Company is the reason my dad’s family came to Athol (Massachusetts),” Whipps said.

The L.S. Starrett Company hosted its second annual Manufacturing Day event, Friday, Oct. 12, at its Athol headqua r ters. The event featured the latest, advanced precision measurement and inspection technology while acknowledging the company’s 138-year history. 150 visitors, including community members and officials, as well as teachers and students from five area schools, attended.

Joining Whipps from the political realm were U.S. Congressman James P. McGovern and State Senator Anne Gobi, who toured the plant with At hol Tow n Ma nager Shaun Suhoski, and Ted Bauer and Leslie Parady of MassM EP. Visitors were able to interact with different departments, seeing processes such as micrometer assembly, tumbling, laser engraving and photo chemical production. The tour also visited service department s to spea k w it h personnel in drafting, marketing and information technology. At the end of t he tou r, each guest had the chance to assemble a Starrett center punch.

Similar events were held at the Starrett TruS t o n e Te c h n o l o g i e s Division in Minnesota and Starrett Kinemetric Inc. in California.

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Winamac Coil Winamac Coil Spring held its third annual Manufacturing Day event at their wireform division in Winamac, Indiana.

Eighth-grade students from two local schools spent the morning learning about some of the skilled manufacturing opportunities that

exist within their community. Tony Pesaresi, WCS president, greeted the students and talked about the importance of education at all levels and the job opportunities in spring and wireform manufacturing.

After challenging the kids with some thought-provoking questions, the students were divided into groups and taken on tours around the plant.

The WCS operators at each station engaged the students and demonstrated what their machine did and talked about their job function.

Garret Pesaresi, a fourth-generation descendant of the family ownership and wireform operator, handed out wireformed ghosts made on his CNC machine, and asked for volunteers to attempt bending the wire using a hand operated device. He then asked the students if they could do that for eight hours a day, five days a week. Most agreed they couldn’t.

Bob Sutton demonstrated how he utilizes a robot to feed large diameter wire into a bending machine in a portion of his workstation.

“Our goal is to help the students realize there are opportunities in manufacturing, and that there are opportunities right here in small town USA,” said Brian Shafer, sales/marketing manager at Winamac Coil Spring.

Michigan Spring and Stamping (El Paso) Michigan Spring & Stamping, El Paso, Texas, held its Manufacturing Day event Oct. 5.

According to Dean A. Pranger, general manager of the facility, the company hosted a group of students from Riverside High School Career Center in El Paso.

“Visitors received a printed informational handout and were then provided a plant tour,” explained Pranger. “Discussion during the tour was centered primarily on the jobs that exist in our industry, the training that we provide, and the outside training that can be helpful.”

The presentation included an outline of the

springmaking processes, the skill set involved with tooling, setup, production and inspection. The tour included stops at the quality lab, the material warehouse and finished goods. Pranger says they discussed activities and job positions in each of those areas as well.

Students were given numerous opportunities to ask questions as well as get a close-up look at processes. “We were pleased with the level of interaction that we received from students and staff.

Many good questions and inquiries were received,” concluded Pranger.

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Betts Company Betts Company hosted two tours during its Manufacturing Day event, Tuesday, Oct. 2, along with many other Fresno, California area manufacturers.

The first tour was for Fresno City College students, and the second tour saw 25 local high school students visit. A handful of students out of that

group represented their high school robotics program. The remainder were interested in pursuing careers in various engineering fields.

According to Betts Compa ny marketing manager Randy George, the students were very engaged, asking questions of company tour guides and taking photos throughout the tours.

George said the main highlights for both tours was the opportunity to speak with one of the company’s engineers, Michael Thibert, who specializes in springs.

“The kids had been studying SolidWorks software and were intrigued to see how it is used in ‘real life,’” explained George.

Wolverine Coil Spring According to Jay Dunwell, president of Wolverine Coil Spr ing (WCS) in Gra nd Rapids, Michigan, the company hosted roughly 50 students from Kelloggsville (Michigan) High School f o r it s M a nu f a c t u r i n g Day event. The students received a complete plant and office tour in groups of three to five students per tour guide.

“On the tour they explored our various manufacturing technologies, including the opportunity to operate our CNC wireforming and vision system testing equipment,” explained Dunwell. “For each product type, our team members had samples of both individual parts and many of their related assemblies (and see where

the parts go). WCS has been doing ‘Discover Manufacturing Week’ as we like to call it in West Michigan for about four years; we have been giving student tours for about 40 years.”

Dunwell says Manufacturing Day is worth it because of his “passion for this stuff.” He says any career exploration opportunities WCS can provide its emerging workforce is always for the better. “The students get a kick out of it, and even my staff gets excited when they share what cool stuff they do for their job and the student looks at them and says, ‘You mean you get to do this (career), every day… that’s cool,’” said Dunwell.

Dunwell says in years past WCS has hosted

U.S. senators and other locally elected officials to be a part of the tours.

He says this exposure helps the whole image of manufacturing and the importance of skilled

trades. “We all have to keep beating that drum,” concluded Dunwell.

To learn more about Manufacturing Day, visit www.mfgday.com. n

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®

OCTOBER 1–3, 2019 • PITTSBURGH

2019 SMI Metal Engineering eXpo Gets Ready for Pittsburgh W

ith less than a year to go, plans are being finalized for the 2019 SMI Metal Engineering eXpo™ Oct. 1-3 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The eXpo is sponsored by SMI and led by chairs Chris M. Fazio, general manager, Pittsburgh plant, Diamond Wire Spring; Kelley L. Christy, director of sales/marketing and I.T., Diamond Wire Spring; and Daniel Pierre III, president of JN Machinery in East Dundee, Illinois.

SMI is happy to announce that Industrial Steel and Wire (ISW) has agreed to once again be the Visionary Sponsor for the eXpo. ISW will help sponsor a networking event at the Senator John Heinz History Center from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

The Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is the largest history museum in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Named after U.S. Senator H. John Heinz III from Pennsylvania, it is in the Strip District of Pittsburgh and within walking distance of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

The Center allows visitors to explore Pittsburgh’s rich tradition of innovation, including stories of global contributions from local Pittsburghers, from Carnegie Steel to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Several of the biggest features of the museum are dedicated to the businesses and sports teams of Pittsburgh. Learn more at: https:// www.heinzhistorycenter.org/ One of the highlights of the 2019 eXpo will once again be the Technical Symposia. The educational sessions will be held the mornings of Oct. 2 and 3, providing attendees with the opportunity to learn about a variety of topics surrounding the design, engineering and production of springs, wireforms and stampings.

The sessions will focus on three subject matter areas: 1. Business Trends and Best Practices 2. Manufacturing, Technology and Innovation 3. Materials and Testing Several speakers have already been confirmed.

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Register Now

Wednesday, Oct. 2 8 a.m. – 8:50 a.m. “Tax Reform and Its Impact on Manufacturing,” presented by Michael Devereux II, Mueller Prost 8 a.m. – 8:50 a.m. “Evaluation of Stress Concentrators and Their Effect on Fatigue Life,” presented by Jason Sicotte, Associated Spring 9 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. “Breaking Boundaries for Operating Excellence…A Quest for a Higher Performance Organization,” presented by Vince Bovino, Bovino Consulting Group 9 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. “Crawl-Walk-Run Your Way into Additive Manufacturing” presented by Timothy Simpson, Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University 9 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. “Bodycote Kolsterising®,” presented by Derek Dandy, Kolsterising 9 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. “New Developments for the Enhancement of Spring Production,” presented by Dr. Peter Weigmann, WAFIOS

Thursday, Oct. 3 8 a.m. – 8:50 a.m. “The New Dawn of Manufacturing in America,” presented by Rosemary Coates, Reshoring Institute 9 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. “Nitinol Shape Memory Alloy,” presented by Dave Plumley, Fort Wayne Metals 9 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. “New Developments for the Enhancement of Producing Wireforms,” presented by Dr. Peter Weigmann, WAFIOS

Attendee registration is now available at the eXpo website www.metalengineeringexpo.org. Just click on the “Attendee Registration” button on the homepage.

An eXpo-only registration pass to the exhibit hall is free for SMI members and $25 per person for nonmembers. An all-access pass to the eXpo includes access to the exhibit hall and all technical symposia sessions at a price of $50 per person for SMI members and $210 per person for non-members. The opening night reception, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., will be held on the floor of the convention center and is included in both registrations. Tickets to the Senator John Heinz Center Networking Event on Wednesday, Oct. 2 are $85 per person.

SMI has negotiated discounted hotel room rates for eXpo 2019 attendees and exhibitors at two separate properties: The Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh (eXpo headquarters hotel): $195 per night.

The Drury Plaza Pittsburgh Downtown: $184 per night.

It benefits everyone when exhibitors and attendees utilize this service. By booking your hotel rooms in the official hotel block, you are: • Entitled to receive reduced and discounted rates at official meeting hotels.

• Provided with an immediate email acknowledgement of your hotel assignment.

• Guaranteed room reservation at an “official” Metal Engineering eXpo 2019 hotel.

• Able to contact Orchid Event’s customer service, who can assist with hotel reservations and are knowledgeable of the hotels and Pittsburgh attractions.

• In receipt of important meeting-related materials in your hotel room (door drops).

The trade show in Pittsburgh will mark the third time the eXpo has been held for the North American engineered spring and precision metal components industries.

For the latest information and to register for the eXpo, visit www.metalengineeringexpo.org. n

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Springmaker Spotlight

Don Lyons and Jonspring: A Legacy Preserved and a Dream Fulfilled

By Gary McCoy, Managing Editor

F

resh out of Norwich University in 1991 with an engineering degree, Don Lyons discovered there were not a lot of technical jobs available in his home state of Vermont. He sent many resumes and eventually took a position with BHS Torin in Farmington, Connecticut. It was a chance encounter with the spring industry, which Lyons said he knew little about. “I think I had a day and a half of springs in my engineering program and it (springs) wasn’t really covered in our textbooks,” he explained.

Lyons spent more than five years traveling the country to sell Torin machines.

Throughout his travels he met many springmakers, including Jon Goff, the founder and owner of Jonspring Company Inc. in Springfield, Massachusetts. Goff started the company in 1985 and grew it slowly, using his own capital to obtain buildings and machinery.

“I probably sold Jon three of his first CNC machines,” said Lyons. “Jon and I established this really good rapport years ago.”

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After five years at BHS Torin, Lyons took a job with Associated Spring as a product engineer and moved to Saline, Michigan. But Lyons and Goff continued to stay in touch. “When I had gone to Associated, Jon would call or I would call him, probably every six months.”

Lyons had lost his father to pancreatic cancer and Goff got the same diagnosis years later.

“I had told Jon about my father’s health. Many years later when he was diagnosed with the same thing, we became very close after that,” explained Lyons. “He would call me and ask what my father went through and the different treatments available.

“Over this 25 year period that I knew Jon, I had approached him three separate times about selling the business,” said Lyons. “Every time I had to move for work, I’d be like, ‘Jon are you ready to sell?’ He would be like, “No, no, no. Not ready to sell yet. I’ve got plenty to do.”

That all changed in 2015 when Goff and his wife, Connie, realized that Jon’s battle with cancer would be nearing the end. None of Goff’s three children were interested in running the business, and Connie was not, either.

Goff struck a deal with Lyons and his wife Deborah, and the purchase was completed by the end of 2015.

Lyons worked for nine months with Goff until his passing in September 2016 at the age of 78. Goff’s wife, Connie, is still alive and in good health. She continues to own the buildings where Jonspring operates.

“Connie comes in every week and we have lunch,” said Lyons. “My wife and I are very close to her.”

Lyons is currently working on acquiring the buildings.

A Legacy of Ingenuity As Jonspring nears its 35th anniversary in 2020, Lyons appreciates the legacy of Jon Goff, who he describes as “very eccentric, but an interesting and unbelievable toolmaker.”

Lyons continues, “Jon was a real character. He knew about a lot of different things, not only tooling, but he could run the equipment as well.”

Lyons said Jonspring grew because Goff was able to make parts that others thought couldn’t be done on a CNC machine.

“We have a lot of auxiliary attachments to our CNC machines,” explained Lyons. “People look at our parts and think: ‘That could only be made by a fourslide machine.’

But we can make them on our CNC machines and there’s less tooling. Jon was very ingenious about developing tools and processes to be able to make the CNC machines produce parts that most people thought couldn’t be done.”

Lyons said Goff was “one of the best springmakers I’ve ever met, and I was very fortunate to know him.”

Lyons says Jonspring has been growing steadily since he took over the business in 2015, with nine employees now on the payroll and a new computer system in place.

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“We have a lot of auxiliary attachments to our CNC machines,” explained Lyons. “People look at our parts and think: ‘That could only be made by a fourslide machine.’ But we can make them on our CNC machines and there’s less tooling. Jon was very ingenious about developing tools and processes to be able to make the CNC machines produce parts that most people thought couldn’t be done.”

Jay Seymour, production manager for Jonspring, has been with the company for 16 years.

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The company operates from a 23,000 sq. ft. facility that is housed in three separate buildings.

Goff erected the company’s third building after Lyons had purchased the business. “Jon saw that we were growing like crazy in 2016 and told me ‘You’re going to need another building.’”

Lyons resisted at first, concerned about how much rent he was going to have with the 4,000 sq. ft. addition.

“Jon was adamant,” said Lyons. “The main thing was, Jon wanted to protect the customers that he’d spent 30 years of his life with. He knew that more space would be needed.

He told me, ‘Why do you care what I do with my money?’”

Lyons said he and Goff discussed the rent increase and worked out an agreement to make it affordable. “After that, I told Jon, ‘If you want to build another building, that’s fantastic. I’d love to have more space.’”

Lyons is grateful for the small team he has in place and the ability to produce a lot of high volume parts.

“We do a lot of work for other spring companies, which is a big area for us since I have relationships with most of them. I can be their excess capacity when needed.” He says Jonspring’s work for other spring companies is nearly 15 percent of the business.

In Preparation With more than 25 years in the spring industry, Lyons has accumulated a lot of knowledge. He worked at Associated

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Spring/Barnes Group for more than 12 years. He left in 2009 to join Economy Spring as the plant manager and vice president of manufacturing. He later became the company’s chief operating officer. When Economy Spring was acquired by MW Industries in 2011, Lyons continued as the vice president and general manager until his departure in 2015.

Lyons went from there to work nine months as the plant manager of Lee Spring’s Bristol, Connecticut plant. He enjoyed the work and planned to stay longer, but the opportunity purchase Jonspring in November 2015 changed everything.

“Steve Kempf (owner of Lee Spring) was incredibly understanding when I told him I was leaving,” said Lyons.

“Steve has an entrepreneurial mindset and he knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and encouraged me to pursue this opportunity.”

Having worked for two of the larger spring companies in North America, Lyons said his business philosophy is a much “longer term, time frame focused” approach. Lyons said when he worked for the larger companies, there was more of a monthto-month, short term focus to help satisfy stockholders.

“I want to grow the business,” stressed Lyons. “I want to make sure I add the right people and the right equipment to do it. I’m not concerned when I’m making investments that I have an 18-month payback or something like that.”

Lyons says a lot of Jonspring customers have been buying from the company for more than 20 years and were loyal to Goff.

“The customers have been fantastic and continue to stay with us because the service is the same,” said Lyons.

“My commitment, when I bought the company, was to not change the business dramatically. Service has always been the key component here.”

Lyons has been able to add new equipment and grow the business by 30 percent since taking over more than three years ago. “Most of our growth has been from current customers who transferred additional items over for us to produce.”

The company has more than 25 CNC multi-axes spring coilers and wireforming machines. In addition, they have 13 torsion winders, semi-automated packing equipment and the ability to supply customer with many different finishing options.

Jonspring does a lot of work in the firearms industry.

The company also makes industrial valve springs, along with parts for the electronics industry and machinery manufacturers. “We specialize in tight tolerance components,” said Lyons.

Lyons said the company is currently working on its ISO certification, which will help open doors to more work. He said he is open to acquiring another company, “if it has the right, strategic fit and makes sense.”

The company is structured as a woman-owned business, because Deborah Lyons holds a 51 percent majority ownership interest. Lyons said this has been advantageous because some larger companies have a certain percentage

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Lyons is grateful for the small team he has in place and the ability to produce a lot of high volume parts.

“We do a lot of work for other spring companies, which is a big area for us since I have relationships with most of them. I can be their excess capacity when needed.” He says Jonspring’s work for other spring companies is nearly 15 percent of the business.

Jeff Goss is a setup technician with more than 20 years of service at Jonspring.

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Crossing the Border Don and Deborah Lyons have been married for 23 years.

Their oldest daughter, Jessica, is 20 and away at college.

Their son Jacob is 18 and a senior in high school. Their youngest daughter is 15-year old Anna.

Lyons continues to live in Connecticut, making the 55-minute commute to Springfield, Massachusetts on a weekly basis.

When not busy with work and family, Lyons enjoys playing golf and tinkering with cars. “I’m a big hotrod nut and we go to a lot of car shows. I’ve done that since I was a little kid.” Lyons owns a couple of Corvettes.

Regarding the future of the company, Lyons hopes his kids are interested in coming to work at Jonspring someday. All of them have worked at the company during the summer months. He says Jessica quickly learned the company’s computer system, so she could work in accounting, and Jacob has done grinding and helped pack parts.

“Family was one of the reasons Deborah and I wanted to buy the business,” said Lyons. “We really wanted it to be a family thing going forward. But we’ll see if the kids eventually want to come work here. They all have different interests.”

Lyons is happy that he and Deborah own the business.

Would they ever change the name?

Lyons said he’s asked that question all the time. “No, we have no plans to change the name. It’s a pleasure to carry on the legacy of Jon Goff and keep his name on the business.” n

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of business that must be allotted to a minority or woman-owned business.

When asked what his greatest challenge has been in the last five years, Lyons did not hesitate to say it was to move forward and purchase his own company at the age of 45. He admits it was a huge commitment for his entire family, especially with his oldest daughter being close to starting college.

“From a ll t he d if ferent experiences I had, it was something I had always dreamed about,” said Lyons. “But when you’re actually presented with the opportunity, it’s a huge The Lyons family (l-to-r): Deborah, Jacob, Anna, Jessica and Don. commitment.”

Lyons admits that 10 years ago he would not have had list of priorities and goals that I want to get done with my the resources to pull it off. business. Whether it’s upgrading equipment or making The opportunity to work with a small team of employ- investments, I don’t need to write a 50-page document to ees is something that Lyons has enjoyed, making it easy justify it to someone else,” explained Lyons.

“It’s now a decision of, ‘Hey, is this what we want to do to affect change.

“Instead of having somebody else tell me ‘These are as a team?’ The decision is very quick, and it has given us the things we want you to get done,’ now I can look at my many new opportunities,” said Lyons.

Book Corner ©iStockphoto.com/kertlis

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...

And Maybe the World

By Gary McCoy

N

ot many books can be read in an hour and in one sitting! “Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World” by retired Admiral William H. McRaven is a breezy 130 pages that can be quickly digested and is well worth your time.

The book came out of a college graduation speech McRaven delivered in May 2014 in his Navy dress whites

to students at his alma mater, the University of Texas in Austin. McRaven wasn’t sure how his message would be received by today’s college students and was genuinely surprised at how eagerly it was embraced. The speech has become a YouTube sensation (https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=yaQZFhrW0fU) and with its success he expanded the talk into the little book that packs a

powerful punch. The full text of the speech is included at the end of the book.

In his 37 years as a Navy SEAL, McRaven commanded at every level. As a four-star admiral, his final assignment was as commander of all U.S. Special Operations Forces.

I’m generally not enamored with “self-help” books, but this one contains a lot of solid information. The 10 key points in the book are gleaned from McRaven’s experiences as a Navy SEAL. The basic message of the book is: life is tough, but meeting challenges with discipline, determination, a positive attitude and the support of others will most often lead an individual to a meaningful life that will inspire others.

McRaven’s first idea to help change the world is, “start off by making your bed.” He argues that when you accomplish one thing early in the day, you’ll be motivated to achieve more – even if the quality of your work is not being tested by a Navy chief petty officer.

The subsequent chapters cover the other nine ideas for changing the world and ones most of us have probably heard before. McRaven delivers his message from the perspective of a man who spent more than three decades leading soldiers in combat. He was the American military commander in

charge of the special operations raid that killed Osama bin Laden in 2011.

Some of the lessons are a bit confusing at first. “If you want to change the world, get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward.” You’ll discover that a sugar cookie is a wet SEAL trainee who has rolled himself in sand as punishment for violating a rule or simply because the instructor said so. McRaven’s point is: life isn’t fair. Keep going, even if there’s sand in every crevice of your body.

At the end of the book McRaven succinctly summarizes his 10 lessons: “Remember…start each day with a task completed. Find someone to help you through life. Respect everyone. Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often. But if you take some risks, step up when times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden, and never, ever give up – if you do these things, then you can change your life for better…and maybe the world.”

This is a book from which every leader in the spring industry would benefit. It is a book you could use to discuss with your executive leadership team and a basis to form shared goals. It is a book to pass along to employees, children and grandchildren. n

Have a favorite business book you would like to tell us about or review? Send your suggestions to Springs managing editor Gary McCoy at gmccoy@fairwaycommunications.com.

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Global CTE News Highlights

State-Of-TheArt Technical Education High School Opens in Fresno

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ctober 2018 marked the opening of a new, unique high school in Fresno, California dedicated exclusively to career technical education (CTE) by offering a wide variety of manufacturing, construction and engineering pathways.

The school, Career Technical Education Cha rter High School (CTEC), employs a project-based lea r n i ng prog ra m for st udent s in grades 9 through 12. Students enrolled at CTEC will earn their high school diplomas while acquiring knowledge, skills and certifications within a technical career pathway.

Dua l en roll ment at CT EC is done in partnership with Fresno City College and enables students

to take college classes while in high school for college credit. The high school students will be awarded both high school and college credit for the single course. In some cases, it is possible to earn an associate degree shortly before or after graduating from CTEC. The concept behind CTEC allows high school freshmen to enter a career program and choose a focused pathway in grade 10. All general curriculum is embedded in the curriculum. Classes are 100 percent on-site and run on a regular school day schedule. The linked learning program run students through every

The linked learning program run students through every aspect of manufacturing, including safety, quality assurance, welding, fabrication, 3D printing and more. aspect of manufacturing, including safety, quality assurance, welding, fabrication, 3D printing and more.

Class sizes are small, with approximately 20 students per class.

CTEC boasts a state-of-the-art facility, constructed through a partnership of local businesses with city and state government. For more information, visit http://ctec.fcoe.org/ n

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Inside SMI

2019 SMI Annual Convention Speaker Lineup Announced The 2019 SMI Annual Convention is just around the corner. This year it will be held April 6-9, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines, Austin, Texas. The resort is located 23 miles from Austin on 400 acres along the banks of the lower Colorado River.

The SMI Annual Convention each year provides outstanding networking opportunities and educational sessions.

Here’s a look at the speaker lineup that has been assembled to educate, inform and entertain SMI members.

Boaz Rauchwerger will look at people skills, how to improve productivity and profitable marketing ideas during his SMI presentation.

Rauchwerger was born in Israel.

His family immigrated to the U.S. when he was nine. Although unable to speak the language at the time, he became a radio newscaster by the time he was in high school. Rauchwerger has been a newspaper publisher, owned his own advertising agency, and has produced corporate films as well as a network television show. His Tiberias Success Formula has helped thousands of professionals, executives and employees to enhance and supercharge their careers and their lives.

SMI Welcomes New Members Please join us in a warm welcome for SMI's newest members: One Source Document Solutions Greensboro, North Carolina TEC - Materials Testing Knoxville, Tennessee

2019 Annual Convention Speakers

Boaz Rauchwerger

Dr. Alan Beaulieu

Over a 30-year span, Rauchwerger, author of “The Tiberias Transformation – How to Change Your Life in Less Than 8 Minutes A Day,” has conducted thousands of seminars internationally on goal setting and high achievement. He has taught over half a million people how to supercharge their lives, their careers and how to add power to their goals. His innovative program, for individuals and corporations, is a simple and highly effective process for high achievement.

As Speaker of the Year for Vistage International, the world’s largest organization of CEOs, Rauchwerger has conducted hundreds of seminars for groups of CEOs throughout the U.S., Canada, England, Mexico and the Caribbean. He has also spoken for such companies as American Airlines, Xerox, Toyota and Time Warner.

A spea ker at past SMI meetings, economist Dr. Alan Beaulieu of ITR Economics is back by popular demand. Dr. Beaulieu has been providing workshops and economic

Tom Bouwer

analysis seminars in countries across the world to literally thousands of business owners and executives for the last 25 years. He is considered one of the country’s most informed economists. He is co-author of “Prosperity in the Age of Decline,” a powerful look at how to make the most of the U.S. and global trends over the next 20 years. Dr. Beaulieu also co-authored “Make Your Move,” a practical and insightful guide to increasing profits through business cycle changes, and noted by one reviewer as “simple, yet awesome.”

A s t he c h ief e c onom i s t for numerous U.S. and European trade associations, it has been remarked that Dr. Beaulieu’s “insight into our business, a track record of accurate forecasting, and unparalleled knowledge of global markets has earned him the respect and appreciation of key business leaders in our industry.”

Tom Bouwer of EOS Worldwide is a sought-after speaker with extensive experience in helping business leaders get what they want from their organizations. With his energetic

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2020 Annual Meeting Set for the Atlantis, Bahamas

from achieving optimal success. He earned his B.A. from Hope College and his MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Bouwer is a Certified EOS Implementer and partner at ProfitWorks, LLC. For more infor mat ion on t he Hyatt Regency Lost Pines, visit https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/

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texas/hyatt-regency-lost-pinesresor t-a nd-spa/auslp. For more information and to register for the SMI Annual Convention, phone SMI at 630-495-8588.

Springs Magazine Is Available for Your Phone or Tablet Just a friendly reminder that SMI has an app for Springs magazine that can be accessed via smartphones and tablets. The free app from SMI contains the current issue of the magazine and archived issues beginning with the Winter 2015 edition. The app has archives of all issues going forward, which are available for download.

To make it easy for readers to contact individual email addresses or websites mentioned in the magazine, all such references are hyperlinked on the app.

To download the app, search: Spring Manufacturers Institute or Springs Magazine in your Android or Apple device. n

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©iStockphoto.com/Studio-Pro

SMI is pleased to announce that the 2020 SMI Annual Convention will be held March 7-10, 2020 at the Atlantis, Bahamas. Be sure to save the date and visit the resort website for more information: www.atlantisbahamas.com.

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presentation style, Bouwer delivers high-value engagements that have actionable takeaways. He has helped over 100 companies achieve alignment at both the leadership and staff level.

A top-ranked Vistage speaker, Bouwer presents internationally to the CEO and C-level members of this and other world-class executive organizations.

Today, with ProfitWorks, Bouwer implements The Entrepreneurial Operating System™ (EOS) to help leadership teams and businesses simplify, clarify and achieve their vision. In addition to running his own company in Turkey, Bouwer has worked for startups, Fortune 50 companies and has consulting experience with Deloitte & Touche and Booz Allen Hamilton. His nearly three decades of global management/ consulting experience in multiple industries help him quickly identify chronic issues that keep a company

Committee Connection ©iStockphoto.com/Studio-Pro

ISO / TC227 “Springs” Meeting Held in Berlin, Germany Left, the U.S. delegation along with ISO TC227 officers (l-to-r): Shigeo Aiba, JSMA, secretariat; Tom Armstrong, Duer/Carolina Coil; Lauren Garber, Duer/ Carolina Coil; Richard Gordon, SMI; Ron Check, Peterson Spring; and Wolfgang Hermann, VDFI, chairman.

Below, ISO TC227 delegates from around the world gathered in Berlin, Germany.

T

he ISO/TC227 Working Group 2 and Main Committee meeting took place Sept. 27– 28, 2018, Berlin, Germany. U.S. representatives included, Tom Armstrong, chairman, Duer/Carolina Coil; Lauren Garber, director, Duer/Carolina Coil; Ron Check, vice president of engineering technology, Peterson Spring; and Richard Gordon, SMI’s technical director.

Twenty-eight representatives from China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States participated. Meetings were held at the DIN (Deutsches Institut fur Normung e.

V.) DIN, founded in 1917, is a private organization which

ICST Planning Meeting

Tom Armstrong and Richard Gordon attended the International Committee on Spring Technologies (ICST) meeting held in conjunction with the ISO TC227 meeting. Planning for the 2020 meeting in Germany was initiated. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for Sept.

14–16, 2020. The meeting program typically has more in-depth technical presentations. The next planning meeting for this event will be held at the same time as the European Spring Federation Conference 2019 10th International Congress of Spring Industry (VDFI), Sept. 26, 2019, Hamburg, Germany.

develops German and international standards consisting of 69 committees and 450 staff.

The U.S. delegation, representing the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), is essential to ensure that the interests of American spring manufacturers, designers, and consumers are represented in international standards development. SMI serves as the technical advisory group to ANSI for TC227.

Working Group 2 is currently developing a new ISO standard, “Springs — Measurement and Test Parameters — Part 1: Cold Formed Cylindrical Helical Compression Springs.” Comments by committee members for the prior draft were discussed, as well as new comments. A new draft will be prepared for committee review.

The TC227 committee is led by its chairman, Wolfgang Hermann of Verband Der Deutschen Federnindustrie (VDFI), and secretariat, Shigeo Aiba of the Japan Spring Manufacturers Association (JSMA).

The next ISO/TC227 meeting is scheduled for Nov. 14–15, 2019 in Nagoya, Japan. Anyone interested in participating in the ISO standards process should contact either Gordon at c.richard.gordon@gmail.com or Armstrong at toma@dccoil.com. n

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Plan now to participate in SpringWorld® 2020!

Join your colleagues at the industry’s premier event. ©iStockphoto.com/hüseyin harmandaglı, morkeman, PeskyMonkey

SpringWorld provides a unique opportunity to network with other spring manufacturers, wire formers, and OEMs. • The premiere spring show since 1960.

• A global showcase for suppliers to the spring and wire form industry featuring attendees from 18 countries.

• One-on-one discussions with others who share your concerns offering new insights for your business.

• See the newest technology available to improve your productivity, quality and service.

• Attend free educational seminars offered by exhibitors and industry experts.

We’ll see you at

SpringWorld® 2020 October 7-9 Donald E. Stephens Convention Center Rosemont, IL

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presented by www.casmi-springworld.org

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New Products ©iStockphoto.com/hüseyin harmandaglı, morkeman, PeskyMonkey

Lucifer Furnaces Models HL82-P24 and 42-M36 Lucifer Furnaces’ Model HL82-P24 is a hardening furnace over tempering oven, built as a space saving combination for multipurpose heat treating. The upper hardening chamber heats to 2300°F with 6.5” multilayer insulation throughout the chamber. Heat is supplied through heavy gauge, coil wound wire elements in easy-to-replace holders on the sides, back and door of the furnace. The vertical lift, hand-crank operated door provides for smooth operation with a tight seal. A heavy-duty ceramic hearth plate protects floor elements and insulation. The lower chamber tempering oven heats to a uniform 1200°F with a rear mounted high cfm fan, circulating air past the side mounted heating elements.

A 16-gauge stainless steel liner forms the work chamber. Both chambers are controlled with digital time proportioning temperature controllers with timers and alarms. Safety features on this unit include high limit controllers on each chamber which provide auto shutdown in the event of a high temp excursion.

Door switches are designed to shut off power and fan, protecting users from electric shock as well as heat hazards. Both chambers are 18" high x 24" wide x 24" long.

The Lucifer Furnaces Model 42-M36 convection oven is used to heat treat 17-4 stainless steel. With a chamber size of 12"H x 18" W x 36" L, powered with 13KW, the oven heats quickly with side mounted element holders housing coiled, low watt density resistance wire. Standard features include heavy gauge sheet steel construction, 4½" multilayer insulation, a 16-gauge stainless steel liner, and a horizontal swing door with safety switch. A rear mounted high-volume fan directs air past heating elements then throughout work chamber for uniform heating. This convection style oven is equipped with a programmable controller and 2-pen chart recorder.

Visit www.luciferfurnaces.com.

HL82-P24

42-M36

Extech Introduces Minimally Invasive Video Inspection Camera Extech Instruments, a world leader in test and measurement tools, has announced the launch of the BR250-4, an affordable and versatile wireless inspection borescope designed to get into openings as small as 4.5mm while providing bright clear images on its detachable, wireless display. As part of Extech’s “BR” family of award-winning video inspection cameras, the new BR250-4 narrow-diameter camera adds a level of accessibility previously not available on general-purpose cameras.

Installation, inspection and diagnostic jobs often require access to hard-toreach or -see areas. Professionals from industrial and manufacturing sectors to disaster restoration, to HVAC are using Extech’s wireless video inspection borescope cameras to access very tight spots with 2GB capacity to record video or snap photos. By accessing smaller openings or requiring smaller holes to be drilled for access, the affordable BR250-4 is invaluable for simplifying diagnostics and documenting inspections while leaving minimal or no damage in the process.

The BR250-4 features the waterproof (IP67-rated) 4.5mm diameter BR-4CAM camera with a 63° viewing angle and bright, adjustable 4-LED lighting. The camera uses a 39" (1m) “semi-rigid” flexible gooseneck cable which easily retains a fixed shape.

The new camera is backed by a oneyear warranty and comes in a hard carrying case, complete with magnetic base stand, microSD memory card and adaptor, USB and video cables, AC adaptor, rechargeable display battery and 4 AA batteries.

Visit www.extech.com/BR250-4.

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New Products

New Starrett Digital Gages Put Force Measurement in the Palm of Your Hand or On a Stand The L.S. Starrett Co. has introduced its DFC and DFG Series of Digital Handheld Force Gages. Depending on the series, advanced automatic testing can be attained with the DFC Force Gage controlling a Starrett FMM Digital Force Tester, or basic testing can be performed using the DFG gage.

The Starrett DFC and DFG Digital Force Gages are part of the new Starrett L1 line of entry level digital force measurement solutions. Optimized for production and quality control testing, the versatile, innovative architecture of the Starrett L1 system is designed for fast, easy-to-use, reliable and repeatable operation.

Starrett DFC and DFG Digital Force Gages feature an easy-to-view high-resolution OLED color backlit display and auto-off function. A primary and secondary window shows test results, and out-of-tolerance results display in red. A simple multifunction keypad has softkeys that are programmable to the users’ most repetitive functions.

The DFC Series is a revolutionary concept for force measurement via a handheld force gage. The DFC may be used as an advanced digital force gage and controller with Starrett FMM Force Testers, or as an advanced digital force gage with Starrett MTL and MTH Manual Force Testers. The DFC Gage can serve as a universal interface where the user tests and can configure load limits, distance limits, break limits, crosshead travel direction, crosshead speed and more.

The DFC features a precise measurement accuracy of 0.1 percent full-scale with internal data sampling at 25KHz. Display resolution is 10,000:1 and the DFC features Bluetooth®, USB and RS-232 communications plus digital I/O. The DFG Series is a basic force gage that measures force at an accuracy of better than 0.2 percent full-scale. It is ideal for basic handheld tensile and compression testing.

Test setup and operation is fast, efficient and easy. The DFG display shows the test direction and dynamic load during testing. Results are displayed at the completion of testing, including “Pass-Fail” when tolerance is applied. The gage will display statistics when results are saved to the gage’s internal memory and it can store up to 50 test results in local memory.

Both the DFC and DFG Digital Force Gages are supplied with a complete accessory kit and carrying case that includes hook, notch, chisel and flat attachments, a chisel and point adapter, a 6” extension rod and a NIST-traceable certificate of calibration.

Visit www.starrett.com.

3M™ Self-Stick Liquid Protection Fabric 3M’s Industrial and Safety Markets Center offers a removable, efficient and economical way to protect surfaces from fluids and debris. 3M™ Self-Stick Liquid Protection Fabric provides manufacturing and industrial plant managers a temporary, conformable surface covering that adheres to most surfaces, but removes easily and leaves no residue after the work is completed.

3M™Self-Stick Liquid Protection Fabric replaces paper-and-tape or other surface coverings that frequently become soggy, slippery and leak to surrounding areas. By holding out fluids and trapping debris, the product allows for easy cleanup and removal of industrial contaminants. The low-tack adhesive backing keeps the material secure on smooth surfaces for improved traction.

A key feature of 3M™Self-Stick Liquid Protection Fabric is its nonwoven surface, which traps contaminants rather than just allowing them to land.

3M™Self-Stick Liquid Protection Fabric is available in 300’ rolls in widths of 4" 6", 14" 28", 36", 48" and 56".Available magnetic dispenser and wall and floor applicators make applying the material fast and simple. To learn more, contact your 3M representative or authorized 3M distributor, or visit 3M.com/ SurfaceProtection.

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New Products

Kwik Mark Automatic Name Tag Feeder/Marker The Kwik Mark Tag Master 3 uses dot peen technology to permanently mark industrial components. The fully automatic feeder/marker was developed to speed up production and eliminate the problematic tag feeding issues of escaping tags from the bottom of the magazine.The tags are transferred from the top to eliminate the jamming; scratching and other problems associated with bottom feed “coin changer” type escapements. This also means thickness tolerance; sharp edges, etc. are no longer issues. Display includes a batch counter, cycle timer, current status, production history log and percentage of completion information.

Visit www.kwikmark.com.

Untangle Your Spring Problems Just drop your tangled material into the input tube and almost simultaneously your material will dispense from the output untangled and ready for production.

Start saving time, money and hours of frustration.

It can’t be any simpler!

Smart Solutions.... for Tangled Springs Before

After

D-Tangler 2000

CONTACT US TODAY!

CALL: (815) 363-3524 • Visit: www.d-tangler.com

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New Products

Grieve Two-Zone Gas-Heated Belt Conveyor Oven and 650˚F Cabinet Oven No. 791 is a gas-heated, two-zone belt conveyor oven from Grieve, currently used to stress relieve heavy-duty steel springs. This unit has a maximum operating temperature of 850°F and workspace dimensions of 48" W x 360" L x 15" H. The conveyor includes a 4" long open belt loading zone, 2" long insulated unheated entrance vestibule, two 15" long insulated heating zones with independent recirculated airflow and temperature controls, 2" long insulated unheated exit vestibule and 3 1/2" long open unloading zone.

Heat is provided by 1,600,000 BTU/ HR installed in two modulating natural gas burners. Two 10,000 CFM, 7 1/2 HP recirculating blowers provide vertical downward airflow over the workload.

All safety devices required by IRI, FM and NFPA Standard 86 for gasheated equipment are included on this Grieve oven, which also features a two-pen, 10" diameter circular chart recorder.

Other construction features on No. 791 are a 42" wide, 1" x 1/2" flatwire conveyor belt with 1/3 HP motor drive, variable speed from 5.8 to 16.1 inches per minute, 7" insulated walls

throughout, a Type 304, 2B finish stainless steel interior and an exhaust hood over each end of the oven, equipped with a 12" dia. tubeaxial fan driven by a 1/2 HP motor.

Also from Grieve, the No. 903 is a 650°F (343°C), cabinet oven is currently used for holding large parts on rollout shelves at the customer’s facility. Workspace dimensions of this oven measure 38" W x 38" D x 38" H. 40 KW are installed in Incoloy sheathed tubular heating elements, while a 1000 CFM, 1-HP recirculating blower provides horizontal airflow to the workload.

This Grieve cabinet oven has 6” insulated walls and an aluminized steel exterior. Features include Type 430 stainless steel interior and two (2) rollout shelves, 28" wide x 37" long rated 150 lbs. loading each. Additional features include safety equipment for handling flammable solvents.

Controls on the No. 903 include a digital indicating temperature controller, manual reset excess temperature controller with separate contactors, recirculating blower airflow safety switch, 10" diameter circular chart recorder and fused disconnect switch.

For more information, contact Grieve at 847-546-8225, visit www.grievecorp.com or email sales@grievecorp.com, attention Frank Calabrese.

RK Trading USA’s Hax-20 with AT Attachment Arm RK Trading USA offers the newest model in the popular HAX series, the HAX-20 with AT Attachment Arm. This Herdon brand hybrid performance machine features the new AT attachment arm that allows users to start and finish a part on one machine. With a 4-axis bending tool in front of the wire line, the machine helps to reduce costs and ensure a more consistent part is made right off the machine.

The HAX-20 with AT Attachment Arm is a 16-axis machine that utilizes an AT attachment arm with a 3D rotating tool holder with 3 attachments, 3 moveable bottom slides, rotary quill and the same user-friendly Herdon programming that customers currently use. The small

• No need to move part off machine for secondary operations for completion • Widen your scope of jobs and increase profit margins • Increase repeatability of complex parts

ergonomically designed attachment is available on the 2mm and 4mm models.

AT Attachment Arm Benefits: • AT attachment allows wider range of finished wireforms and double tension springs made start-to-finish on one machine

RK Trading’s spring and wireforming machines allow customers to manufacture parts in small or large quantities—and even prototypes—using the same machine, with the same programming.

RK Trading USA offers a full one-year warranty on parts and labor and includes free training at the RK facility, as well as a 30-day follow-up training at the cus­tomer’s facility.

Visit http://rktradingusa.com/formingHAXAT20.html.

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New Products

Starrett Introduces Economical Spring Testing System The L.S. Starrett Co. has introduced a basic, affordable spring testing solution designed for compression and extension springs. The new Starrett S1 Spring Testing Systems were developed for high volume production testing for users seeking more consistent results over manual testing methods.

Starrett S1 Systems feature easyto-use test templates that enable the user to create a test set up in seconds using one and two-point methods, with test targets being load or heightbased. In addition, the small footprint of S1 Systems is ideal for either lean manufacturing environments or in-situ production areas. Spring rate, spring constant, free length, solid height and initial tension can be measured and tolerances can be utilized to determine immediate pass/fail results, which can be viewed in graphic or tabular formats.

Software features of Starrett S1 Spring Testing Systems enable the use of preconditioning options to exercise springs prior to testing, the ability to scrag for several cycles or duration, or compress to a load set and hold for a duration. Single or dual test limits may be used and target load or height/length for determining spring rate, spring constant, load and length at target limits, initial tension and measured free length can be specified.

The system’s statistics view displays key statistical information for the user’s batch including mean, range, standard deviations and tolerance results. Custom reports can also be printed out and data can be exported to Microsoft Excel or SPC Software such as ProLink’s QC CALC application.

For more information, visit www. starrett.com or call 978-249-3551. n

Advertiser's Index A & D Trading (440) 563-5227. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /25 Admiral Steel (800) 323-7055. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /44 Advanced Spring Design (815) 963-2220. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /20 Alloy Wire International (866) 482-5569. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /13 AIM Inc. (630) 458-0008. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /30 CASMI (630) 369-3466. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /70 Central Wire (800) 435-8317. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /37 Diamond Wire Spring Co. (800) 424-0500. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /60 Dispense Works (815) 363-3524. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /73 Fenn/Torin (860) 594-4300. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /22 Forming Systems Inc. (877) 594-4300. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside front cover, back cover

Gibbs Wire & Steel Co. Inc. (800) 800-4422 . . inside back cover Industrial Steel & Wire (800) 767-0408. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /3 Interwire Products Inc. (914) 273-6633. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /1 JN Machinery (224) 699-9161. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /44 Jowitt & Rodgers/Syntech (704) 525-8030. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /16 Kiswire (201) 461-8895. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /56 Maguire Machinery (609) 266-0200. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /66 Mapes Piano String Co. (423) 543-3195. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /68 Mount Joy Wire (717) 653-1461. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /8 NIMSCO/Bennett Mahler (563) 391-0400. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /38 North American Spring Tool (860) 583-1693. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /38 Proto Manufacturing (800) 965-8378. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /18

Radcliff Wire (860) 583-1305. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /58 RK Trading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(847) 640-9371. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /6 Simplex Rapid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(563) 391-0400. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /39 Spring Manufacturers Institute (630) 495-8588. . . . . /12, 20, 24, 64 Suzuki Garphyttan (574) 232-8800. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /14 Tool King (847) 537-2881 . . . . . . . . . . . . . /62 Ulbrich Stainless Steels (203) 239-4481. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /42 United Wire (800) 840-9481 . . . . . . . . . . . . . /47 Vinston (847) 972-1098 . . . . . . . . . . . . . /46 Vulcan Spring & Manufacturing Co. (215) 721-1721. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /16 WAFIOS (203) 481-5555 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /5 Zapp Precision Strip (203) 386-0038. . . . . . . . . . . . . . /21

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Snapshot ©iStockphoto.com/Tryfonov Ievgenii, nicholas belton

Rick Gordon

C. Richard Gordon Consulting LLC Name: C. Richard Gordon Nickname: Rick (Flash) Company name, city and country: C. Richard Gordon Consulting LLC, Granger, Indiana and Spring Manufacturers Institute, Oak Brook, Illinois.

Brief history of your company: Founded my own consulting company in August 2016 after retiring from Gerdau.

My focus is on material assessments and product and process failure analysis. I joined SMI in April 2018.

The Gordon family, Top row (l-to-r): Todd, Sue, David, Paul, and Caitlin, Bottom row: Rick, Carolyn and Lindsey.

Job title: SMI Technical Director.

Spring industry affiliations: Chairman, ASM International Notre Dame Chapter; fundamentals Instructor Wire Association International, ASTM and TMS. Birthplace: Darby, Pennsylvania.

Current home: Granger, Indiana near South Bend (in the shadow of the Golden Dome).

Family: Susan (46 years – 3 commendations for Sainthood); three adult children, Lindsey (husband Todd), David (wife Carolyn), and Paul (wife Caitlin, just married Sept. 22, 2018).

Favorite food: I like to eat! Anything except Brussels sprouts and raw octopus; barbecued is OK. My favorite foods are Chicago deep-dish pizza and steaks on the grill.

Favorite books/authors: “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” by Stephen R. Covey; “Blink,” “The Tipping Point” and “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell.

Favorite song/musician: I like all types of music. Favorite: Baroque Classical Music: Bach, Handel, Vivaldi; Beach Boys, The Association, The Beatles, Carpenters, The 5th Dimension, Bee Gees, 3 Dog Night, Simon and Garfunkel, Spanky and our Gang, Moody Blues, Judy Collins, Michael Jackson, Prince, Queen, Heart, Elton John, Madonna, Seal, Sade, Charlotte Church, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Adele.

Hobbies: Family, golf, exercise and investments.

Favorite places: Newport Beach, California, Angelus Oaks, California and Zion National Park, Utah.

Best times of my life: Golf with the kids.

Watching the kids compete at golf.

Evening walks with my bride.

A really great evening to me is: Dinner with family and friends.

People who knew me in school thought I was: That was a long time ago.

Probably thought I would pursue a career in golf.

I knew I was an “adult” when: My daughter Lindsey was born.

If I weren’t working at SMI I would like to: Play more golf; start a hedge fund.

Role models: Warren Buffett; Robert Anderson (pastor); Susan Gordon; Lindsey (Gordon) Richard; Dr. David Gordon and Paul Gordon.

I would like to be remembered in the spring industry for: Being a good listener. Providing effective solutions to SMI member company’s questions and problems.

But people will probably remember me for: My nickname and my sense of humor.

My most outstanding qualities are: Personal integrity, persistence and problem-solving.

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Why Partner With Gibbs? Here’s Why! Just a small sampling of the actual emails and calls we receive from our customers every single day “You are awesome! There is not another supplier that even comes close to beating your response time!”

“Thank you so much for such quick response on all 3 orders. This is world class service.”

“You guys are total rock stars!!! Couldn’t be better! MUCHO MUCHO thanks!”

“You guys are AWESOME! Tell everyone THANK YOU!”

“You take such good care of me. Thank you so much!

“You have so made my weekend! TGIF!”

We recognize recognize that that aa key key component component of of your your buying buying decision decision We based on on customer customer service. service. Our isis based Our goal goal is is to to be be the the best best at at customer service service and and support support in in our our industry. industry. Based customer Based on on our our customer comments comments,itit isis clear clear we we are are providing the customer the service service levels you you need. need. We levels Wewill willnot notrest restuntil untilevery everycustomer customerfeels feels the above above statements statements could could be be written written by by them! them! the

employees you can employees count on. From ourcount newest in the and knowledgeable you can on.hire From our warehouse seniortoemployee management. newest hireto in our the most warehouse our mostinsenior employee in Men and women who carewho about thecare workabout they do management.

Men andtruly women truly the work and the customers they serve. so many leading they do and the customers theyThat’s serve.why That’s why so many companies have chosen to partner with us. leading comanies have chosen to partner with us.

Since 1956 1956,Gibbs GibbsWire has and represented combinationaof Since Steel hasarepresented responsiveness, innovation and leading edge the combination of responsiveness, innovation andtechnology, leading edge lowest total cost and a team of dedicated and knowledgeable technology, the lowest total cost and a team of dedicated

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Connecticut

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Indiana

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Winter 2019

a publication of the Spring Manufacturers Institute / Vol. 58, no. 1

The InTernaTIonal MagazIne of SprIng ManufacTure

hiring and r e ta i n i n g the next g e n e r at i o n page 26

Five Tips to Engage the Next Generation 28 Engage! Three Strategies for Keeping Your Top Talent from Becoming Someone Else’s 31

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Future Springmakers: Where Will They Come From? 34

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