Manufacturing challenges. This presentation discusses: - Manufacturing challenges - What AME is doing to address those challenges - What the manufacturing community can do to assist in a revitalization of manufacturing

1. “America Needs Manufacturing”
Paul G. Kuchuris, Jr., President
Chattanooga Regional Manufacturers Association
April 23, 2014

2. AME Background
Founded in 1985, AME is a 501(c3) (not-for-profit)
association supporting the manufacturing sector in
the pursuit of excellence through the facilitation of
practitioner-to-practitioner learning.
AME operates in the USA, Canada, United
Kingdom and Australia.

3. AME Characteristics
• Strong Deployment Network - 9 active N/American Regions with
4,000 Individual members & 250+ corporate members.
• Events - Over 100 regional events annually plus
Champions Leadership Club, Award program & Target Magazine.
• Conferences - Annual International Conference held in the autumn plus
Periodic Regional conferences.
• Powered by - talented & industry experienced 20 member Board, 10
member management team & 200 to 300 volunteers.
• Consortia Network - 10 currently active in US plus
20 to 25 projected in the next 3 years.

4. Today’s Discussion
• Manufacturing challenges.
• What AME is doing to address those
challenges.
• What the manufacturing community can do
to assist in a revitalization of manufacturing.

5. Why Manufacturing?
“The Cornerstone of Our Economy”
• Manufacturing jobs create a multitude of additional
jobs.
• They are better paying stable jobs and provide a
higher standard of living ($77,000 average).
• Manufacturing is the driver of productivity growth.
• It is also a major financial contributor to the
economy.

6. For every $1.00 spent in manufacturing, another
$1.48 is added to the economy, the highest multiplier
effect of any economic sector.
For every $1.00 spent in manufacturing, another
$1.48 is added to the economy, the highest multiplier
effect of any economic sector.

7. Manufacturing Challenges
Manufacturing
Challenges

8. Manufacturing Challenges
• Operational efficiency
– 20% cost burden for U.S. organizations.
– Overseas competition.
– Rapid pace of change (markets, products & services).
• Workforce
– Skills gap – Open jobs & no skilled workers.
– Higher skills required in manufacturing.
– High school graduates are below literacy standards.
• Perception - Manufacturing is a low paying, dead-end career.
• Regulation

9. AME Strategic Direction
AME
Strategic Direction

10. AME Strategic Direction
Vision
A Manufacturing Renaissance driven
by People-Centric Leadership
coupled with Enterprise Excellence.
Mission
To inspire commitment to Enterprise
Excellence through Experiential
Learning by bringing people together
to Share, Learn and GROW.

11. AME Directional Pillars
• Enterprise Excellence
• People-Centric Leadership.
• Innovation.
• Manufacturing as a Desirable
Career Path.

12. Enterprise Excellence
“AME’s Focused Actions”
• Regional & national events to share CI best
practices.
• Recognize excellence.
• Champions Club
• A network of local manufacturing consortia to
address continuous improvement issues.
• Partner with key organizations to accelerate
the drive to excellence.

13. People-Centric Leadership
“AME’s Focused Actions”
• CEO Summit
• People-Centric Leadership Events.
• Employee engagement events & workshops.
• Holding P-C Leadership conferences.
• Expanding the AME awards program.
• Focus AME Champions Club on P-C leadership.

14. Innovation
“AME’s Focused Actions”
• Identify innovative organizations &
promote their activities.
• Conduct various innovation events &
workshops that cultivate an environment
of innovation.
• Publish various publications on innovation
best practices.

15. Manufacturing as a Desirable Career Path
“AME’s Focused Actions”
• Be a resource for information on skills gap.
• Promote & involve students in manufacturing
activity (Adopt-a-School & Scholarship).
• Partner with organizations to improve
education, student participation in STEM and
literacy education programs.
• Promote the hiring of Veterans – Vet-Strong.

16. Manufacturing
Community
Role

17. Manufacturing Community Role
• Help promote and recognize manufacturing
best practices & excellence.
• Support educational improvement initiatives.
• Work with communities to foster an
environment receptive to manufacturing.
• Promote manufacturing as a viable career.

18. Community Outreach Activities
• Promote Manufacturing Excellence:
– Recognize excellence when it occurs.
– Cultivate local manufacturing CI consortia groups.
– Communicate with stakeholders & suppliers on what you need
to improve your operational efficiency.
– Seek continuous improvement tools, resources & benchmarks.
– Partner with local groups to drive manufacturing growth.

19. Community Outreach Activities – cont.
• Improve Education:
– Seek out organizations that are working to improve
education.
– Support literacy programs and teacher competency,
processes & outcome expectations.
– Reinforce applied learning:
• Relate education to behavior needed in our community and the
world of work.
• Tell education what behaviors & skills are needed from
students to be productive employees.

20. Community Outreach Activities – cont.
• Cultivate Community Involvement as Stakeholders:
– Identify what’s in it for them.
– Respond to manufacturing needs.
– Ask them to support manufacturing improvement initiatives.
• Promote Manufacturing as a Viable Career Path:
– Support STEM Learning Initiatives.
– Sponsor manufacturing field trips.
– Invite manufacturing presentations to schools.
– Partner with a local manufacturing consortia.

21. Key Take Away
• America needs a
strong growing
manufacturing
community to
drive a robust
economy.
• Manufacturing needs
the grass roots
support to
successfully address
the on-going, ever
changing challenges
it faces.

22. For Further Information
• Visit www.ame.org
• Contact AME Headquarters at:
3701 Algonquin Road, Suite 225
Rolling Meadows, Illinois 60008-3127
Phone: 224.232.8980, Fax: 224.232.5981
info@ame.org

23. For Further Information
Join the AME LinkedIn group to learn
more about manufacturing and to view
job postings
Follow AME on Twitter @AMEConnect
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