The Competitive Edge

A monthly newsletter from

The Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership

July 2011 
In This Issue
AFW Foundry Reaps Big Savings with PSI
2011 NGM Survey Extended to July 25
Seven Ways to Reduce Energy Costs

Sustainability - It's Not Just for "Greening" Anymore

 

Blog post by Buckley Brinkman, WMEP executive director 

 

Sustainability is much more than a "nice-to-have" buzzword. It's becoming an important part of companies' strategies. New approaches to sustainability are creating breakthrough results, rather than the incremental improvements that come from following the green paths started in the 1970s. WMEP's Profitable Sustainability Initiative (PSI) provides one way to capture those breakthrough changes quickly and effectively.  

 

Read more

ISM Barometer Report

According to the latest Institute for Supply Chain Management - Chicago

 Barometer Report, business activity rebounded in June and posted a twenty-first month of growth.

Sign up for the Fall ExporTechTM Session

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Thursday, December 15, 2011

 

Read what past participants say 

 

More Info & Register 

Articles of Interest

 

Milwaukee among U.S. metro areas with strongest hiring outlook  

 

Four New North Companies Named as "Friends of the Environment"  


Quick Links

Greetings!


The First Report on results from the Wisconsin Profitable Sustainability Initiative (PSI) pilot program is now available.  The PSI program was launched in April 2010 by WMEP and the Wisconsin Department of Commerce (Commerce has been replaced by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation). 

Over the past year, WMEP and a team of expert partners have worked with 45 manufacturers to identify and implement 87 high-payback projects targeting energy, logistics, product and process innovation and environmental improvements.   

The First Report states that financial and environmental benefits exceed expectations. For example, five-year financial impacts for 87 PSI projects currently underway or planned include:
  • $26.9 million in savings 
  • $23.5 million in increased/retained sales
  • $3.6 million in investment
  • $54 million total economic impact
Read more
Link to PSI page

AFW Foundry Reaps Big Savings and Environmental Benefits  

 

AFW Foundry, Inc. will not be trucking 1,920 tons of sand per year to the landfill as a result of its participation in the Wisconsin Profitable Sustainability Initiative (PSI).  In addition, the company has achieved significant savings in landfill fees, transportation expenses and raw materials cost.

 

Established in 1953, Lannon-based AFW Foundry supplies non-ferrous sand castings complete-to-print for a diverse range of commercial applications.  In recent years, the company has seen increased demand in its air-set business, but the amount of sand utilized in production and then shipped to the landfill as waste was a business concern. 

 

 Read full article 

2011 Wisconsin Next Generation Manufacturing Survey Extended until July 25th

 

The survey is an update of Wisconsin's 2008 landmark study of more than 500 state firms that set a benchmark for the global competitiveness of state manufacturers.  Any manufacturing owner, CEO or senior-level executive is eligible to participate.  Participation in the study is confidential or anonymous and takes 20-25 minutes to complete.

 

Access the web-based Next Generation Manufacturing Study questionnaire can be accessed at www.NGMStudy.com.   

 

For more information, click here.  

Seven Ways to Reduce Manufacturing Energy Costs

Saving big with energy management strategies