Page 19 - MetalForming November 2011

addition, we’re placing a bet on the lithium-ion battery market, as well as a third big bet on press technology. That’s the future of successful companies— strengthening your core and then plac- ing a few big bets from time to time. The type of bet varies depending on the type of company you are—maybe it’s an acquisition, or maybe pursuit of a particular end use that’s exciting or timely.”
Thompson’s message to his peers in the industry is clear: Structure your company to allow you to place these bets, and then provide your key man- agement personnel with the knowl- edge base that allows them to recog- nize and evaluate the available opportunities. “If you’re geared to just the core of metalforming as it is today,” says Thompson, “you will not be able to effectively and competi- tively pursue these types of non-core growth strategies.
“I have a very positive outlook for our industry,” Thompson continues. “However, to continue to develop, Trans-Matic and other metalforming companies just like it must be able to lean on a knowledgeable, well-trained and multi-disciplined team of mid- level managers. And PMA is uniquely qualified to help us develop such a team, by developing educational offer- ings uniquely designed for mid-level managers at small to midsized manu- facturing companies.”
Illuminating
Mid-Level Management
We jump right in with Thompson’s theme for his coming year as PMA Chairman: Illuminating Mid-Level Management, “illuminating being the key word,” he emphasizes. “I’m not saying ‘restructure’ or ‘renew.’ Rather, we must shine the light on these core, key leaders within our companies, identify opportunities to train them, bring them to the forefront and empower them to help guide our com- panies forward.”
At Trans-Matic, a company built on expertise in deep-draw stamping using some 70 eyelet-transfer presses in its
175,000-sq.-ft. headquarters facility, management falls on a six-person exec- utive team supported by another 20 to 25 mid-level managers. The executive team—described by Thompson as a group of “highly functional leaders”— covers the core areas of engineering, manufacturing, commercial sales, advanced product development, human resources, and finance and administration. Trans-Matic supplies
the automotive market (oxygen-sen- sor housings, fuel-delivery compo- nents, etc.) and also manufactures and assembles products for the lock-hard- ware, power-tool and HVAC industries.
While the executive team creates the plan, it’s the mid-level managers that execute the plan.
“They (Trans-Matic’s mid-level managers) touch our products and they touch our customers,” Thompson
In the shadows of one of Trans-Matic’s big-bed mechanical presses, we find (left to right) team leader Darrell Morren, operating-unit leader Greg Bos and eyelet toolmaker Rob Mitchell.
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The heart of any metalforming company is the toolroom, tasked with keeping the press- es running, and such is the case at Trans-Matic. Shown standing in front of the latest piece of equipment to hit the Trans-Matic toolroom, a Studer S40 CNC universal cylin- drical grinding machine, (l-r): toolroom manager Rod DeJonge, vice president of engi- neering Ed Brown and design engineering manager Duane Bos.