Page 32 - MetalForming April 2014

Investing in Technology and the Workforce
Women in Manufacturing events; and Lance Green and (continuous-improve- ment manager) Terry Giest- ing serve on the board of the PMA Indiana District.
“A lot of the decisions
made on how and where we
invest, in personnel devel-
opment and in technology investment,” Fledderman continues, “are based on the experiences that we draw
from those we meet through
PMA networking. That
includes educational offer-
ings such as MetalForming magazine’s two-part webinar
series on 3D printing, which helped con- vince us to invest in a 3D printer; and PMA’s webinars on the R & D Tax Credit.”
Attracting and Developing the Next-Gen Workforce
While Jody and his brothers repre- sent well the second generation of
est in joining BTD, after he graduates from Batesville High School in 2015, that has helped con- vince Jody to find a way to seek and attract high- school graduates to careers in manufacturing —if college doesn’t feel like a good fit.
“We’ve participated in Batesville High School’s mentorship program and welcomed several students here to watch and learn about manufacturing,” says Fledderman. “But watching is really all that
they can do. We’ve been looking for an opportunity to get kids in here and let them perform more meaningful work, to really experience the business and learn about the career opportunities we can provide.”
Fledderman’s search to provide a more hands-on co-op experience has
BTD continuous-improvement managers and lean coordinators Terry Giesting (middle) and Jan Holm (left) consult one of the firm’s Lean Boards, where production manager Dick Meer reviews the latest down- time reports and other performance-measuring charts. Giesting serves as program chair for the PMA Indiana District.
BTD’s growing workforce, it’s the next generation that has Fledderman’s full attention. Several third-generation workers already work at the company, and others may join down the road. Jody’s brother Joel’s 16-yr.-old son Brett seems likely to become part of that third- generation workforce. It is Brett’s inter-
The Heat Is On.
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