Supply Chain Now Radio, Episode 71
“Manufacturing Leadership Perspective & AME Atlanta 2019 Lean Summit”
Larry E. Fast serves as Director for the Southeast Region of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence. He is also owner of the consulting firm Pathways to Manufacturing Excellence, LLC. Larry is a 35-year veteran of the wire & cable industry, with 25 of those years at Belden and 10 at General Cable. As Belden’s Vice President of Manufacturing, he led a transformation of plants in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1997, Larry joined General Cable Corporation (GCC), one of the world’s largest wire and cable companies.
As Senior Vice President of Operations, he launched a manufacturing excellence strategy in 1999 that became an enterprise-wide priority in 2001. Since the launch of this initiative at GCC, there have been 34 Industry Week “Best Plants Finalists” including 12 “Best Plants in North America” winners since 2001. Larry retired in 2007, where he’s been consulting with companies ever since. His book, The 12 Principles of Manufacturing Excellence – A Lean Leader’s Guide to Achieving and Sustaining Excellence, 2nd Edition was released in September 2015 by CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group. The original book, a bestseller, was published in October 2011.
Larry is a long-time member of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) and has served on university advisory boards including IUPUI-Richmond; the School of Applied Sciences, Miami University; and the Industry Advisory Board of the Tauber Manufacturing Institute, University of Michigan. He became a judge for Industry Week (IW) magazine’s “Best Plants in North America” competition in 2009. Since 2013, Larry writes a monthly column for the IW online magazine under the byline of “Ask the Expert: Lean Leadership & Continuous Improvement”.
Born in Winchester, IN, Larry served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force for three years of active duty and three years in the reservices. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management and Administration from Indiana University and is a graduate of Earlham College’s Institute for Executive Growth. Larry also successfully completed the thirteen week “Program for Management Development” at the Harvard University School of Business. Connect with Larry E. Fast on LinkedIn and learn more about the Association for Manufacturing excellence here: https://www.ame.org/
Jerry Pfister specializes in lean manufacturing and strategic planning. He has been a leader in the lean journey for 25 years – at Lochinvar / A.O. Smith and at a large Whirlpool Corporation facility. Jerry is continually amazed with how much can be accomplished with less (less space, less capital investment, less waste, etc.) by engaging the hearts and minds of those who are adding value for the customer in these organizations.
Jerry recently retired after 20 years as Vice President of Manufacturing at Lochinvar LLC, a business unit of AO Smith. Lochinvar is a high mix low volume manufacturer of custom commercial and residential hydronic boilers, water heaters and hot water storage tanks. They are entering their 21st year of their lean journey.
Jerry has a BS Degree in Industrial Management from Purdue University and an MS Degree in Business Administration from Indiana University. He has been involved with AME for 10 years and currently serves on the Board of Directors of AME’s Southeast Region. Jerry is Chair of the 2019 AME Lean Summit, held at the Atlanta Wyndham Galleria, May 6-9. Learn more about the event here: https://www.ame.org/ame-atlanta-2019-lean-summit
Tim Jenkins currently serves as Plant Manager for Heraeus Quartz North America LLC in Buford Georgia. Tim earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Ceramic Engineering from The University of Illinois, and his MBA from Otterbein University. As a certified Six Sigma Black Belt Tim has been involved in Lean Six sigma Projects for over 15 years.
Tim started his career as a process/project engineer, moving latter into Engineering management, Research and Development management, and his current position as Plant manager. Tim has been a member of AME since 2008, he is a member of the AME champions Club, an AME Southeastern Region Board member and the tour chair for the 2019 Atlanta Summit. Learn more about his organization here: https://www.heraeus.com
Scott W. Luton is the founder of Supply Chain Now Radio and also serves as Managing Partner for TalentStream. He has worked extensively in the end-to-end Supply Chain industry for more than 15 years, appearing in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Dice and Quality Progress Magazine. Scott currently serves as Executive Vice President of APICS Atlanta, was recently named a 2019 Pro to Know in Supply Chain by Supply & Demand Executive. He served on the 2018 Georgia Logistics Summit Executive Committee and currently serves as Chair of the 2019 Atlanta Supply Chain Awards Planning Committee. He is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and holds the APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) credential. As a Veteran of the United States Air Force, Scott also volunteers on the Business Pillar for VETLANTA, and maintains active membership in the Georgia Manufacturing Alliance & CSCMP Atlanta Roundtable. Connect with Scott Luton on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter at @ScottWLuton. Learn more about TalentStream, a leading recruiting & staffing firm that helps companies find top talent in the Engineering, Manufacturing and Supply Chain space, by visiting their website here: www.talentstreamstaffing.com
Upcoming Events & Resources Mentioned in this Episode
APICS Atlanta CSCP and CLTD Boot Camps at Georgia Tech: click here
Veteran Scholarship Opportunity for SCM Certifications: click here
2019 Atlanta Supply Chain Awards: https://youtu.be/z8QCs8lgyMM?t=1
AME Atlanta 2019 Lean Summit: https://www.ame.org/ame-atlanta-2019-lean-summit
Transparency 2019: https://www.freightwaves.com/transparency19
EFT 3PL & Supply Chain Summit: click here
Gartner Supply Chain Leadership Conference in Phoenix: https://www.gartner.com/en/conferences/na/supply-chain-us
