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EMC Brockville & Area Consortium
“Out with the old and in with the new!" Well not quite... many of our member plants are relieved to see the end of 2011, but when you look closely, a number of good things happened in our plants this year!
Despite the naysayers in the media, many manufacturing plants (large and small) have been running flat out this year, changing processes, improving their structural systems to become more efficient, buying & installing new equipment, hiring new employees, expanding and training, training, training!
The government funding resources that were instituted to help manufacturers through the recession were definitely welcomed and used to advantage in this area.
2011 Topics Reflected Member…
September 23, 2011
EMC: “World Class Maintenance”: Preventative Maintenance Progress at Greenfield Etha
By Gay Henniger
The Eastern Ontario Regional Maintenance/Continuous Improvement SIG this week drew a large contingent of members from all over Eastern Ontario. One member from KI Pembroke drove over three hours to join peers to learn and share strategies to move plants from “firefighting” to preventive maintenance. Maintenance staff were joined by hr, purchasing, planning, production, engineering and continuous improvement leaders were also represented in the crowd.
Gary Wolfe, Maintenance Manager gave EMC members, Community Partners and guests a very comprehensive presentation regarding the current progress that they have made on their journey to implement a "World Class Maintenance" system in their plant. The presentation, discussion, round table and plant tour demonstrated that there are many factors and conditions that affect the implementation success of a preventative/predictive system.
A condensed copy of Gary's presentation can be found on the…
Where did 2010 go? I thought it was just me but others are assuring me that this year just flew by! Many member plants that have been challenged by the economy will be glad to see 2010 behind them and are looking to 2011 for hope of some type of return to “normal”. Looking back over 2010 there have been many positive events in our area and we are proud of all of the hard work of many of our members in preparing their plants and workforces so that they can “soar” once their markets improve.
2010 Topics Reflected Member Challenges
After taking on the position as EMC Field Service Advisor, it didn't take me long to notice the strong similarity of challenges/issues in our member's buildings across the very wide geographic area that covers Eastern Ontario. Yes there are always a few local issues in each of our six (+ Hawkesbury) Eastern Ontario Consortia but in general, seven years ago manufacturers were looking for resources to help their companies become more competitive,…
November 9, 2010
Brockville Members learn how sorting garbage can be good for the Bottom Line!
By Gay Henniger
Health, Safety & Environmental Leader Cheryl Melcher and her Recycling Program Committee (JHSC) at Trillium Health Care Products in Brockville, ON decided that they needed to do something about all of the garbage that they were paying a waste management company to regularly haul away to the dump. They figured that the only way they could reduce garbage and recycle efficiently at the plant level was to establish just what was in that garbage.
So despite strange looks from their Waste Management (WM) company employees, the Trillium Recycling Committee followed their garbage to the dump one day. They sorted the whole load by hand (a full week's worth of waste that had just left their plant) and were amazed by the amount of garbage that could have been recycled. Cheryl's PPT Presentation, given recently to highlight their Best Practice has been posted on the Brockville member webpage. Note: Photo at right indicates the pile of…
October 5, 2010
Brockville & Area Supervisors Experience their First Strategic Interest Group Event!
By Gay Henniger
Supervisors from six area plants met to get to know one another and discuss common challenges, issues and successes. Supervisors across Eastern Ontario have been getting together over the past two years and are surprised how much they have in common even though their plants make completely different products.
This Supervisor SIG Event began with a Round Table to learn a little bit about each plant, the supervisory role each attendee is playing and how their roles have changed or been affected by economic events in the past year. When asked why they felt that their role was becoming more formalized and more time was being spent on identifying supervisor competencies, the group identified the following issues:
- Increasing role of Continuous improvement in their buildings
- Fast paced changes -…
Brockville & Area Consortium member plant GreenField Ethanol Inc. has constructed a custom lighthouse to inaugurate the 2010 Canada 55 + Games. Like an Olympic Torch, the lighting of the lighthouse started the Games being hosted in Brockville and the 1000 Islands from August 23 – 28, 2010. Last year, GreenField opened one of Canada’s largest ethanol manufacturing plants in Johnstown, Ontario near Brockville.
The GreenField Ethanol Lighthouse is serving as a beacon for these national Games, guiding the 1,500 participants from across Canada to the hub of the Games at the Athletes' Village at St. Lawrence College in Brockville, as well as highlighting the competitors' achievements at the medal plaza. The lighthouse will be powered by ethanol, providing an environmentally friendly solution for the Games. Ethanol from the Johnstown plant reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 62% compared to…
Brockville EMC members were treated to a new approach to the budgeting & forecasting process this month at an SIG hosted by Hewitt (Brockville) Ltd. and held at St. Lawrence College. Nicole St-Aubin, Aim Consulting, spoke to this Consortium last year re: Performance Management & KPIs. She was asked to return this year to address the topic of Budgeting and Forecasting. Budgeting is one of those processes that stats show takes about 4 months and 20-30% of senior management staff time according to Nicole’s
Nicole's full presentation is available on the Brockville Member webpage.
Nicole walked us through a number of "Budget" establishment theories such as Zero-Based Budgeting, Participatory Budgeting, Program Budgeting and a Traditional Budget process. A Round Table check found that all members in attendance were using one form or other of these processes. Issues that arise from the budget process include:
- Do we get value for time invested?
- How accurate are assumptions?
- New information comes…
June 16, 2009
Health & Safety Updates - MOL, WSIB & MOE & "Behaviour-based Safety" Presentation
By Gay Henniger
Three special events were held this past week across Eastern Ontario. The six Eastern Ontario Consortia were paired, and events were held in Napanee, Morrisburg and Smiths Falls. EMC WSIB Safety Group members also attended. The agenda consisted of update presentations by the Ministry of Labour, WSIB and the Ministry of the Environment. In Napanee Doug Rourke also spoke with members about “Contractor Safety”. In Smiths Falls and Morrisburg, Doug’s presentation concerned “Behaviour-based Safety”. Copies
" Safe at Work Ontario"
Ministry of Labour (Inspectors Brad Moon, Alain Roy & Matt Clouthier)
Main points (detailed presentation on web site):
· Launched in June, 2008
· Expansion of selection criteria for inspections beyond WSIB stats - now inspections are based on a combinations of factors - H&S record, history of non-compliance & presence of H&S hazards (sector hazards)
· MOL may inspect workplaces that have had no injuries
· Move to a emphasis on…
WSIB Workwell Audit was the subject of this month’s EMC Brockville Team Consortium SIG held at James Ross Ltd. in Elizabethtown. A copy of the WSIB Workwell Core Health & Safety Audit can downloaded from the web: http://www.wsib.on.ca/wsib/wsibsite.nsf/LookupFiles/DownloadableFileWorkwellAudit/$File/WorkwellAudit.pdf
Member had concerns as to what they could do to be proactive in preparing for an eventual Workwell Audit.
The Workwell Audit guideline as posted on the WSIB website includes an outline of the reasons for being and the connection to possible additional premiums levied against employers "who do not maintain safe and healthy work environments". The document above outlines:
- How employers are identified
- How employers are notified
- The evaluation process
- The completed report
- Re-evaluation visits (if employer fails first visit)
- Additional Premium charges
None of the plants represented at this event had…
Brockville members shared best practices & experience with applying for government programs at the March SIG held at Ketchum Manufacturing Ltd. A number of Community Partner guests also attended to give short updates or presentations re: their services and to offer advice on how to complete the applications (wording, timing, etc) in a manaer that would help to ensure success. Community Partners attending included Brockville Economic Development, Ministry SB&CS, 1000 Islands Workforce Training Board, and t
Information shared by Community Partners included:
Brockville Economic Development - Dave Paul
- Community Improvement Program (Industrial Park + Canarm, Abbott & Trillium Health Care)
- Employment Survey
- Template re: all funding program (See Brockville Consortium webpage)
- Possible new packaging plant for Brockville
- Capital Corridor - Economic Summitt in Watertown
- Food Producers Biosphere - to promote selling of food from local producers
- Official Plan Update
- Immigration Launch
- Invista Training Centre
- Natio…
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