Learning Tours Archives

14Apr 2025 by Jennifer Ayers

Benchmarking Tour @Owens Corning – May 13th (FULL)

Host company: Owens Corning is a leading manufacturer of roofing shingles, underlayment, and components, offering systems that not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of homes but also provide long-lasting durability and a variety of options to suit different projects. Their commitment to quality ensures that customers receive roofing solutions that are both reliable and visually appealing. The Portland roofing plant is one of thirteen facilities across the United States. At Owens Corning, Our People Make the Difference, Portland was recognized by the Asphalt Roofing Manufactures Association for our commitment to Safety last year. Owens Corning earned the 2024 Women’s Choice Award as America’s Most Recommended Roofing Products. Tour Summary Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at Owens Corning, where innovation, technology, and frontline engagement are actively redefining the future of…

30Jan 2025 by Jennifer Ayers

Benchmarking Tour: Coherent – Feb 18th – FULL

Learning Tours

Tour Summary: Discover how the Wilsonville team has embraced an “Always Tour Ready” mindset, ensuring their operations are ready anytime, for anyone, whether it’s corporate leadership or major customers. This tour offers a firsthand look at their CI practices, tools, and team engagement strategies. What You’ll See and Experience Inventory Management Explore how their site optimizes inventory control to reduce waste and improve efficiency: · Kardex Auto Store Machine: Witness high-tech stocking efficiency and accuracy for part replenishment · Min-Max Kanbans: See how they minimize floor inventory while ensuring part availability · Point-of-Use Materials: Discover how supplies are strategically placed for optimal productivity · Milk Runs: Observe their efficient internal logistics system · Asset Tags: Learn how they keep a precise record of assets Employee Engagement Experience a culture where…

27Jan 2025 by Jennifer Ayers

5S Gemba Walk – Feb 20th

Learning Tours

Oregon Tool has invited us out for an onsite visit to see their 5S program in action. What we’re doing… To gain a deeper understanding and generate new ideas for implementing 5S in your facility, observing how other organizations have successfully applied these principles can be invaluable. Oregon Tool has generously invited NWHPEC members for a Gemba Walk at their facility. This event, similar to an in-person Special Interest Group meeting, will include introductory remarks, a walkthrough to observe their 5S practices (including sustaining tools), followed by a group discussion. Date: Thursday, Feb 20th Time: 2-3:30pm Location: Oregon Tool 4909 SE International Way, Portland, OR 97222 (Map link) Interested? Members can email [email protected], include name, email, job title. Initially limited to two attendees per company. PPE: Close toed shoes are…

05Nov 2024 by Jennifer Ayers

Benchmarking Tour: Danner Boots – Nov 19th (FULL)

Events, Learning Tours

Using SQDPM to drive visibility and improvement Host company: Danner Boots/LaCrosse Footwear Danner is known in the industry for its high quality, rugged footwear, which is a result of their strong commitment to customer value. This commitment is deeply rooted in their approach to engaging and inspiring employees to actively participate in continuous improvement. Tour Summary: During this tour they will spotlight their key performance areas and examples of how they are engaging operators to drive improvement: Safety best practices Quality system (Rework/Defect Tracking/Six Sigma Events_)_ Delivery (Operator based maintenance/Preventative Maintenance Tracking) Cost (Efficiency Tracking/Kaizen Events) Morale (Employee suggestion system and surveys) Date: Tuesday, Nov 19, 2024 Time: 8:00am - 11:45am Location: 18201 NE Portal Way, Portland, OR 97230 (Map link) Registration required: Email [email protected], include name, email, job title. …

30Jul 2024 by Jennifer Ayers

Benchmarking Tour: Hardwood Industries – Aug 28th

Events, Learning Tours

Host company: Hardwood Industries is a value-added wholesaler and distributor of quality hardwood lumber and related products and services, dedicated to providing superior customer service and rewarding employment. “Here, our customers always come first, regardless of their size, their volume of business or their location. No sale is too small, too difficult, or too large for us. We always focus on the question, “Does it work for our customer?” As a result of this philosophy, we have built long-term relationships with loyal customers, and we continue to develop new, satisfied customers.” Tour Summary: Hardwood Industries began their Continuous Improvement journey in 2012. They continue to focus on small, 1-degree shifts every day that improve overall performance. This has led to the creation of documented training modules for critical tasks and functions, and utilizing…

24May 2024 by Jennifer Ayers

Benchmarking Tour: A-dec – June 12 (FULL)

Events, Learning Tours

Tour Focus: Lean Principles in Practice Host Company – A-dec website A-dec designs and manufactures dental equipment at their headquarters in Newberg, Oregon. The A-dec vision began with a simple idea: make the best better. From their simple beginnings, A-dec has emerged as one of the most respected names in the dental industry. In 1964, founders Ken and Joan Austin made the biggest choice of their lives: risk it all to start a company of their own. Little did they know that an invention and a dream would help revolutionize the world of dentistry. 60 years later, A-dec is an employer of choice and the world’s leading manufacturer of reliable dental operatory equipment. They continue to work for the betterment of dentistry and embed their values into the work they…

07May 2024 by Jennifer Ayers

Benchmarking Tour: WCT – May 16 (FULL)

Events, Learning Tours

Host Company – World Class Technology (WCT) website World Class Technology (WCT), located in McMinnville, OR has quickly become a global leader in the latest Metal Injection Molding techniques. Years of refining techniques have created uncompromising quality, high yields, and cost efficiency. WCT's state of the art equipment includes CAD/CAM design, CNC, EDM, Metal Injection Molding (MIM), Sintering and Coining. Our first exposure to CI was in 2019 when we invited Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership to come in and help with a backlog problem in one of our production lines which resulted in a huge success. Since then, CI has been one of our main focuses for identifying Value Added and Non-Value Added steps in our production process. We’re still new to this CI mindset and still learning every day to…

Category: Learning Tours