iBi - March 2010

by Tucker Kennedy

Years back, a young person who was “good with his/her hands” could walk out of high school and into a factory job that paid a substantial wage. Good enough to support a family, pay the bills, buy a few toys and put everyone through school.

iBi Focus

Manufacturing

  • Local Manufacturers Embracing Change

    No longer captive to a handful of major customers, small manufacturers are exploring and entering new markets. They are embracing change, diversifying across product lines and geographic boundaries.

We still make things in the U.S.? Why yes, yes we do. Despite an overall decline in domestic manufacturing over the last three decades, we haven’t lost everything to China. All kinds of products are still being made and manufactured here in the Peoria area.

by Linda Krendick

A coalition of companies that performs all of the manufacturing processes and delivers a completed product allows small business to participate in major manufacturing.

by Jonathan Wright

Four central Illinois manufacturers are building a network of trusted partners to take their businesses to the next level.

Outsourcing and Central Illinois
by Jim Ryan

Manufacturers must balance the potentially lower costs of offshoring against many other variables.

Change can be unsettling, but if you live in the Tri-County Area, these changes represent new opportunities.

Manufacturers can overcome the problems of kanban implementations with “Virtual Pull” systems.

Working with complementary service businesses that aren’t as cyclical as manufacturing may encourage growth.

Investing in Central Illinois

The construction of a new medical devices manufacturing plant in Canton is nearly complete.

Frequently Asked Questions

Manufacturing jobs pay higher wages than the service sector, generating increased buying power, boosting consumer confidence and stimulating the economy.

Retrieve thousands of dollars in cash back from the IRS using an underutilized tax credit.

To enhance asset management, focus must shift to the metric of Overall Equipment Effectiveness.

Companies are creating distinctive competencies through operations excellence, specifically through the application of lean manufacturing.

The Specialized Manufacturing Strategy Group of the EDC is driving change.

An emerging concept in continuous improvement balances the efficiencies of a company’s processes with development of sustainable operating practices.

Transforming the Industry

The revolutionary electric drive system gives the new D7E an unmatched combination of power, sustainability, control and maneuverability.

As someone who has worked with unions and manufacturers for much of my life, I know how important manufacturing is to Illinois.

Q&A with Doug Williams, Drywood Products

According to Doug Williams, its founder, Drywood Products manufactures “the only patented method of wall and roof sheathing available today.”

This re-manufacturer of electric motors, pumps, generators and industrial gearboxes was able to survive and stay healthy during the recession.

President Obama's Point Man On Manufacturing

Ron Bloom is the president's senior counselor for manufacturing policy.

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iBi Balance

With the dawn of a new decade comes the national necessity of an updated census, as mandated by the U.S. Constitution to occur every 10 years.

Peorians Work Through Devastation

During Haiti's greatest challenge, Peoria continues its long-term involvement there via Friends of the Children of Haiti.

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