Sponsored by
Virginia Tech's Center for Forest Products Marketing and Management
Virginia Forest Products Association
Hardwood Manufacturers Association and
Virginia Tech's Continuing and Professional Education

Lean Manufacturing, simply defined, is a method of doing more with less. Specifically, Lean Manufacturing is producing high quality products with minimal floor space, work-in-process (WIP) inventory, finished goods inventory, material movement, non-value-added activities, and human effort. Lean Manufacturing encompasses elements of total quality management (TQM), just-in-time (JIT), etc. within a system designed for flexibility and maximum customer satisfaction. The lean manufacturing approach is the most comprehensive of the popular production management improvement initiatives because it addresses product, process, and human related issues in the production system. Studies have shown that, while many companies claim that they are "lean" or managing production according to TQM, JIT, etc., few are actually doing so. Further, while many understand the underlying concepts of these different management philosophies, few understand the details and/or the order of operations necessary for successful implementation of these concepts.

The Center for Forest Products Marketing and Management offers the 3rd Wood Industry Management Series Workshop in Lean Manufacturing. This workshop will help managers in wood products businesses identify target opportunity areas in their company for lean manufacturing, provide a step-by-step guide for the implementation of "lean systems" and, show how these steps will lead to significantly reduced manufacturing costs and increased competitiveness.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for upper and mid-level production managers who want to learn how to successfully implement Lean Manufacturing concepts in their business. Participants should possess knowledge of value flow through their operations from supplier to customer and have identified a particular product and/or group of similar products (products which travel through similar value streams) to be value stream mapped.

Workshop Instructors

Earl Kline is a Professor in Forest Products Manufacturing and a member of the Center for Forest Products Marketing and Management at Virginia Tech. He has over 15 years experience in industrial systems engineering for wood products manufacturing.

Dan Cumbo is a Research Associate in the Center for Forest Products Marketing and Management at Virginia Tech. Dan has production management experience in the secondary hardwood industry and he has worked with kaizen teams creating value stream maps for various product lines.

Nelson Teed is a Project Engineer in the Manufacturing Technology Center headquartered in Wytheville Virginia. Nelson is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years of manufacturing experience at all levels including Director of Technology. He has been involved in Lean Manufacturing implementations since 1993 in a wide range of industries including wood products. Nelson is founder and President of Polymer Development, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in Lean Manufacturing Implementations. Nelson is APICS certified and has published Lean related articles in APICS Magazine, Advanced Manufacturing Magazine, and others.

Claire Pickrell is a Project Engineer in the Manufacturing Technology Center headquartered in Wytheville Virginia. Claire is a Materials Engineer with almost 20 years of manufacturing experience in a wide range of industries. She has previously held Senior Management positions with Sprague Electric and Corning Glass. She has been involved in Lean implementations in wood products and other industries for several years.

Fee and Registration

The course offers participants flexibility in choosing the modules that best meet their needs. Module 1 is a one-day course, which gives the basics for those who want to get started in the lean manufacturing approach. Module 2 is a two-day course (includes optional half day tour), which is an advanced course for managers who know about the basic concepts and are ready to begin implementing them into their business. Participants may choose to attend either Module 1 or 2 only or participate in both. Participation in both modules will result in the greatest value for participants and is highly recommended for those who are new to the subject matter. The structure and content of Module 2 assumes that all participants have a basic understanding of the key components affecting production flow, lead-time and visible workplaces.

The workshop fee for Module 1 is $275 ($225 for employees of companies that are members of the Center for Forest Products Marketing and Management) and the fee for Module 2 is $395 ($325 for Center member companies). A discounted fee for both modules is $625 ($505 for Center member companies). The fee covers registration, instructional materials, continental breakfasts and lunch, coffee breaks. Your registration should be received no later than October 6, 2004. Registrations are limited to the first 25 applicants.

Register On-Line

For additional information contact:

Earl Kline at (540) 231-8841, email: kline@vt.edu.