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Close the Loop: Lean Manufacturing
With the help of: Kentucky Manufacturing Extension Partnership (KY-MEP)
About
Close the Loop of Hebron, Kentucky, provides best-in-class sustainability solutions to help companies create and elevate their corporate social responsibility programs. Since the company's inception in 2001, the team at Close the Loop has taken pride in pioneering sustainability solutions that redefine corporate social responsibility. With a mission to empower companies to minimize waste, even the toughest to recycle items, they collectively strive for a circular economy, which makes the most of valuable resources, transforming items that generally end up in landfills and oceans into useful commodities that can be returned to the supply chain.
The Challenge
Ryan Wiegand, Close the Loop's operations managers, led an initiative to enhance operational efficiency and employee engagement with a workforce unfamiliar with Lean practices. Seeking expertise, Ryan turned to the KY-MEP, part of the MEP National Network™, for assistance.
The Kentucky MEP team was great to work with. Their Principles of Lean Manufacturing class is not your typical classroom training; the hands-on simulation allowed our team to use the lean principles they learned, apply changes, and see results. This experience allowed our employees to understand how lean principles can affect the efficiency of their individual responsibilities and the positive impact on the overall production outcome.
MEP's Role
KY-MEP delivered hands-on lean training in both English and Spanish, tailored to the unique needs of Close the Loop's diverse workforce. KY-MEP's approach created an atmosphere where the employees are not just trained, they are inspired and empowered to embrace a culture of continuous improvement, resulting in a 50% reduction in turnover and increased efficiency.
Created May 1, 2024