With a unanimous vote, the Innovative Manufacturers’ Center (IMC), Inc. is excited to announce the appointment of Marcus M. Annicelli as Chairman of its Board of Directors. The IMC is a public-private partnership that is dedicated to driving economic success and business growth for manufacturers in its 12-county region. IMC provides expert advice and solutions to small and medium-sized manufacturers through consultative services and training opportunities.

Marc is an experienced business leader who has managed manufacturing operations in electronics, fabrication, automotive, architectural products and print and mailing. His experience includes “lean and agile” operations, automation and people development. Additionally, Marc has been a business owner throughout his career. He has been a partner of the IMC, its leadership, business advisors and the board for many years.

He said of his new appointment, “I am very excited to have this leadership role and to continue working with and learning from the IMC Board, its President, Dennis Gilbert, and other business leaders.” Marc went on to say, “The opportunity to put my fingerprint on the organization that has supported me and so many businesses over the years feels very rewarding.”

Also appointed to one-year terms were Ben Eltz as Vice Chairperson and Donita Rudy, returning as Secretary/Treasurer. Ben currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of DiamondBack Automotive Accessories, Inc. located in Philipsburg, PA and Donita is a Certified Turnaround Professional located in State College, PA.

NuVisions Center, located in Lewistown, PA, exists to improve the lives of persons with vision, physical or mental impairments through services and employment; and to also educate the public about vision loss. They serve the Pennsylvania counties of Huntingdon, Juniata, and Mifflin. NuVisions employs persons with disabilities who perform manufacturing, sewing, janitorial, and customer service-related jobs. They currently employ 44 individuals spread among the various areas.

NuVisions Center approached IMC to discuss their desire to comply with the DFARS 252.204-7012, FAR 52.204-21, and the anticipated CMMC level cybersecurity requirements for government contracting. The need for compliance originated because of a requirement from one of their customers. To maintain an existing employment contract, NuVisions had to achieve the appropriate CMMC level of compliance. Higher levels of compliance are continuing to be assessed by the Department of Defense (DoD) and are a moving target for businesses in need of proving compliance. There are currently three levels being evaluated and considered by the DoD. Level 1 is the most basic, Level 2 is more advanced and results in a SPRS score (NIST 800-171 SPRS Score), and the highest level of compliance is currently rated as CMMC Level 3. Those requirements can be daunting to a small company with limited resources. NuVisions Center did not have in-house IT support and were very concerned about the time investment and how to address such a change in procedures.

IMC worked with NuVisions Center to provide them with professional assistance and guidance through self-assessment and used the CISA CSET tool to generate necessary reports.  The CSET tool reports became the foundation for the project deliverables. The plan included a system security plan, action items, and milestones for incremental completion. A Gap Analysis was created, identifying deficiencies and any CMMC controls which weren’t fully met. The project findings were then presented as an Executive Summary showing which requirements were met and any which needed further attention. Throughout the project, NuVisions and their IT contractor provided documentation and answered all questions relative to the content of the requirement.

NuVisions successfully completed the required CMMC requirements. In doing so, they were able to save an employment contract, which resulted in the retention of three jobs for their workforce. Three jobs equate to over 6% of their workforce. That result is very important to the mission of NuVisions Center, and extremely important to the people whose lives are so positively impacted by having a job. The assistance provided by IMC guided NuVisions Center through a process which seemed quite overwhelming and difficult, saving precious time for the leaders of the organization. The project also led NuVisions Center to upgrade some of their IT equipment, which improved operations and further protects their investment from cybersecurity threats.

“We are a small organization and do not have IT staff. Before we found IMC, the task to implement CMMC seemed almost insurmountable. With their help, the process was no longer overwhelming, and we were able to easily manage the implementation of the CMMC requirements.” Terry Knouse, Vice President of Operations, NuVisions Center

Pik Rite was founded by Elvin Stoltzfus and Joe Yoder with a focus on creating a mechanical method for picking tomatoes. Their first machine was built in 1983, and by 1986, Pik Rite had manufactured three harvesters and incorporated the company.

From its initial tomato harvester, Pik Rite has diversified its product line to include equipment for harvesting cucumbers, peppers, gourds, zucchini, squash, pumpkins, and carrots. Additionally, Pik Rite produces vine diverters, commercial waste handling vacuum tanks, water hauling trailers, truck mounted dump bodies, manure spreaders, and municipal leaf collection units. Pik Rite also has a dedicated contract manufacturing line.

Pik Rite has steadily grown since the 1990s, expanding its market coverage, sales, and technological innovations both domestically and internationally. Based in Central Pennsylvania, the company now employs nearly 100 people across two facilities in Lewisburg, PA.

With continuous growth in business and varied industrial and agricultural markets, Pik Rite sought to increase production capacity and capabilities while maintaining their high-quality standards and design flexibility.

Pik Rite faced several critical challenges in their production process that hindered efficiency, employees, and ultimately customer satisfaction. The main bottleneck was cumbersome production flow due to fragmented processes, which led to frequent delays and increased operational costs. Material handling issues further complicated these inefficiencies, as the lack of streamlined systems resulted in frequent delays and product mismanagement. Employees reported dissatisfaction stemming from repetitive, unnecessary tasks, impacting overall morale and productivity. This ultimately resulted in strained relationships with clients.

Pik Rite has a long-established relationship with the Innovative Manufacturers’ Center (IMC) and IMC is a contributor to Pik Rite’s continuous improvement journey. Pik Rite selected several personnel to attend the IMC’s Lean Level 1 and 2 certification programs to seek potential strategies to address its current challenges in production as well as to build on its mission to give everyone “the opportunity to grow personally while engaging in an atmosphere of unity, respect, and integrity.”

Through both the training program and post training assessments, Pik Rite implemented strategies learned from the IMC certification programs that included but were not limited to:

• Streamlined receiving and storage methods in the material warehouse to eliminate waste and improve material flow.
• Implemented a small parts handling system in the fabrication shop to reclaim lost floorspace, eliminate wasted motion, and improve overall flow and efficiency.
• Relocated materials in the fabrication shop for easier access for fabricators.
• Created multiple travel lanes throughout the entire facility to provide direct access from the fabrication shop to the production floor.
• Implemented a smart organization and carting system for Harvester fabricated parts.
• Started a safety hazard removal initiative in the fabrication shop.

These changes led to increased flow in the fabrication shop and production area, reducing the time employees spend searching for materials. Raw materials now flow into the storage areas seamlessly and can be retrieved safely and quickly by the operators.

Fabrication has become approximately 15% more time efficient while utilizing full sheets of raw material. Production now tracks and utilizes 100% of their remnant material, up from approximately 25%. Overall throughput has increased by 8-10% with these changes and has even spiked to 20% in unique scenarios. Since implementing a safety hazard removal initiative in the fabrication shop, Pik Rite has had zero incidents, improving from 1-2 reported incidents per month, previously.

“The IMC and its staff have played an integral part in the success of Pik Rite’s Continuous Improvement culture as well as directly influencing more efficient production and operations. The proof is in our results – our workplace is safer, our employees are happier, and we’re getting more quality work delivered to our customers, faster.”

Caleb Thomas, Product Line Manager

Training Topics Include:

• General Electrical Safety Information
• General Electrical Safe Work Practices
• Common Hazards
• Permitted and Non-permitted Uses
• Arc Flash
• Energy Control Procedures (ECPs) & Lockout/Tag-out (LOTO)

This NO COST training is available to workers and employers covered under the OSH Act of 1970, SEC. 4, codified at 29 U.S.C. 653 (Appendix B). This also includes multiple small businesses and temporarily unemployed workers who are planning to reenter the workforce in a position covered by the OSHA Act within the next three months. Unemployed and high school and college students within three months of employment are also eligible for this training.

The trainer is a CHCM, DSM, CHST, OSHA Consultation Program Consultant and has been the trainer for over 100 OSHA 10- & 30-Hour training programs.

To schedule Electrical Safety Training at YOUR location, please contact Lauri Moon at (570) 329-3200 or by email at laurim@imcpa.com.  Visit IMC’s Events page for our open enrollment opportunities.

This four-hour program honors the late Susan Harwood, former director of OSHA’s Office of Risk Assessment, who died in 1996. During her 17-year OSHA career, she helped develop federal standards to protect workers exposed to bloodborne pathogens, cotton dust, benzene, formaldehyde, asbestos and lead in construction.

The training material was produced under grant number SH-39128-SH2 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

IMC Business Advisor Rick Terry used the Lego Airplane Simulation Factory to introduce students to manufacturing flow and key concepts during the 2024 Remake Learning Days STEM to the Skies program on May 14 and 16. Now in its third year, this northeastern Pennsylvania initiative offers hands-on learning experiences for youth, families, and educators to explore creative and fun ways of learning. In addition to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), the program emphasizes the importance of teamwork and collaboration.

Manufacturing in Focus Magazine May 2024

IMC is excited to share our inclusion in the May issue of Manufacturing in Focus Magazine along with Central PA manufacturers Curry Fluid Power, Chicago Rivet & Machine Co. and Architectural Precast Innovations.

To discuss how IMC can partner with your Central PA manufacturing company, give us a call at 800-326-9467.

Manufacturing in Focus Magazine May 2024

The Innovative Manufacturers’ Center (IMC), Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit, BLaST Intermediate Unit, Advance Central PA and The Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce are proud to announce the award recipients for the “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” (WSCM) Central Susquehanna student video contest awards.  The ceremony was held April 16^th at the Pine Barn Inn in Danville, PA.

The WSCM contest partners students from middle schools in Central PA with local manufacturers.  Each student team scripted, shot, edited and promoted a short video that documents their experience highlighting what is “cool” about manufacturing.  Two videos in the region will be moving on to represent Central Susquehanna at the annual statewide competition being held in Harrisburg next month.

The video with the most votes, during three days of online voting in March, received the “Viewers’ Choice Award.” A panel of judges reviewed the videos for awards in three other categories including Outstanding Overall Program, Outstanding Team Spirit and Outstanding Brand Placement.

“We had a really great contest this year with students and their manufacturing partners working together to highlight what’s so cool about manufacturing in Central PA. In our fourth year of this contest, we had a record number of votes for the Viewers’ Choice award of over 71,000 votes,” said Lauri Moon, Manager of Outreach & Special Projects with IMC and Co-manager of the Central Susquehanna contest. “The students, teachers and manufacturers put in so much hard work, and it definitely showed in their final videos.”

This year’s awards and their winners are:

1. Outstanding Overall Program: Mount Carmel Area Middle School & Great Dane
2. Viewers’ Choice Award: Central Columbia Middle School & Bloomsburg Carpet
3. Outstanding Team Spirit: Mount Carmel Area Middle School & Great Dane
4. Outstanding Brand Placement: Bloomsburg Area Middle School & GAF

Congratulations to the Mount Carmel Area Middle School/Great Dane and Central Columbia Middle School/Bloomsburg Carpet teams who are moving on to the statewide competition in Harrisburg next month.

Partnering with the Innovative Manufacturers’ Center on this regional contest are Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit, BLaST Intermediate Unit, Advance Central PA and The Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce. Funding for this program is made possible by these organizations and, in part, by EITC, PASmart and PA Department of Labor & Industry Business & Education grants.

To check out this year’s Central Susquehanna What’s So Cool About Manufacturing? videos, visit https://www.whatssocool.org/contests/central-susquehanna/.

Visit WhatsSoCool.org for more information and follow on Facebook.com/WSCMCenSusq.

Mount Carmeel & Great Dane: 2024 WSCM Outstanding Overall Program and Outstanding Team Spirit Winner

Central Columbia & Bloomsburg Carpet: 2024 WSCM Viewers Choice Winner

IMC is proud to announce online voting for the 4^th year of the Central Susquehanna “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” (WSCM) student video contest. Voting will commence Tuesday, March 26, 12:01AM, and remain open until Thursday, March 28, 11:59PM, on the Central Susquehanna contest page at https://www.whatssocool.org/. The winner will be announced during an awards event to be held April 16^th.

Central PA school districts participating in this year’s video contest include Bloomsburg, Central Columbia, Huntingdon, Mount Carmel, Southern Columbia and Williamsport. These school districts videos will highlight these “cool” manufacturers in Central PA: Bloomsburg Carpet, GAF, Gardners Candies, Great Dane, Press Enterprise and West Pharmaceutical Services.

Student videos compete for the most votes to win the coveted “Viewers’ Choice Award.” The videos will also be reviewed by a panel of judges for awards in three other categories, including Outstanding Overall Program, Outstanding Team Spirit and Outstanding Brand Placement.

“We are excited to see our school districts and communities participate and support the hard work the students, teachers and manufacturers have put into this program,” said Lauri Moon, Co-Manager of the Central Susquehanna WSCM regional contest. “Online voting affords everyone the opportunity to participate and see the videos while further spreading the message about cool career opportunities in Central Pennsylvania manufacturing.

The WSCM program was created to generate excitement that draws students toward STEM education opportunities and to consider manufacturing career paths as they engage with local manufacturers, recording and presenting their experiences in an educational and “cool” way through documentary video production.

WSCM Central Susquehanna will choose two videos to represent the region in the Annual Statewide “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” Awards May 15^th in Harrisburg.

The Innovative Manufacturers’ Center (IMC), Inc. is excited to welcome Brian Wagner as a Business Advisor and Alisa Fairweather as a Business Solutions Specialist to its team of Central PA resources. In their new roles, Brian and Alisa will work closely with other members of the IMC team in developing trusted advisor relationships with Central PA manufacturers and providing manufacturers with a wide range of high-value services that directly support their success. Brian and Alisa will actively contribute to developing and implementing various services to clients that will improve their business strategy and growth, process improvement, systematic innovation, among other areas.

“The IMC team is excited to have Brian and Alisa join us to better serve the manufacturers in our region. Brian brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise in supply chain management, production planning, and strategic procurement, acquired over decades of dedicated service in various manufacturing environments. Alisa’s expertise in continuing education and professional development makes her a perfect match to assist our clients in advancing their employee’s professional growth and business advancement.” Dennis Gilbert, IMC President.

Brian Wagner is from Central PA and has worked in a variety of manufacturing companies in the area as a purchasing manager, warehouse manager, and production planner. “I look forward to leveraging my experience and skills to support the manufacturing community and help them tap into the resources needed to succeed in today’s competitive landscape.” Brian Wagner, IMC Business Advisor. Brian is a Certified Purchasing Manager, Certified Professional in Supply Chain Management, Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity and holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Engineering from Bucknell University.

Alisa Fairweather recently returned home to Central PA from Oregon and brings with her several years of experience in career and professional development, strategic planning, and policy development. “I am very excited to join the IMC team. They are truly dedicated to their mission of providing services and resources to manufacturers in Central Pennsylvania and contributing to the economic stability of the region.” Alisa Fairweather, IMC Business Solutions Specialist.

Alisa has a Master of Public Heath from Portland State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the American University.

According to data voluntarily provided by 575 small and mid-sized manufacturing firms across Pennsylvania throughout 2023, the statewide Industrial Resource Center (IRC) initiative, the Commonwealth’s flagship program for strengthening the competitiveness and resiliency of smaller industrial firms, generated significant positive results among users of their services. Over the past 12 months, manufacturers that utilized IRC professional services avoided 7,197 layoffs while adding 1,462 full-time workers to their rosters. They also realized $796.8 million in retained sales and secured $256.4 million of new customer orders as results of their IRC advisement and engagements.

In addition to growing their workforces and increasing their top-line revenue numbers, companies that performed consultative projects with their regional IRC reduced their non-personnel operating costs by $187.1 million over the past 12 months, avoided $36 million of unnecessary expenditures, and invested more than $376.8 million in new equipment, facility expansion, advanced technologies and workforce training.

Pennsylvania’s IRC initiative consists of seven affiliates across the Commonwealth including the IMC.

The revenue, cost savings, regional investment and job impacts reported by 575 IRC clients was gathered by an independent market research firm and confirmed by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Click here to View the IRC Network 2023 Client Engagement Impact