Manufacturing industry today is a chief wealth producing sector of an economy. It is this sector which bolsters a nation’s defense. The present population implosion is amplifying the burden on manufacturing industry to meet the demands that follow this implosion. Founded in 1992, Torrance based California Manufacturing Technology Consulting (CMTC), a private non-profit corporation provides consulting services to small and mid-size manufacturers in Southern California helping them leverage the latest trends, technologies and practices to achieve organizational goals. CMTC provides solutions to achieve growth and profitability for manufacturers, the sustainment and modernization of legacy parts for the defense industry and high operational performance for healthcare organizations. The corporation caters to aerospace and defense, automotive, consumer manufacturing, distribution and logistics, and industrial manufacturing sectors.

The defense industry’s vitality, complexity and critical attributes need no explaining. CMTC’s Defense Parts Direct provides engineering and supply chain solutions for the sustainment, modernization and upgradation of legacy defense systems. Their team of engineers provide services to meet customer objectives which include agile manufacturing, comprehensive engineering and thorough qualification. They also provide engineering design and development, project engineering management, Design for Manufacturability (DFM) consulting, Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) reviews, Technical Data Package (TDP) development and technology commercialization consulting.

Energy issues such as reliable energy supply and efficient use of energy are obstacles in attaining a stable manufacturing operation. CMTC’s energy consulting assists manufacturers identify and plug loop holes in energy resources resulting in efficient use of energy and reduced carbon footprint.

The corporation guides manufacturers in cultivating a lean culture that minimizes wastages of resources throughout the manufacturing process. With its strategic and constraints-based approach the corporation focuses on the entire supply chain of a manufacturer that promotes improved collaboration and speed of delivery, reduced risks and decreased overall total cost. Providing assistance for developing effective value chain, product development, supply chain strategy, supplier scouting, sourcing and logistics and risk management CMTC helps optimizing supply chain.

Being connected to some widely accepted programs, CMTC harnesses the capability to benefit manufacturers in many ways. The California Manufacturers Advantage® (CMA) program provides fresh review of a business, brings technical expertise and leadership to identify and solve problems assisting manufacturers in identifying and implementing solutions to catalyze growth. Networking opportunities with local manufacturers, suppliers and strategic partners is a benefit this program carries. Another program, E3, available to facilities with 500 or fewer employees is a framework of local public-private partnerships that coordinates and strategically targets federal and local resources to propel manufacturers towards efficient, competitive and sustainable business practices.

Royal Truck Body, the largest service body company in the Western US identified the need to implement process improvements in its Paint Department to improve painting quality and to gain higher efficiencies. Lean manufacturing principles were finalized to be the key to improve process workflow, increase work quality and attain yield of finished units. CMTC initiated classroom training for 15 Royal Truck Body employees; maps to analyze value stream of the current state and future areas for improvement were developed. These areas included quality, safety and process redesign. The project translated to improved labor productivity from 19.6 to 10.8 hours per unit, reduced lead times from five days to half day and reduction in raw material consumption.

Small and mid-size manufacturers are critical to California, representing 90 percent of job growth for high-paying jobs having a three to five job multiplier effect in the economy. CMTC with its affiliation to Hollings MEP program, an outgrowth of the U.S. Government policy, aims to further strengthen the manufacturing industry in California, adding another brick to build a stronger national economy.