Continuous Improvement
MDI boards help teams visualize improvements
Carnegie training elevates workplace effectiveness
TIMWOODS: He’s “everywhere” at Lawton
How continuous improvement streamlines contract reviews at Lawton
Continuous improvement affects every part of our operations at The C.A. Lawton Co. – not just manufacturing, but front office processes, too. An excellent example is the contract review process that helps our company achieve remarkable results for our customers. The contract review is an interdepartmental review of each order to ensure all details are…
Read MoreKaizen inspires a world of change at Lawton
Kaizen is a Japanese expression meaning “change for better” or continuous improvement – whatever you are doing, you can do it better. Here at The C.A. Lawton Co., we strive for continuous improvement every day. Through kaizen, it is achieved. The first part of the word, kai, means “to break apart,” and zen means “to…
Read MoreRemarkable people get remarkable training at Lawton
Not surprisingly, training is a foundational element of the progressive culture at The C.A. Lawton Co. In this interview, Continuous Improvement LEAN Coach Randy Thyrion explains the company’s enlightened approach to it. What is a standard work initiative, and how does it help employees to retain new knowledge and skills? Thyrion: It’s a tool created…
Read MoreTraining for the future
In partnership with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC), The C.A. Lawton Co. was recently awarded a Workforce Advancement Training (WAT) grant. WAT grants provide funds from the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). They are aimed at developing workers, improving productivity and competitiveness and expanding the partnerships between Wisconsin’s technical colleges and businesses. Grants are awarded…
Read MoreLawton tackles the future of technical talent
10,000 baby boomers are reaching retirement age every day in the U.S. They’ve invested decades in the companies they work for, and they are a wealth of knowledge and experience. Each day, they wave goodbye to the workforce, and their knowledge walks out the door with them. Meanwhile, we’re scrambling to figure out how to…
Read MoreWeekly one-on-one meetings score a home run at the C.A. Lawton Co.
In the game of baseball, the first and third base coaches use their deep knowledge of the game to tell runners when to run, stay or steal the next base. In much the same way, workers need lots of direction, nurturing and communication from their supervisors in order to play their “A-game.” At The C.A.…
Read MoreIron 101 teaches the magic and science of modern casting
Old world ingenuity. Cutting-edge science. Two worlds that appear to be mutually exclusive. But they blend together perfectly at The C.A. Lawton Co., where engineers and craftspeople create high-quality, high-performance castings for some of the world’s most demanding OEMs. At a recent Iron 101 workshop, OEM design engineers and procurement people got a first-hand education…
Read MoreShipping Gets First-Class Treatment at Lawton
The shipping department is often one of the unsung heroes in many manufacturing companies. It performs a critically important job: Preparation of the products whose next inspector is our customer. They are asked to get these products delivered cost effectively, without damage. Recently, the casting prep and shipping departments of The C.A. Lawton Co. were…
Read MoreHow “Green” is your company? (Environmental stewardship at Lawton)
Many organizations pay lip service to the ideas of sustainability and stewardship of the environment. But The C.A. Lawton Co. takes it quite seriously – so much so that we integrate it into our strategic and economic objectives. When we plan for the future, we use an environmental management system, which enables us to measure…
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