Events

February 18, 2022

BorgWarner’s Seneca team hosted a plant visit showcasing logistics and inventory improvements at their Shiloh warehouse, featuring drone-based cycle counting from Gather AI and autonomous trailer-loading robots from Slip Robotics. Attendees saw live demonstrations led by warehouse employees, highlighting gains in accuracy, safety, and dock efficiency with rapid implementation timelines. The visit underscored how targeted automation can quickly reduce waste and deliver measurable operational value.

February 10, 2022

Veteran manufacturing leader Mike Ungar shared how Industry 4.0 should be viewed not as a standalone initiative, but as a set of tools that strengthen an existing Lean culture. Lean remains the backbone—focused on flow, waste reduction, and PDCA—while digital technologies can dramatically accelerate improvement cycles. The key message: start with a clearly defined problem, then apply the right Industry 4.0 tools to support Lean, not the other way around.

January 20, 2022

SCMEP introduced its Workforce Development Playbook to help manufacturers address today’s labor challenges through a strategic focus on Recruitment, Retention, and Reputation. During the OpExChange broadcast, Bill Bliss and Susan Whitehead highlighted that engagement and culture—more than compensation alone—are the strongest predictors of retention. The playbook provides practical, short- and long-term actions across 21 workforce topics, reinforced by SCMEP’s “Smart Talent” approach, which applies systematic leadership development to drive engagement and reduce turnover. A full recording, tools, and resources are available on the Portal.

January 14, 2022

As Trane Technologies rapidly expanded its Columbia, SC operations, the site accelerated its Industry 4.0 journey by deploying predictive analytics in partnership with IoTco. Starting with a focused pilot on press operations, Trane achieved a roughly 15% improvement in equipment uptime with payback in under a year. The session highlighted a disciplined “think big, start small, scale fast” approach—grounded in people, process, and tools—that is now being scaled across multiple sites.

December 13, 2021

The 2021 Year-End OpExChange event on December 13 celebrated member growth, recognized award winners, and recapped key learnings from 34 events. The 2022 Q1 schedule and new Portal tools—including templates for development, site visits, and hosting—were also shared with attendees.

November 16, 2021

The final 2021 plant visit was at Sulzer Pumps in Easley, SC, where 17 attendees saw their new digital work instruction platform and toured the facility. Sulzer aims to increase production to 5,000 pumps annually by 2025 and has implemented Dozuki to standardize training, capture tribal knowledge, and enable employee suggestions. Early results show improved employee engagement, higher customer net promoter scores, and reduced complaints. Videos, photos, and presentation slides are available on the Portal.

November 2, 2021

Savannah River Remediation (SRR) in Aiken, SC, presented to OpExChange on November 2, 2021, highlighting their mission to safely disposition liquid radioactive waste at the 310-square-mile site. Rodney Blackmon shared their hazardous operations and strong safety culture, emphasizing learning from even small mistakes. Phil Breidenbach introduced the RAVE employee recognition program, which reinforces desired behaviors through quick, peer-to-peer recognition. Jessica Bricker showcased the “Baseball Card” process, summarizing CI successes for the Department of Energy, including projects saving hundreds of millions. Videos, slides, and templates are available on the Portal.

October 19, 2021

OpExChange visited AMBAC International in Elgin, SC, hosted by CEO Robert Isherwood and team. The plant highlighted its adoption of the Great Game of Business® (GGOB), which boosted profit 851%, improved productivity 21%, and enhanced engagement. Key practices include MiniGames™, a Gate Review process, and open-book management that empowers employees with ownership of results. The 47-employee plant emphasizes building people alongside profits, fostering a culture of collaboration and financial awareness. Photos, videos, and presentation materials are available on the Portal.

October 13, 2021

David Lynn, President of Peak Safety, led a session on the science of decision-making and its impact on workplace safety. Drawing on his experience with OSHA and manufacturing, David explained how thousands of daily decisions carry safety implications and why people take risks. He introduced practical human performance principles and the SAFE conversation tool to help leaders drive better safety decisions on the floor.

September 30, 2021

Stanley Black & Decker hosted a visit to its Fort Mill, SC connected factory, showcasing how Industry 4.0 and lean principles are driving operational gains while creating U.S. jobs. The 350,000-sq-ft facility combines automation, real-time performance management, and digital connectivity to support production of more than 3 million tools annually and employ roughly 750 associates. A centralized Command Center using real-time OEE data enables rapid decision-making, while collaborative and mobile robots improve safety, ergonomics, and productivity. Leaders emphasized starting simple, building a lean foundation, and scaling automation and data use thoughtfully as part of a long-term strategy.