Posted on 24-12-2009 at 18:00
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development on Wednesday said it’s awarded a $204,000 grant to support lean manufacturing training for 345 employees at Stratasys Inc.
Eden Prairie-based Stratasys (Nasdaq: SSYS) makes technology that allows users to create three-dimensional prototypes of parts and products on a computer screen.
“There are opportunities for this growing company to enter strategic markets within the aerospace, defense and medical device industries, but the supplier requirements are rigid,” DEED Commissioner Dan McElroy said in a news release.
“This grant helps Stratasys to get the full benefit of quality management services, realize sales growth, enhance product marketing and improve employee motivation,” he said.
“Lean thinking” or “lean manufacturing” was first pioneered decades ago by Toyota Motor Corp. It provides a systematic way to identify and eliminate waste in any process.
The DEED grant, awarded under the agency’s Minnesota Job Skills Partnership, will pay for two consulting and training firms, Minneapolis-based Enterprise Minnesota and Coon Rapids-based AQS Management Systems Inc., to develop customized classes to bring lean principles to Stratasys.
AQS will train three business specialists from Enterprise Minnesota to teach employees about project management, process mapping, work flow and other areas related to creating workplace efficiencies. A facilitator’s guidebook will be developed for future training.
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