SUMMER 2019

50
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK
GLOBALFASTENERNEWS.COM
by JOHN WOLZ EDITOR
editor@globalfastenernews.com
BLUE: ‘RUST BELT’ COMPANIES CAN
TRANSFORM TO ‘HIGH TECH’
Fastener Fair USA keynoter: The old Rust Belt
company culture was “by default,” Blue observed.
The High Tech company’s culture is “by design.”
Can “Rust Belt’ companies increase profits, enter
new markets and repel offshore competition? Fastener
Fair USA keynote speaker Steve Blue declares: “Yes.”
Blue, CEO of Miller Ingenuity, which invents, engineers
and manufactures safety and productivity solutions for
railroad operators, said his company doesn’t wait for
customer demands but seeks to develop safety ideas.
“We develop ideas first,” Miller said in reference to
Miller’s hundreds of patents.
To transform from Rust Belt to High Tech, your
entire company needs to “transform, ignite, innovate and
disrupt.”
The old Rust Belt company culture was “by default,”
Blue observed. The High Tech company’s culture is “by
design.”
The High Tech industry gives priority to creativity,
commitment and teamwork.
Blue cited Cirque du Soleil as a company that may
look like it is repeating performances day-after-day.
“These guys come to work ‘on the edge’ every day
intending to do better than yesterday,” Blue said.
The traditional manufacturer may look at Cirque du
Soleil and respond by saying the company can’t have
such performance fun: “This is manufacturing,” one could
declare.
“We can’t have fun?” Blue asked. “Whose fault is
that?”
¤ If you have a board, you need to get board
members involved. The transformation process will cost
money and reduce profits initially.
To convince your board, your message must be
“clear, concise and compelling,” Blue advised. “Boards
don’t like bad news” of lower profits later.
¤ One step in the transition is to create a team
BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE
atmosphere. “The organization stacks the deck against
the team when you are paid at individual rates,” Blue
pointed out. He instituted team incentives.
¤ If you want new teams to innovate, be ready to
“back that up with action.”
He designated 20% of work time for employees to be
thinking of innovation.
¤ Creativity can involve every employee. At Miller
Ingenuity it involves a dedicated space – the “Creation
Station” – to use as a think tank.
“Our employees get together on their own initiative,” Blue
added.
¤ Especially smaller companies should go after
“niche marketing.” Look for what nobody else is not
doing but is needed. Where are there weaknesses in their
patents? “Flag opportunities.”
¤ A new company culture includes many changes.
Blue cited traditional “factory language” as an example
of traditions which needed to change at Miller Ingenuity.
Blue announced to his plant that employees must “have
respect for each other” and that respect is “rooted in our
language.” He announced changes in vocabulary. He had
to fire one person with 90-minutes of the new language
policy and five on the first day.
The firings made a statement, Blue said. “You
have to get rid of people who don’t want to go with the
program.”
¤ Show what you’ve made. Miller Ingenuity
developed a video quoting customers being asked on
camera. “That is a whole lot better for them (customers)
to tell than one of my group telling you.”
¤ “Success is the worst thing that can happen to
somebody,” Blue declared. Look at successful Dow
companies from a decade ago. Those with traditional
products are now down.
Your company needs to realize that innovation is
vital. “This is really going to happen to us.”
GLOBALFASTENERNEWS.COM