Manufacturing is as ingrained in the American identity as amber waves of grain, and the industry continues to drive a sizeable portion of the U.S. economy even after outsourcing and global competition continues to chip away at it. As we look toward the future state of manufacturing and business processes, organizations are finding new ways to innovate and build upon rather than rest on that history. A part of that process requires that the American worker feels supported in shaping business practices and systems.
ACE Metal Crafts is one legacy company whose success lies in the quality of its employees’ effectiveness. At one stage of its organizational history, ACE recognized how contingent its organizational longevity was on hundreds of team members and their stake in the manufacturing processes, a challenge for many companies operating at scale in a competitive marketplace.
Jean Pitzo, CEO of ACE Metals, admits that when she first took over the business she felt ill-equipped to navigate the new business environment. “From the beginning, I didn’t know how to turn the machines on, I didn’t know how to fabricate anything, I don’t know how to weld, so I had to trust everybody around me because they knew more than I did.”
More from PSFK.
