Following up on my previous post that referenced Kaysun’s early history as a hobby started at the founder’s kitchen table – check out these photos and follow this link to an eBay auction of a toy car model made by Kaysun in 1954!  What an interesting and rewarding journey it has been for the company since then.  Less than 60 years later, we are now a leading supplier of complex plastic products and components for world-class transportation companies such as Gates and Bendix.

- Ben

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Check out the recent “Opinionator” blog by Allison Arieff on the New York Times site that looks at the impact plastics are having on design.  It’s a very interesting piece, focused on consumer goods primarily — the work of Phillipe Starck, an exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt museum — but it also questions the ethos of design for design’s sake (creating a need and filling it) vs. starting with the need and finding the optimal design solution — which is what we do every day.  As I pointed out in my response, “For industrial designers working with plastics, elegance comes in the form of fewer, more complex parts that save manufacturing steps and reduce material use.  Or the creation of a durable, glossy finish that will stand up to harsh chemical cleaners or the high temperatures of an autoclave during repeated sterilizations. “Click here to read the full story and all the responses.

- Ben

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What is the impact of globalization on small or mid-sized manufacturing firm without a global footprint?  It will be deadly for firms that compete on price and outdated business models.  The only way companies like Kaysun will survive and thrive are by providing a customer solution that cannot be easily replicated by cheap labor and equipment.  Peter Drucker liked to use the term “knowledge workers” and I believe that description applies very well to the workforce of firms that will prosper in the 21^st century.  Our world is getting smaller by the day and Fortune 500 companies are focusing their time and energy on understanding emerging markets and setting up supply bases local to those regions.  The global markets will continue to exploit weak players that cannot differentiate their products from those offeredby lower cost competitors.  This is an exciting time for small and mid-sized firms that are up to the challenge of reinventing themselves as knowledge-based organizations with unique customer solutions.  The firms that rely solely on customer loyalty to grow or even maintain their businesses will be left in the dust.

- Ben

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With the 1^st quarter well behind us, most business leaders have gone through the “numbers” with careful attention.  While the earnings reports from Wall Street have been favorable for the most part, and many economic indicators are suggesting that expansion is finally upon us, now is the time to gauge the all-important strategic plan and make certain your organization is doing what it said it would do.  “Plan, do, check act,”  as Dr. W. Edwards Deming utilized so successfully, helps make goals and objectives that will yield profitable growth for the organization and keep it on track.  It’s the senior leadership team that’s responsible for making sure the plan is executed and  not sent to the Board Members and Bank once a year and then put away on a shelf to collect dust until next budget season.  Do what you said you would do!

- Ben

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Interesting note earlier this week in Sabic’s Q1 earnings announcement.  The company reported a healthy profit – and also noted that its plastics business has made a “huge improvement,” based on increasing market demand.  Sabic is a strategic supplier to Kaysun – so we see this is as a positive sign for our industry and for the overall economy.  There’s still a long way to go, but it looks like we’re headed in the right direction.

- Ben

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More evidence that social media is here to stay, and connecting every part of our lives.  An article in a  recent issue of the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement (IDGA) newsletter noted that the US Department of Defense (DoD) has relaxed prior restrictions on the use of social media by military personnel and that Admiral Mike Mullen, who is chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the top U.S. military officer, has a Twitter feed with more than 16,000 followers.

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I attended the Plastics News Executive Forum “Managing for Recovery” held March 7-10 and heard many interesting insights on the state of the economy, emerging markets, M&A activity and best practices.  Of all the great information presented, I gained the most insight from the panel discussion on “Challenges & Opportunities” in the medical devices market.  Alex Mastorakos, Global Sourcing Director – Plastics, Boston Scientific, was particularly insightful laying out what he felt defined a strategic partnership:

Common Vision – You need to align yourself with a partner that has a similar strategy and growth plan.

• Trust – In order for the relationship to be successful, you need to establish and maintain a level of trust, including full disclosure.
• Performance/Continuous Improvement – The culture has to be metrics-driven and focused on continuous improvement.
• People – The relationship has to be easy.  You need to put the right people in front of the customer.  Just because Ms. Jones has a PhD from MIT, doesn’t mean she should be the one in front interacting with customers.  Either the relationship is easy, or it isn’t.  The relationship needs to be easy. Period.
• Proactive Culture – Don’t just sit on your hands.  Add value to the customer relationship by educating, reducing costs, or providing more value to the customer.  The firms that are proactive and out in front with their customers are going to be the most successful because they are truly acting as a partner, not a vendor.

Great advice from a marketing leader in the medical device arena. I left the conference invigorated, as it reinforced my conviction that Kaysun is already on the right track building strategic partnerships with our clients.

- Ben

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On March 5^th, Kaysun participated in the “Medical Device Collaborative Gathering” in Green Bay organized by WiSys, the University of Wisconsin’s technology transfer program.

During my panel on “Best Practices to Identify Opportunities and Obtain Resources to Move an Idea Forward,” I provided input on business development, business planning and engaging contract manufacturers in design.  We fielded many questions about FDA compliance issues and choosing manufacturing and distribution partners.

One point this experience reinforced for me was the long time-to-market cycle for medical devices.  Attendees said it is typically 2-5 years from conception to market, depending on how highly regulated the device is.  This has two implications for Kaysun.  The first is partners that can help reduce cycle times can differentiate themselves and add great value to their customers.  The second is that to best serve the medical device market requires a commitment in both time and effort to help bring the product to market.  It was affirming to know that our engineering expertise, combined with advanced automation and testing capabilities represent a strong offering for medical device companies.

A capacity crowd attended the event last week, promoting great opportunities for networking and building new relationships.  Several Kaysun suppliers and a local product development company were in attendance.  I always enjoy getting together with our partners and especially enjoy following up on new referrals to build our mutual success.

Thanks to Aurora BayCare for hosting the event.

- Jeff Anderson

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Last week I had the pleasure of getting back in the classroom as I attended an MBA Sponsorship Day held at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management on behalf of our VP of Manufacturing Keith Bridgford.  It was great getting back into an academic setting and getting out of the daily work routine.  I attended a great negotiations class held by Professor Leigh Thompson where I learned the hard way that closing a deal requires a fair amount of give and take and will ultimately yield a greater economic outcome for both parties than trying to strong arm your way to a one-sided outcome.  I then attended a Marketing lecture from former Kellogg Dean Dipak C. Jain that highlighted the fact that anybody is capable of doing amazing things if you are willing to work hard at treating others like you would want to be treated.

I left Kellogg inspired to refocus my efforts on continued education while managing the current demands of my job, family, etc.  It’s so important to guard against complacency.  Continuing education is necessary for any business leader as the growth of the organization is largely predicated on the growth of its leadership.

- Ben

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The latest Kaysun newsletter is out – and features articles that highlight the importance of material and color selection to ensure the
success of your products.

Click here to receive our monthly newsletter via email.  It’s a great way to stay in touch.

- Ben

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