Center for Competitive Change

Experts U-Z

John Veatch

John Veatch attended the University of Kentucky to obtain his BBA from the Gatton College of Business and Economics, while working for Hoover Universal. There he started the first employee involvement team and self-directed work teams. In 1992 he left Hoover and joined the team at Johnson Controls Inc. in Georgetown, KY. JCI is a tier 1 supplier to Toyota Manufacturing of KY. For the next 3 years, John’s knowledge of Lean Manufacturing became a way of life and the JCI facility was designated as the training ground for all JCI Operations. Case studies by the University of Michigan, Stanford University, and Harvard University done at the Georgetown facility and Training of the Middle Management for the Johnson Controls plant start up in England, were some of the highlights in developing Mr. Veatch’s training skills.

In 1995 Mr. Veatch accepted a challenge from Phoenix Metals Technologies in Lexington, KY. Mitch Butler V.P. of Operations asked him to help develop their Lean program and train the young supervisory crew.

In the spring of 1996 he left Phoenix Metals and accepted a position with P.L. Porter Company in Westfield, IN. This position was responsible for plant training and implementation of Lean Concepts for the Indiana and California plants, as well as the corporate office.

The desire to help others in the pursuit of lean activities led to Mr. Veatch starting Prelude Group Inc. and after 3 years of profitable operations he sold his interest and started Lean Concepts in 1998. It has now grown to be a Global Supplier of Continuous Improvement Training and Implementation. Lean concepts was selected as the Vendor Choice by the Ohio Community College System in 2002 and Supplier of the Year from Ferguson Metals in 2005.

Robert M. Williamson

Robert M. Williamson is an internationally known educator, consultant, and writer on the subjects of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) and Lean Equipment Management, specializing in the people-side of world-class manufacturing and maintenance. He has consulted with and trained in over 400 company or plant locations in 43 different industry types over the past 38 years. Since 1996 he has been an associate of the University of Dayton, Center for Competitive Change in Dayton, Ohio, offering on-campus as well as in-plant TPM-related workshops and consulting. In 2005 he was made an associate of the Maintenance and Reliability Center (MRC) at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Also in 2005 he was invited to be the “Lean and TPM” affiliate with PIT Instruction & Training, a nationally-known motorsports pit crew training center located in Race City, USA (Mooresville, North Carolina) owned by the legendary crew chief and racing sportscaster Jeff Hammond and race team owner Tom Deloche.

Robert’s consulting activities focus on improving manufacturing reliability, improving throughput, lowering costs by addressing the necessary procedural and organizational changes to eliminate equipment-related problems. He has mastered his abilities as a mechanic, tool designer, trainer and consultant through 12 years’ college-level teaching and technical division administration; 12 years’ leading maintenance, operations, and construction training program development for one of the world’s largest engineering and construction firms and their clients; and operating his own independent consulting and training business since 1992.

Robert learned the proven principles of TPM from Seiichi Nakajima, the author and “father of TPM” at the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance in 1990. Since then he has taught the principles of TPM to tens of thousands of participants in his corporate, public, conference, and university-sponsored workshops. His in-plant TPM assessments, training, and coaching span over 16 years. Many of his experiences with client organizations have been documented in over 100 “client anonymous” articles and related feature stories for industrial trade journals for the past 20 years. He has written for MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY Magazine since 1988, and is currently the contributing editor for the monthly Uptime column in the magazine.

Focus on results and change the culture along the way.SM The techniques taught by Robert avoid the typical “program-of-the-month” activity-based approach. He does not teach “canned” programs but rather applied methods for identifying and eliminating equipment-related problems as a catalyst for changing the work culture along the way. He teaches basic “Lean” methodologies help to shape the focus on eliminating waste to reduce manufacturing/operating costs using TPM methodologies to focus on proven team-based equipment reliability. Much of Robert’s teaching is based on his decade long study of NASCAR Winston/Nextel Cup race teams and the modern pit crew practices – where failure is not an option.

Recent and current “in-plant” TPM/Lean Equipment Management clients include:

Bristol Compressors International (Refrigeration)
Plymouth Tube Company (multiple extrusion & tube drawing plants)
Hyde Tools (manufacturing plant)
Blue Ridge Paper Company (Corporate, converting plants)
PGI Non-Woven Textiles (multi plant)
Michelin Tire, North America (multi-plant)
A-Carb Kentucky (carbon aircraft components)
Schwan’s Foods (manufacturing plant)
Adjunct Faculty at University of Dayton, Center for Competitive Change:
“Manufacturing Reliability - Lean Equipment Management & Total Productive Maintenance”

Robert's educational experience includes Vocational Technical Administration (LDP) graduate studies at the University of Michigan; a BS Degree in Trade Technical Teacher Education and Tooling Design from Ferris State College; and Competency Based Education certification from the State of Michigan, Department of Education. The Association for Facilities Engineering (AFE) certified him as a Plant Maintenance Manager (CPMM). Robert has recently published Lean Machines for World-Class Manufacturing & Maintenance (a definitive guide for improving equipment operability & maintainability through applied visuals and minor modifications, 2006).

Robert M. Williamson
Strategic Work Systems, Inc.
PO Box 70 – 414 East Mills
Columbus, NC 28722 USA
828/894-5338
RobertMW2@cs.com
Web site: www.swspitcrew.com

Terry Wireman

Currently the Editor for Lubrication and Fluid Power Magazine, Terry oversees the technical content of the publication. Previously, Terry operated an independent consulting firm, specializing in the improvement of maintenance and asset management for clients. Utilizing techniques and tools such as CMMS and Total Productive Maintenance, clients were helped to develop "Best Practices" maintenance policies and practices. As an international expert in maintenance management, he has assisted hundreds of clients in North America, Europe, and in Pacific Rim countries to improve their maintenance effectiveness. In addition to the articles that he has published, he has authored fourteen textbooks dealing with maintenance related topics. He has conducted hundreds of technical seminars for major colleges, universities and technical societies around the world. He was the Maintenance Editor for Engineer's Digest for 15 years.

Experts A-E	Experts F-K	Experts L-P	Experts Q-T
Experts U-Z John Veatch John Veatch attended the University of Kentucky to obtain his BBA from the Gatton College of Business and Economics, while working for Hoover Universal. There he started the first employee involvement team and self-directed work teams. In 1992 he left Hoover and joined the team at Johnson Controls Inc. in Georgetown, KY. JCI is a tier 1 supplier to Toyota Manufacturing of KY. For the next 3 years, John’s knowledge of Lean Manufacturing became a way of life and the JCI facility was designated as the training ground for all JCI Operations. Case studies by the University of Michigan, Stanford University, and Harvard University done at the Georgetown facility and Training of the Middle Management for the Johnson Controls plant start up in England, were some of the highlights in developing Mr. Veatch’s training skills. In 1995 Mr. Veatch accepted a challenge from Phoenix Metals Technologies in Lexington, KY. Mitch Butler V.P. of Operations asked him to help develop their Lean program and train the young supervisory crew. In the spring of 1996 he left Phoenix Metals and accepted a position with P.L. Porter Company in Westfield, IN. This position was responsible for plant training and implementation of Lean Concepts for the Indiana and California plants, as well as the corporate office. The desire to help others in the pursuit of lean activities led to Mr. Veatch starting Prelude Group Inc. and after 3 years of profitable operations he sold his interest and started Lean Concepts in 1998. It has now grown to be a Global Supplier of Continuous Improvement Training and Implementation. Lean concepts was selected as the Vendor Choice by the Ohio Community College System in 2002 and Supplier of the Year from Ferguson Metals in 2005. Robert M. Williamson Robert M. Williamson is an internationally known educator, consultant, and writer on the subjects of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) and Lean Equipment Management, specializing in the people-side of world-class manufacturing and maintenance. He has consulted with and trained in over 400 company or plant locations in 43 different industry types over the past 38 years. Since 1996 he has been an associate of the University of Dayton, Center for Competitive Change in Dayton, Ohio, offering on-campus as well as in-plant TPM-related workshops and consulting. In 2005 he was made an associate of the Maintenance and Reliability Center (MRC) at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Also in 2005 he was invited to be the “Lean and TPM” affiliate with PIT Instruction & Training, a nationally-known motorsports pit crew training center located in Race City, USA (Mooresville, North Carolina) owned by the legendary crew chief and racing sportscaster Jeff Hammond and race team owner Tom Deloche. Robert’s consulting activities focus on improving manufacturing reliability, improving throughput, lowering costs by addressing the necessary procedural and organizational changes to eliminate equipment-related problems. He has mastered his abilities as a mechanic, tool designer, trainer and consultant through 12 years’ college-level teaching and technical division administration; 12 years’ leading maintenance, operations, and construction training program development for one of the world’s largest engineering and construction firms and their clients; and operating his own independent consulting and training business since 1992. Robert learned the proven principles of TPM from Seiichi Nakajima, the author and “father of TPM” at the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance in 1990. Since then he has taught the principles of TPM to tens of thousands of participants in his corporate, public, conference, and university-sponsored workshops. His in-plant TPM assessments, training, and coaching span over 16 years. Many of his experiences with client organizations have been documented in over 100 “client anonymous” articles and related feature stories for industrial trade journals for the past 20 years. He has written for MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY Magazine since 1988, and is currently the contributing editor for the monthly Uptime column in the magazine. Focus on results and change the culture along the way.SM The techniques taught by Robert avoid the typical “program-of-the-month” activity-based approach. He does not teach “canned” programs but rather applied methods for identifying and eliminating equipment-related problems as a catalyst for changing the work culture along the way. He teaches basic “Lean” methodologies help to shape the focus on eliminating waste to reduce manufacturing/operating costs using TPM methodologies to focus on proven team-based equipment reliability. Much of Robert’s teaching is based on his decade long study of NASCAR Winston/Nextel Cup race teams and the modern pit crew practices – where failure is not an option. Recent and current “in-plant” TPM/Lean Equipment Management clients include: Bristol Compressors International (Refrigeration) Plymouth Tube Company (multiple extrusion & tube drawing plants) Hyde Tools (manufacturing plant) Blue Ridge Paper Company (Corporate, converting plants) PGI Non-Woven Textiles (multi plant) Michelin Tire, North America (multi-plant) A-Carb Kentucky (carbon aircraft components) Schwan’s Foods (manufacturing plant) Adjunct Faculty at University of Dayton, Center for Competitive Change: “Manufacturing Reliability - Lean Equipment Management & Total Productive Maintenance” Robert's educational experience includes Vocational Technical Administration (LDP) graduate studies at the University of Michigan; a BS Degree in Trade Technical Teacher Education and Tooling Design from Ferris State College; and Competency Based Education certification from the State of Michigan, Department of Education. The Association for Facilities Engineering (AFE) certified him as a Plant Maintenance Manager (CPMM). Robert has recently published Lean Machines for World-Class Manufacturing & Maintenance (a definitive guide for improving equipment operability & maintainability through applied visuals and minor modifications, 2006). Robert M. Williamson Strategic Work Systems, Inc. PO Box 70 – 414 East Mills Columbus, NC 28722 USA 828/894-5338 RobertMW2@cs.com Web site: www.swspitcrew.com Terry Wireman Currently the Editor for Lubrication and Fluid Power Magazine, Terry oversees the technical content of the publication. Previously, Terry operated an independent consulting firm, specializing in the improvement of maintenance and asset management for clients. Utilizing techniques and tools such as CMMS and Total Productive Maintenance, clients were helped to develop "Best Practices" maintenance policies and practices. As an international expert in maintenance management, he has assisted hundreds of clients in North America, Europe, and in Pacific Rim countries to improve their maintenance effectiveness. In addition to the articles that he has published, he has authored fourteen textbooks dealing with maintenance related topics. He has conducted hundreds of technical seminars for major colleges, universities and technical societies around the world. He was the Maintenance Editor for Engineer's Digest for 15 years.