President’s SUITE Update
2021 1st Quarter Recap
Ken Manninen, President
I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that I was happy to close the door on 2020. We are all looking forward to the ending of the pandemic, hopefully “coming soon to a theater near you.” It is truly amazing to me, that a single event can completely alter the way we live our lives. From the way we enjoy a movie (probably more through Netflix these days), to the way we get our groceries (probably curbside pick-up). Terms and phrases not even in our vocabulary have taken over the media and our lives; COVID, social distancing, PPE, curbside pick-up, mask mandate, etc.
Like a lot of other businesses, we have learned to adapt with the ebb and flow of the changing environment. In many ways it is true that adversity creates new ways of thinking and forces us to look at things from a different perspective. We have evolved over the course of the last year. Business has been strong. Quoting activity has been very brisk and we have been keeping everyone very busy filling orders. Like most businesses, supply chain issues and cost increases are high on the priority list. We have been working hard to keep our sourcing options open and developing new relationships to keep things flowing normally.
Alliance strives to be on the forefront of sustainability in products, processes and people. In light of Earth Day our focus continues to be directed toward the preservation and restoration of our planet.
Products (Sustainable Initiatives)
- Aqueous Parts Cleaning Systems – Through advances in water-based cleaning chemistries and education in industry, cleaning with water has become widely accepted as a preferred method for cleaning manufactured parts.
- Solar Panel System – Keeping in line with our initiatives on sustainability and green manufacturing our solar panels at the Alliance production facility help lower our energy consumption and operating costs.
- Vacuum Degreasing – Vacuum degreasing cleaning systems utilize self-contained solvents, offering both environmental and operator safety. Alliance is the exclusive U.S. distributor for ILSA Metal Cleaning Systems, an Italy-based manufacturer of enclosed vacuum degreasing metal cleaning systems.
- Oil Skimmers & Coalescers (Aquaskim/Aqualescer) – Two of the most common products used to remove tramp oil are oil skimmers and coalescers. Removing tramp oils from a water-based parts cleaning bath conserves the cleaning solution, thus reducing water consumption.
- Washer Rebuild Program – Alliance has machines that have been in field operation for over 25 years. A great way to enhance sustainability is to breathe life into a tired machine and keep it up and running. By refurbishing an old machine through retooling or rebuilding, we can reduce waste, which is a plus for the environment.
- FlexSafe – Alliance recently developed the FlexSafe shopping cart sanitizer. The system is designed for automated sanitizing of shopping carts using minimal water and utility consumption.
Processes (What makes us tick)
- Process Improvement – Over the course of the last two years, Alliance has invested in process improvement and efficiency. Our Process Improvement Team is involving all aspects of the company in making strides in improving product quality and value. In 2020, Alliance’s R&D budget was significantly increased, so our customers will be seeing the benefits of some of the new products and design enhancements in the coming months.
- Test Facility – Our test facility is operational and nearing completion. We will have full testing capabilities for both aqueous parts cleaning and vacuum vapor degreasing. Please stay tuned – we will be sending invitations to existing and new customers to visit our testing facility.
People (The heart of our operation!)
I want to send a special welcome to the most recent addition to the Alliance team:
Bob Fisher, Mechanical Assembler
Bob recently moved back to the area after spending the last few years in northern Wisconsin. Bob had previously worked at Alliance for 4-1/2 years, helping in welding and machine assembly. In his free time, Bob enjoys spending time with his family, including his 3 grandkids. Bob enjoys building things, construction or project related. When he gets a chance, Bob would like to get back into building RC (remote controlled) cars, which is something he always enjoyed over the years.
SUITE Employee Award – The SUITE award is an open vote process by our peers, to quarterly recognize an individual within the company that has gone above and beyond for their co-workers. This quarter’s SUITE award goes to…
Matt Wright, Buyer
Matt’s co-workers commented:
- Matt’s ability to take large amounts of work and organize for fast processing is impressive.
- It amazes me how he stays on top of it all, especially the last few months.
- Matt always keeps his cool, even under a lot of pressure.
- Matt can sift through a pile of work and keeps things moving forward.
- I really think he deserves an extra day off!
We are currently hiring for several positions, so if you have a friend or colleague looking for a new opportunity, please have them send us a resume.
Let’s all work together to make 2021 a “SUITE” year.
Respectfully,
Alliance Manufacturing, Inc.
Ken Manninen
President