Wednesday, 26 February 2014 14:48
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 26, 2014
Contact: Robynn L. Albert, VMEC Marketing and Training Manager
Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC)
P.O. Box 12, Randolph Center, VT 05061
Cell: (802) 793-2078 / [email protected]
VMEC Continues Building Innovation Engineering Expertise & Capacity
Randolph, VT – The Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC) is pleased to announce that Lisa Henderson, VMEC Professional Manufacturing and Business Growth Advisor, has become the fourth VMEC Team member to achieve Innovation Engineering Black Belt Certification.
Innovation Engineering Black Belts are masters in the 48 skills of Innovation Engineering covering Create, Communicate, Commercialize and Systems. They complete 100 digital classes, a 5-day Innovation College, more than 200 assignments, demonstrate proficiency leading and coaching innovation projects, and then successfully complete a provisional patent and final exam.
Lisa is now recognized internationally as “IE BB #97.” Other VMEC Team members breaking similar ground before Lisa include: Brian Werneke (IE BB #1 in 2012); Patricia Giavara (IE BB #2 in 2012); and Don Paul (IE BB #71 in 2013). VMEC also has a fifth IE BB candidate, Dan Shea, currently in the wings.
The Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center is not new when it comes to offering innovative client services, including the scientific method of Innovation Engineering (IE). VMEC is considered an early “pioneer” and has been widely recognized as a national leader in innovation and the growing Innovation Engineering movement since 2006, helping many clients and leaders learn how to implement the powerful tools, methods and discipline associated with Innovation Engineering. Research shows that Innovation Engineering can significantly increase Innovation Speed (up to 6X) and reduce Risk (30-80%) for companies and organizations seeking more profitable Products and Services, Customers and Markets, Processes and Business Models. Among the more than 50 Centers like VMEC who are affiliated with the nationwide National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), VMEC is currently tied for first-place bragging rights with their much larger sister center in Minnesota (Enterprise Minnesota) for having the highest number of Certified Innovation Engineering Black Belts on staff.
According to Bob Zider, VMEC Director & CEO, “The entire VMEC Team is extremely proud of Lisa’s latest accomplishment. The collective high level of internal Innovation Engineering expertise and capacity that we are continuing to build – on top of our well-known implementation and training expertise in Administrative Lean and Lean Manufacturing systems – allows VMEC to provide unparalleled hands-on assistance and support to Vermont manufacturers and other organizations. We are able to not only help our clients develop and implement effective strategies to measurably improve or transform their operations, but we can help them find ways to achieve profitable growth by transforming innovation from a random art to a reliable and sustainable system. You can be certain that Lisa, along with all of VMEC’s certified Innovation Engineering Black Belts, will be hard at work on April 1 and April 2 when we sponsor Vermont’s first 1 ½-day Innovation Engineering Executive Program that is designed specifically for senior company leaders and will be led by Doug Hall, Eureka! Ranch Founder & CEO. Information on this unique learning opportunity can be found on the VMEC website at www.vmec.org.