EMPLOYEES FROM CANAAN AND WINSTED BUSINESSES COMPLETE CBIA ADVANCED LEAN MANUFACTURING PROGRAM

For Immediate Release
April 13, 2010

Seventeen employees from three local companies successfully completed a new certificate program in lean manufacturing offered at Northwestern Connecticut Community College in Winsted, through a U.S. Department of Labor grant awarded to the Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA). The program helps participants identify and implement lean procedures so they can be more efficient, productive and competitive in today’s global marketplace.

Employees from Bicron Electronics Co. in Canaan, Fairchild Auto-Mated Parts Inc. and Alcoa Howmet both in Winsted participated in the program: 

• John Spina, Mike Sullivan, Darren Paine, Jamie Robbins, Paul Calabrese, Camilo Pochet, Vee Phonvichith, and Terri Lemilin from Alcoa Howmet.
• Angelo Zappone, Linda Cross, Chuck Clark, Kelly Ames, and Brian Reemers of Fairchild Auto-Mated Parts.
• Bob Golas, Tom Cavanaugh, Tim Haughton, and Mitch Crawford of Bicron Electronics.

“Employees participating in the lean certificate program are bringing their knowledge back to the workplace and implementing lean procedures that are helping their companies achieve tangible results and savings, which helps them become more competitive and positioned to achieve future growth and success,” said Judith K. Resnick, CBIA’s director of workforce development and training.

The program instructor was Bill Caplan of CONNSTEP, a business consulting organization that helps small and midsize Connecticut manufacturing companies take advantage of expert business solutions to compete and grow profitably. CONNSTEP is supported by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.

The program was made possible by a U.S. Department of Labor High Growth Job Training Grant in Advanced Manufacturing awarded to CBIA, in partnership with the Connecticut Community Colleges and managed by Quinebaug Valley Community College.

CBIA’s Education Foundation offered this certificate program to companies for their incumbent workers and to students as a credit certificate at most of the state’s community colleges. Ten of the state’s 12 community colleges are participating in the program: Naugatuck Valley, Northwestern Connecticut, Manchester, Quinebaug Valley, Gateway, Tunxis, Middlesex, Housatonic, Three Rivers, and Asnuntuck.

CBIA is the state’s largest business organization, with 10,000 members.

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Photo from back (left to right):  Bill Caplan (CONNSTEP Instructor), John Spina (Alcoa), Mike Sullivan(Alcoa), Angelo Zappone (Fairchild) , Darren Paine (Alcoa), Jamie Robbins (Alcoa), Paul Calabrese (Alcoa), Terri Lemilin (Alcoa), Vee Phonvichith (Alcoa), Bob Golas (Bicron), Tom Cavanaugh(Bicron), Tim Haughton (Bicron), Linda Cross (Fairchild), Chuck Clark (Fairchild), and Kelly Ames (Fairchild)

Kneeling: Brian Remmers (Fairchild) 

Front row kneeling: Mitch Crawford (Bicron) and Camilo Pochet (Alcoa)

Missing from photo is John Norman from NWCC.