The Ohio State University Alber Enterprise Center (AEC) recently recognized six Ohio business and organization leaders for their outstanding achievement and dedication to training and practices that significantly improved their individual business/organization at a ceremony in Maynard Hall’s Guthery Community Room, at Ohio State Marion.
Plaques were presented to: National Lime & Stone, Findlay, Ohio; M-Tek, Upper Sandusky, Ohio; the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce Office of Economic Development, Kenton, Ohio; Triumph Thermal Systems, Forest, Ohio; Ridgemont Schools, Ridgeway, Ohio; and Southwestern City Schools, Grove City, Ohio.
Director of Labor Relations and Resource Services for National Lime & Stone, Findlay, Ohio, Raymond Ball (pictured above) accepted the Outstanding Achievement and Excellence Award for Investment in Listening to the Voice of the Customer. For more than a decade, National Lime and Stone Company contracted with the Alber Enterprise Center to annually assess the company’s customer service excellence. Each year the results were examined to make improvements in processes and products, as well as to develop and deliver personnel training.
Training Deputy Manager for M-TEK, Upper Sandusky, Ohio, Amy B. Boles accepted the Outstanding Achievement and Excellence Award for Investment in Learning Resulting in Positive Impact on Business. The company was recognized for making a concerted effort to ensure key personnel completed the Center’s Measurable Management course from July 2012 through February 2013. The M-TEK team completed three process improvement projects that resulted in a very significant return on its training investment, resulting in a positive impact on the M-TEK business.
Director of Economic Development for the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce, Kenton, Ohio, John Hohn accepted the Outstanding Achievement and Excellence Award for Collaboration and Leveraging of Resources. Whether it is economic development, community development, linking education with business, or other actions, Hahn and the Office of Economic Development for the Harding County Chamber of Commerce actively searches for and invests in collaborations to leverage resources to help Hardin County thrive.
Examples of those collaborative initiatives with the Alber Enterprise Center and the university over the past five years included: Enhancing Rural Education/Business Connectivity – A New Model to Advance Workforce Development Opportunities; Powering Economic Assets, a project funded by American Electric Power; and The Bridge: Issue Analysis Process – Connecting FFA Students with Employers.
Director of Human Resources for Triumph Thermal Systems, Forest, Ohio, Kenneth M. Jackson accepted the Outstanding Achievement and Excellence Award for Continual Commitment to Human Capital Investment. Triumph Thermal Systems was recognized for their 13 year commitment to training personnel through classroom, hands-on, and eLearning. Training topics included Environmental Safety & Health, Machining, Blueprint Reading, Math, Measurement, Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T), Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) Layout, Leadership, Computer Skills, and Structured On-The-Job-Training (SOJT).
Agricultural Education Teacher & FFA Advisor for Ridgemont Schools, Ridgeway, Ohio, Stephanie Jolliff accepted the Outstanding Achievement and Excellence Award for Influencing Positive Results in Students and the Community. Jolliff was recognized as instrumental in leading FFA and Ridgemont Schools to embrace the “Service Learning” approach to engage students. Each student is required to complete service projects in the community annually, thus connecting education with business, organizations, government, etc.
Executive Director of Communications and Community Relations for South-Western City Schools, Grove City, Ohio, Sandra C. Nekoloff accepted the Outstanding Achievement and Excellence Award for Embracing Lean Six Sigma in Public Education. South-Western City Schools took an innovative approach to improving quality, efficiency and effectiveness in academic programs, student support systems and administrative areas by implementing Lean Six Sigma (LSS) formerly considered a manufacturing concept. LSS combines Lean and Six Sigma concepts and results in the elimination of the seven kinds of wastes (classified as transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, overproduction, over-processing, and defects).
The awards luncheon was the concluding event of the Alber Enterprise Center’s inaugural Client Advisory Council half-day meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to solicit input on industry challenges and receive feedback on the center’s services to meet those challenges.
The Alber Enterprise Center provides resources to organizations for improving growth, sustainability, and competitiveness through solutions focused on leadership development, continuous improvement, and innovations. AEC leverages the resources of The Ohio State University and area business and training professionals to create partnerships that stimulate positive change for sustainable economic growth in individuals, organizations, and communities.
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