This page lists our current service providers.
DREW LOCHER
Drew is currently Managing Director for Change Management Associates. CMA provides various Business Improvement Consulting and Organizational Development services to industrial and service organizations. CMA will assist organizations to successfully implement Systems and Quality Management principles within their operations to improve business performance.
Since 1986, Drew has been working to implement innovative Business Management strategies in a wide spectrum of business environments. From 1986 to 1990 he worked to develop and deliver Business Improvement programs for General Electric. During this time, he had the opportunity to gain first hand experience in significant business improvement initiatives throughout a large industrial and service company. In 1990, Drew left GE to form CMA. CMA is a consortium of individuals who share a similar business management and improvement vision. They are committed to seeing innovative strategies implemented in all business environments. The CMA approach is practical and application oriented – a ‘learn as you’re doing and succeeding’ approach.
Since 2001, Drew has proudly been a faculty member of the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), the not-for-profit organization of the co-author of the landmark book “Lean Thinking”, James P. Womack. LEI is committed to educating organizations worldwide in the concepts of Lean through its publications and workshops. For more information check out the Lean Enterprise Institute Website. He is an approved instructor for the University of Michigan’s Toyota Kata and Lean Leadership programs, as well as a TWI Institute certified Job Instruction (JI) instructor.
In 2004, Drew Locher co-authored book titled, “The Complete Lean Enterprise – Value Stream Mapping for Office and Administrative Processes”. In April 2005, the book won the prestigious Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing. He published “Value Stream Mapping for Lean Development – a How-to Guide to Streamline Time to Market” in 2008. His book “Lean Office & Service Simplified: the Definitive How-to Guide” was a 2012 Shingo Prize recipient. His latest book is titled “Unleashing the Power of 3P”.
EJ LYDON
EJ Lydon has extensive experience in Operations and Manufacturing management and has been involved in manufacturing for over 25 years. He has held leadership positions with P&L responsibility as Operations Manager and as Vice President. He now passionately provides Advanced Process and Strategic consulting services to small to medium sized companies. Focusing on Lean Enterprise methodologies with roots in the Toyota Production System, EJ has worked with over 150 companies in the US and internationally. He has been an invited presenter at national industry seminars. EJ has worked with Pharmaceutical, Machining and Fabrication, Automotive, Electronics, and Food Processing industries, to name a few.
EJ began his career in Lean being mentored by a premier Sensei group, Shingijitsu. He began to implement these strategies while working in world class organizations such as the Wiremold Company. After Wiremold, he embarked on a consulting career with the DelawareValleyIndustrial ResourceCenter. As a leader in that organization, a Senior Advanced Manufacturing Specialist, he was certified in the NIST Manufacturing Extension Program model of Lean education and deployment. He achieved Six Sigma Certification. EJ returned to industry and assumed operations responsibility for a replacement window manufacturer. He then assumed the role of VP Sales and Service for a Southeast PA specialty glass manufacturer.
RICHARD FLEMING
Since 1989 Richard Fleming (Rick) has worked with hundreds of companies on Lean enterprise transformation and organizational development around the principles of the Toyota Production System. He has worked with a diverse group of clients that includes manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare organizations and food/chemical processors.
Rick is co-author of “Lean Sigma Methods and Tools for Service Organizations” (2012, Business Expert Press), a lead instructor for Grand Rapid Community College’s Lean Champion Program and a Shingo Prize Examiner. He assisted Shingo award winners Metalworks (2007 Shingo Prize) and Micron Manufacturing (2008 silver medallion Shingo Prize) with their journeys to operational excellence. Rick began working with Mike Rother and Kiyoshi Suzaki in 1989 to help companies deploy Lean principles through Continuous Improvement User Groups in the Midwest.
Richard helps organizations align its leadership systems to support operational changes to Lean thinking, develop accountability and driving a daily continuous improvement philosophy. He is an approved instructor/coach for the University of Michigan’s “Toyota Kata” program. He now collaborates with the Kata community in on-going development of the Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata routines & materials.
Mark Welch
Mark has a 25-year success record as a Consulting and Operations professional. He has developed and implemented winning Lean business strategies, and successfully served clients in a diverse set of industries, including Financial Services, Utilities, State Governments, Aerospace, Airline Operations, Universities, Wine, and Food, ranging from $5M to $10B in sales.
Having begun the Lean Sigma portion of his career with Amdahl Corporation, he was among the early adopters for implementing Flow and Pull in the computer hardware industry. Most recently, as the Director of Lean Enterprise for Littelfuse, the largest circuit protection company in the world, Mark was the architect of the organization’s Lean transformation, developing and executing the philosophy, approach and implementation of their global Lean Enterprise program.
Mark works with executives and leadership teams to understand the business’ strategic objectives, and create action plans to establish collaboration and buy-in, develop in-house talent to sustain continuous improvement, and drive the business’ cultural change.