STOUGHTON, MA-STD Med Inc. has been chosen from among the companies in the region as one of the recipients of a coveted workforce training grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This grant will be used to implement a comprehensive program focused on Continuous Improvement and Lean Manufacturing Principles. STD will receive more than $42,000 in funding and will use this capital to invest in its people and processes. Demonstrating its commitment to this program, the company also will invest its own resources in this project totaling more than three times the grant amount.

Many companies talk about valuing people, but STD continues to demonstrate this core belief. "Essentially, the grant will be used to develop new skills in our workforce with resulting improvements in efficiency as well as the quality of our processes and products," says Steven J. Tallarida, president. As a partner to many of the world's most prominent and successful medical device companies, a major focus of the STD efforts will be in reducing the manufacturing cycle time of new products it is producing in its state of the art clean room and precision machining operations.

The Lean projects that STD Med Inc. will be tackling include establishing work cells for various product lines, which ultimately improves the level of output while increasing quality through better communication and problem solving. This will result in the elimination of redundant material handling and time wasted waiting for information and materials. In addition, work cells allow more effective cross training and the establishment of higher skill levels in technicians. By working together, operators can partner with engineers to formulate various means to mistake-proof processes.

STD Med has shown over the years that it takes its role as a local manufacturer and employer seriously. "In an era when many companies have moved operations overseas, STD takes pride in continuing to evolve and grow, thereby contributing to the local economy and providing numerous employment opportunities," says Andrea Patisteas, VP of sales and marketing. Over the years, STD has spun off various start-up companies that have then become market leaders and significant economic drivers.

STD will be partnering with Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership (GBMP), a non-profit organization dedicated to continuous improvement training and application of Lean Manufacturing methods in the design and production of all kinds of products and services. GBMP will conduct formal training and assist with the practical application of Lean principles within STD's operations. "STD has always focused on operational excellence and now has an opportunity to attain an even higher level of performance through the benefits of Lean Manufacturing," acknowledged Dan Massucco, continuous improvement director and program manager for the grant.