Manufacturing Technologies Group: Ben Black, Jim Jackson and Randy Warkentien

The formula for a successful entrepreneurial venture often includes the partners possessing an outstanding skill set in addition to having diverse personalities. Manufacturing Technologies Group (MFG), an EIGERlab tenant, has the correct formula. Its niche includes: authorized reseller of top line manufacturing software, total solutions provider, establishing best practices and reengineering of processes for maximum efficiency. For example, they created proprietary software, TMS, which solves the issue of tracking and inventory, for a particular client’s needs.

At one point, all three of MFG’s principals worked together and relied on each other to successfully run a division of a local company. When an economic downturn left them with decisions to be made in regard to their future, they chose to partner and formed MFG.

Each new customer receives MFG’s full attention. A presentation may last days and include a wide variety of employees including executives, programmers, engineers, etc. “It’s always an interesting scenario,” stated Jim Jackson, “when the CEO shares the vision and the people required to turn the vision into reality all start working together to instantaneously move the ideas forward.” Recently MFG assisted a local facility which resulted in reducing one of its processes that traditionally took five-to-eight hours to five minutes. This resulted in covering the solution’s cost within three months and allowed a programmer to use their skills elsewhere.

Today, MFG is successful and poised for growth. Not unlike other businesses, its executives started out thinking their services and solutions only fit certain sectors. They started out concentrating on manufacturing, but soon realized through referrals there were many additional markets they could assist. One lead led them to a women’s correctional institution, which proved to be an eye-opening experience. Recently they have branched out to include schools and technical colleges throughout the U.S.