Name: Lavon Winkler Title: CEO Organization: Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center (MAMTC) Contact Information: 10561 Barkley, Suite 602 Overland Park, KS 66212 (913) 649-4333 www.mamtc.com
Target Businesses & Services: Established/Expanding manufacturers, Technology/Education/Training/Strategic Planning for manufacturers.
Small and medium-sized manufacturers can increase productivity, profitability and competitiveness with the help of the Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center.
As the new CEO, Lavon Winkler oversees MAMTC operations in its three-state region of Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming.
MAMTC provides hands-on customized services in lean enterprise, quality, business systems, marketing and sales, information systems, human resources, product development and testing, and strategic management.
MAMTC is affiliated with major state universities and their Centers of Excellence in Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming, and offers a broad spectrum of services and tangible resources. As an affiliate of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership, MAMTC’s manufacturing experts have access to a national network of over 2,000 manufacturing specialists. MAMTC offers world-class consulting services at affordable prices to help manufacturers improve business performance.
“I’ve enjoyed learning about the wide range of businesses we assist and the products they produce,” said Winkler. “Our clients produce everything from computer boards to kayaks. Each of their stories is unique.”
MAMTC is applying lean manufacturing principles to office procedures, as well as to shop floors. That’s because most manufacturers don’t realize how many inefficiencies are lurking on the front end of their operations, Winkler said. By using these principles, clients have attained substantial results.
MAMTC’s professional staff of 50 has, on average, seven years of experience with the organization.
“Considering that MAMTC was formed only 12 years ago, this speaks to the level of dedication and commitment our associates have to the company,” said Winkler.
MAMTC’s experts are well-versed in manufacturing and its related technologies, and have worked in various industries and hold both technical and business degrees.
MAMTC works closely with economic development agencies throughout the region, as well as with local chambers and manufacturing associations.
According to Winkler, manufacturers are realizing a level of competitive pressure that is unprecedented in this country. A key component of MAMTC’s mission is to not only help companies survive, but more importantly, to help them excel in both their operating effectiveness and market responsiveness, thus improving profitability to bolster economic growth in their communities. Future plans for MAMTC include restructuring the organization to maximize the resources available to the manufacturing community.
Winkler earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Missouri in 1978, and a master’s degree in public and private management from Birmingham-Southern College in 1988.
Prior to joining MAMTC, he served as president of Butler Manufacturing Company’s Roof Division, and as president of Innovative Building Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of Butler Manufacturing Company that manufactured and installed panelized and modular building solutions for the fast food and convenience store industries. Winkler also served as president and COO of Western Forms Inc., a $30M manufacturing business in Kansas City, Mo.
