Bridging Plant Leaders: My Role as a Matchmaker in Industrial Excellence

I serve as a catalyst, connecting industry leaders who bring valuable insights and those who seek innovative solutions. As editor of Reliable Plant, I orchestrate introductions that spark collaboration and growth.

Our matches are sparked by compelling cover stories, columns, technical articles, or even a well‑crafted email newsletter. At conferences, a single presentation can ignite the need for deeper knowledge exchange, prompting attendees to seek out speakers and industry peers.

The most rewarding moments occur when I facilitate face‑to‑face introductions. After a keynote, an attendee might approach me and say, "That plant is doing incredible work—how can I learn more?" I then guide them to the speaker, exchange business cards, and often witness the two continue their dialogue at lunch or the hotel bar. Weeks later, I receive an email from the attendee announcing a benchmarking trip to the speaker’s facility.

True value emerges when both parties offer expertise in one area and seek insights in another. A few years ago, I connected a plant‑floor leader from a Fortune 500 defense company with a speaker from a Fortune 500 automotive manufacturer. The result? The defense firm sent two dozen representatives 1,500 miles to learn safety best practices, while the auto plant dispatched a similar delegation to study lean concepts. Subsequent visits have kept the leaders in close contact and continued the exchange of ideas.

Last year’s Noria “Lean, Reliable and Lubed” conference in Nashville exemplified this matchmaking in action. I introduced leaders from Bridgestone, Boeing, Ford, BMW, Whirlpool, Rio Tinto, Regal‑Beloit, Clorox, The Stanley Works, Weatherford International, and Batesville Casket, resulting in a vibrant networking environment.

Looking ahead, I am excited for the upcoming Lean Tools for Maintenance & Reliability conference in Chicago, Oct 6‑8. This event will build on the momentum of our past meetings.

Our earlier Lean Tools conferences—Cleveland 2005, Las Vegas 2006, and Cleveland 2007—welcomed plant and corporate leaders from Harley‑Davidson, Toyota, Alcoa, Cargill, Raytheon, Honda, Eastman Chemical, Intel, Coors, Nordson, Energizer, Ford, Autoliv, AstenJohnson, International Paper, ABB, Karl Schmidt Unisia, and the U.S. Postal Service. This year’s agenda will feature heavy‑hitters such as Toyota, GE, Harley‑Davidson, Dell, Lockheed Martin, Honda, Baxter, Delphi, Solectron, Anheuser‑Busch, 3M, DuPont, Abbott Labs, Plexus, Rockwell, Kohler, Caterpillar, and Chrysler.

I bring the knowledge resources and the opportunity for introductions, handshakes, business cards, and idea sharing. Let’s start a conversation and drive industry innovation together.