CS:: Community of Smaller Manufacturers

Your business is an investment, just like stocks, bonds, commodities or real estate. The difference is your business requires different strategies to make it grow and yield the returns you expect. The Community of Smaller Manufacturers gives you the networks and expertise to build your small manufacturing investment into a continuous healthy generator of returns.

The Community of Smaller Manufacturers (CSM) was created to help you join with other regional manufacturers to achieve success, beat new global competition, and grow your business. We have assembled a unique combination of resources, resource partners and networking activities specifically for the smaller manufacturer to achieve top-line growth and bottom-line profit.

Click here for the CSM website home page.
Click here to login to CSM for online courses. Prior registration in the CSM program is required.

Elements of the CSM program

Guidance of a regional program coordinator who:

• Facilitates the program to maximize your investment
• Coordinates all networking events in your region
• Develops a personalized action plan for your company
• Does performance benchmarking assessments

Networking:

The Community’s events include monthly breakfast meetings and training events such as:

• Lean Manufacturing
• Quality Problem Resolution
• Growth Planning
• Sales Planning and Management
• Change Management
• Regional breakfast meetings conducted each month to share ideas and practices with your fellow members
• Quarterly seminars and training conferences conducted by industry leaders featuring headline topics such as Lean, Innovative Product Development and how to compete with Asia
• Performance Benchmarking
• Views of Best Practices via company tours

Also available is an “Ask an Expert” internet based discussion forum staffed by experts in their particular fields.

Resource Partners:

We use a strong network of partners who are there to help you when needed at substantial discounts. Our partners include:

• USA Export Assistance
• Greater Akron Chamber
• Canton Regional Chamber
• Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber
• A wide range of local service providers in Information Technology, Legal, Accounting/Tax, Banking and Human Resources

Performance Benchmarking Assessment:

Where do you stand compared to others in similar businesses? Our assessment compares you to your competition on more than 50 metrics selected by small-firm CEO's as key indicators.

Gain significant exposure among the region’s manufacturers

The Community offers you unique opportunities to learn what companies like Lincoln Electric are looking for in suppliers. Also our longstanding expertise in programs like Lean and Six Sigma is offered to you in the form networking events with experts who have years of experience helping some of the most successful companies in the region. This, along with the mentoring abilities of our Regional Program Coordinators, gives you a complete package for growth and prosperity.

For more information, contact:

Steve Gonosey – Program Director, Community of Smaller Manufacturers
216-432-5193

Current Community of Smaller Manufacturers participants include: