Mark Steele

What are your Keystone Habits? If you've read The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, I bet you remember the story of Alcoa (Aluminum Company of America). The manufacturer had struggled to produce financial results, so they hired a new CEO, named Paul O'Neill. And in 1987 that new CEO implemented a safety program that had investors scratching their heads. All he talked about was worker safety, and reducing the number of days lost to injury. And at first, no one understood why. But when O'Neill left the company 13 years later, not only was Alcoa one of the safest companies in the world, it was also one of the most profitable. All because O'Neill understood the power of Keystone Habits. He knew that if he could shift the company culture around safety, the ripple effects would impact every piece of the company. And those results would show up on the bottom line. And the same is true in your business. Focusing on a few Keystone elements can transform your business. Get the foundations right. And hammer your key items again, and again, and again; until those Keystone Habits are second nature for you, your team, and your business. This might mean practicing your values daily. It could be routines that are ingrained in your daily tasks. Or it could be something deceptively simple, like worker safety. Whatever Habits you decide to implement in your business, just be sure you bring the same conviction that O'Neill did at Alcoa. Because getting those Keystone Habits right can, and will, transform your business over time. What are the Keystone Habits in your business?

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Manufacturing is an expensive endeavor, but grants can support your largest expenses! Find out about the three biggest costs for manufacturers and how to offset those costs with grants in this article! https://lnkd.in/g27aXCy8

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Human-Centered Manufacturing with Glenn Akramoff In this episode of the Manufacturers' Network Podcast, Glenn Akramoff sheds light on the need for more accountability, fairness, and consistency in the workplace, emphasizing the importance of assessing and improving workplace culture, structure, systems, and processes.  #fairness #consistency #workplace #podcasts #themanafacturesnetwork

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As a concerned American patriot, I must voice my dismay at the recent verdict against former President Donald Trump. This decision epitomizes a legal process manipulated to serve the political agenda of those involved: a left-leaning prosecutor, a biased judge, and a jury drawn from one of the most liberal areas in our country—all working towards a predetermined goal of targeting Donald Trump. The fact that this case, involving alleged misdemeanor business record violations from nearly a decade ago, was even pursued illustrates how the justice system has been politically corrupted in places like New York City. It is particularly concerning when the district attorney frequently overlooks criminal behavior, jeopardizing the safety of law-abiding citizens in his area. We often hear that no one is above the law, but it is equally important to remember that no one should be beneath it. If the defendant were anyone other than Donald Trump, this case would likely have never been initiated, the judge’s rulings would have been different, and the jury would have delivered a different verdict. In the United States, the rule of law should be impartial and fair, not manipulated to serve the political aims of a biased legal system. If our democracy is to exist, this conviction should make your voting choice crystal clear in 2024. This verdict just made a demockery out of it.

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The 10 Components Necessary to Maximize the Value of Your Company Join us for a unique Virtual Roundtable to discuss these components and more. Please reach out to me. 1. Focus on profitability: Make sure your company is profitable or on a clear path to profitability. Company financials must be crisp, consistent, and ‘tells the company’s story.’ 2. Increase revenue: Can your company demonstrate a path to dynamic and/or sustained growth? Make sure the company follows a creative strategic marketing and sales plan. 3. Reduce costs: Does the company have a process and performance improvement plan to control costs as the company grows? 4. Build a strong team: It is critical to build a flat and responsive organization built for speed. This objective can only be achieved by building a Leadership Team to whom the CEO can delegate responsibility and authority, resolve conflicts, and hold each other accountable in a positive way. 5. Focus on customer satisfaction: Companies must continually check the pulse of customer satisfaction and demonstrate it to potential buyers. 6. Invest in technology and innovation: Stay ahead of the competition by investing in technology and innovation. This could involve improving existing processes, adopting new technologies, and ensuring the company and customer data is secure. 7. Build a strong brand: Invest in building brand awareness and creating a positive reputation in the marketplace. 8. Acquire new talent and ‘prune’ marginal talent. Accomplish this task through building strategic partnerships, invest in internal training, implement measurements against performance and build a positive culture by design to retain key employees. 9. Focus on scalability: Build a business model that is scalable and can grow rapidly without requiring significant additional resources. This will help you maximize the value of your company and attract potential investors or buyers. 10. Prepare for an exit: Even if you're not planning to sell your company right away, it's important to prepare to prepare for an eventual exit. Do you have an Exit Strategy plan? Hope is not a strategy.

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The latest episode of our podcast Make It: Frank Conversations on the Future of Manufacturing is a fascinating interview with GOJO, Makers of PURELL CEO Carey Jaros. We talk about everything from tough pandemic decisions weeks after she stepped into the CEO chair to how Industry 4.0 helped the Akron-founded company increase production by 300% when COVID skyrocketed demand. Carey shares GOJO’s Hollywood-worthy origin story and explains how the innovative spirit and values that founded the company still drive success today. Listen to the podcast here: https://lnkd.in/eZU5MbeD (or on Apple, Amazon, or Spotify!) Watch the video here: https://lnkd.in/evBvvqaS Follow #magnetvideo and #magnetpodcast for new episodes. And if you’d leave our podcast a review on one of the platforms, we’d really appreciate it! #manufacturingsuccess #smartmanufacturing #makeitbetterohio #CEOinsights

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Do you know what the fuel is that keeps your business airplane in the sky? It’s Cash. I’ve learned from experience (not fun!) that if you’re not paying attention to your cash position, life can get very uncomfortable very quickly. Make sure you’ve got a solid plan with visibility for the upcoming weeks and months. Keep in mind that the good stuff always takes longer than you expect, and the bad stuff always comes quicker than you want. Build a conservative plan with plenty of buffer and it will bring you peace of mind.         #CashIsKing #PlanYourCash #KeepWatch #NeverMiss #BetterEveryDay

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After 16 months of sustained contraction the March Purchasing Manager’s Index came in at 50.3% (FYI: anything above 50% is growth, below is contraction) indicating manufacturing economic activity expanded for the first time since September 2022. Timothy Fiore, chair of the ISM’s manufacturing business survey committee commented, “Demand remains at the early stages of recovery, with clear signs of improving conditions.” #manufacturing #supplychain #PMI #economicoutlook #growth

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In the category of a true story that is stranger than fiction, Washington state avoided a bizarre election issue. Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed to run for Governor in an open primary. A conservative activist who wanted him defeated persuaded two other individuals also named "Bob Ferguson" to file for the gubernatorial race. Both candidates dropped out because they realized that, by doing so, they would have violated a Washington state criminal law. https://lnkd.in/ewGMyDSv I am posting this story because many Americans believe that a more open primary election system would be fairer and get better results. They would reduce the influence of political parties. What this story illustrates is that wealthy political activists who want to bend a system to their will can always find a way to do so. Most of us want better government, but we do not want to get into the messiness of involvement with politics. The problem with that attitude is that someone else will fill the void with money and other actions to produce results we do not want. One of the reasons is that government takes too much of our money and has too much power over us. This did not happen all at once, but, little by little, we demanded that government intervene to solve more problems. The stakes of elections are higher than ever because more power and money is available to the winners.

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IS THE FBI INVESTIGATING THE HAMAS-CAMPUS THREAT TO DEMOCRACY? The DOJ and FBI Need to Say More IS THE FBI INVESTIGATING THE HAMAS-CAMPUS THREAT TO DEMOCRACY? The DOJ and FBI Need to Say More F.X. REGAN MAY 06, 2024, F.X. REGAN

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Something I noticed at a recent trade show was how many potential customers came on to the stand, look at a few products and then ask; "what's your price?". It would be easy to respond with, "our price is $X". That scenario really does not do the company or the customer justice. If your only requirement from a supplier as a customer is a low price without knowing anything about their ability to deliver consistent value, you as a customer are not doing your business justice. If as a supplier you volunteer a price without knowing a customer's actual requirements, are not doing your business justice. As a supplier you cannot make someone buy, but you can offer value by promoting the benefits of working with you, understanding the customer's business and insuring there is a good fit before offering your proposition. A great analogy is that a patient doesn't get a diagnosis from one symptom when visiting a doctor, nor should a doctor provide one.

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If you want the deal more than the buyer does, you have a problem… and as a professional, you want to find a way to fix that problem. Do you often feel like you are coming off as desperate to make the sale? Maybe we should talk. Please reach out to us at jeff.pankoff@sandler.com so we can get you over this sales hurdle. #Sandler #Sales #SandlerRules #SalesTips

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Here we go again. Tired old “big oil” tropes. If Congress wants to investigate “big” we note sovereign oil companies control almost 10x more of the oil market than the top 10 big private companies

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REMEMBER STATES' RIGHTS? For decades, Republicans screamed states' rights, not federal rights. But this week the Republican mantra changed to federal rights, not states' rights. Why? Because Donald Trump was convicted by a jury of his peers in a state court of 34 felonies. As it currently stands, there is nothing the federal courts can do to help Trump because the convictions were based on state, not federal, law. So what is the cure? To pass a law that allows a president to move a state criminal prosecution brought against the president from the state court system to the federal court system. Is it constitutional? No, but that doesn't matter to Republicans. Does it comport with American democracy? No, but that doesn't matter to Republicans. What matters to Republicans is what benefits them, not what benefits America.

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This is SATIRE https://lnkd.in/gUPmAR8V

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What do 300+ Executives in Michigan know about success? Discover insights with Vistage Peer to Peer Advisory and Executive Coaching at marclangs.com. It's amazing what you can learn over a cup of coffee. #executivecoaching #success #Vistage

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EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS AT LEAST ONE OF THESE PRODUCTS! 1. CASPR - 24/7, no chemicals, one time purchase, no labor needed to maintain, DISINFECTANT. Cost : Less than $1/sqft What sets it apart: It disinfects while people are IN THE BUILDING, unlike chemicals that are used BEFORE people arrive or AFTER they leave. (Commercial & Residential) 2. OACEUS - 360 WELLNESS PLAN (ADDITIONAL PLAN NOT A REPLACEMENT) EMPLOYER BENEFITS- Worker's Comp Discounts and FICA TAX SAVINGS! EMPLOYEE BENEFITS- •360 Wellness Plan with NO-CO PAY •Universal Life Policy- Guaranteed Issued, Portable, 25k-150k, (Living, Cash, and Death benefit) •Blood Draw- Test for over 100 Bio markers! What sets it apart: NO ADDITIONAL OUT OF POCKET COST TO THE EMPLOYEES OR EMPLOYER! 3. BRIDGEWAY SOLUTIONS- EcoBridge Program allows Commercial, Industrial, and Municipal facilities to REDUCE their utility consumption by installing Smart HVAC Controllers, Smart Refrigeration Controllers, LED LIGHTING, Water Efficiency Solutions, etc...with GUARANTEED SAVINGS! What sets it apart: ZERO CAPITAL EXPENDITURES 4. LOCK IT POUCH - Principals school Superintendents, Lock up the phones while the kids are in school. Arenas, Stadiums, Concert Producers, etc.. No Recording Shows! What sets it apart: This is a New Company with ONLY one other available. 5. The R3DI (ready) GENERATOR- NO MORE POWER OUTAGES! · A CapEx free and Patented backup power/grid independence solution through a combination of battery storage paired with a natural gas engine. · A seamless and “blip-free” power delivery in under 4ms, which is monitored through a 24x7x365 Network Operations Center to ensure there is never a power interruption. · The solution replaces any outdated reliability equipment that may be on site and pairs with existing/future renewables and incorporates EV Level 3 (10-30min.) Charging Stations to avoid peak demand charges. Whst sets it apart: It can DETECT power outages and come on BEFORE the power goes out No interconnection agreement is required. 6. SOLAR PANELS - Buying Solar Panels for Schools, Non Profits, Governmental Entities, and Businesses can be very expensive! WELL NOT ANY MORE! If you are one of these entities and you DO NOT want to purchase a solar system to receive the direct payment or tax credits, then we can install a COMPLETE SOLAR SYSTEM and cut your electric bill by 20% or more! What sets it apart: NOTHING! This PPA program ( Commercial only)allows for anyone of these entities to receive solar panels, installation, monitoring, and maintenance at NO COST! Just pay your monthly electric bills! All of these products are CURRENTLY IN USE! Inbox me if you are interested in any of them! #business #government #facilities #nonprofit #Hospitals #hospitality #schools #colleges #Superintendents #humanresources #benefits. #corporate

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