GEMCO is Leading the Way: Creating a Culture of Continuous Learning in Manufacturing

Background

Since its inception in 1916, GEMCO, originally known as The General Machine Company of New Jersey, has been the global authority in mixing and drying solutions. Operating from an 80,000 square foot industrial machine factory in Middlesex, NJ, GEMCO has consistently demonstrated innovation and engineering excellence. This family-owned business, spanning four generations of the Muench family, has installed thousands of powder blending and drying units in nearly 40 countries, serving diverse industries from pharmaceuticals to automotive. GEMCO’s commitment to superior, heavy-duty design, continuous R&D, and dedication to operational excellence ensures that their equipment, which can last over 40 years, remains at the forefront of industry standards and best practices.

Challenge

One of the biggest challenges in manufacturing, particularly in New Jersey, is remaining competitive. New Jersey plays host to just over 9,500 manufacturers ranging from small to medium-sized enterprises to Fortune 500 manufacturers.

“A huge motivator in the industry is competition,” says Casey Bickhardt, President and CEO of GEMCO. One of the key ways in which manufacturers like GEMCO stay competitive is by consistently upskilling and reskilling their employees. “Competition drives people to be a little bit better,” Bickhardt says, “It’s a motivator—it’s not the ONLY motivator, but competition certainly is a motivator, and the market has a way of outpacing you, and it has a way of outpacing you really quick if you’re not a learner.”

Bickhardt, the fourth-generation leader of GEMCO, started her career in one of the most unlikely of places—sweeping the shop floor. From there, she grew in her career from the shop floor to purchasing, then to management, before finally ending up as president and taking over operations. Since she climbed through the ranks the old-fashioned way, she has a greater appreciation for the need to reinvest in all levels of your workforce and instill the same learner mentality at every level of your operations.

“I’m huge into training, and I always like it when my employees grow from that training,” says Bickhardt. “How are we thinking? If our thinking isn’t growing more strategic then we’re tactical,” she adds, “Tactical means someone needs to tell us what to do— ‘Tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it’—that’s the kiss of death for any company or any employee.”

If competition in manufacturing is king, and personal improvement is the best way to improve production, then upskilling and reskilling the GEMCO team is what’s prescribed regularly and often. In the case with GEMCO, NJMEP’s account manager Jeff Meister knows that Bickhardt’s a learner and likes to instill this same mindset in her team.

“Not only is the competition constantly upleveling, but we need to be upleveling, and if we’re not, that market can outpace us in a blink of an eye,” says Bickhardt, “And when it does, it’s gonna hurt, it’s gonna hurt real bad, and nobody wants to be in that situation.”

Solution

The outcome of not reinvesting in your workforce or outpacing your past selves and your competition is a conversation Bickhardt doesn’t even want to entertain. What would happen if GEMCO were to put reskilling and upskilling to the wayside?
“I try and talk frequently to everyone about our competition, and how we also need to be competing with ourselves from the basis of last year, so not reskilling or upskilling is an avenue I don’t even want to explore,” says Bickhardt, “What would happen if we don’t do this stuff,” she adds. The answer? “We would shrink, we would get smaller, we would lose an edge, we would lose technology if we don’t grow,” she concludes.

Nine participants from the GEMCO team recently completed a PMP® Certification Exam Prep Course designed for project team members seeking to enhance their skills, individuals aiming to deepen their project management knowledge, and executives overseeing project management. The course offered a comprehensive and practical discussion on planning projects realistically to ensure success and managing their progress until completion. Participants gained powerful insights into project management, equipping them to handle time-phased work activities, solve problems, and create unique products or processes effectively. This training emphasized using common sense and determination to achieve successful project outcomes.

The course covered essential aspects of project management, including understanding project initiation, solving organizational challenges, and defining success criteria. Participants learned to identify and sequence tasks, realistically estimate time, and create practical schedules. The course emphasized assessing project cost sensitivity, ensuring quality, and effectively recruiting and managing teams. It also highlighted the importance of efficient communication, managing stakeholder expectations, and monitoring progress. Best practices for maintaining on-time project completion and strategies for rescuing delayed projects were also discussed.

“You could be performing as well as you did last year,” says Bickhardt, “But it still wouldn’t be as good as what you need to be this year.”

PMP® Certification Exam Prep Course
Course Outline – Project Management Essentials:
9 Participants| 48 Hours Total | 6 Days

Results

“GEMCO wouldn’t be better off without someone like [NJMEP’s Account Manager] Jeff,” says Bickhardt, “One reason I know this [project] was successful was because of Jeff. His leadership style is comprehensive and results driven.”

The following results were cited as a direct result of engaging with NJMEP 12-18 months following the conclusion of the project outlined above.

• New Sales: $1,000,000
• Jobs Created: 4
• Retained Sales: $1,000,000
• Jobs Retained: 3
• Cost Savings: $1,000,000

Another key outcome from engaging with NJMEP for leadership training is a mindset shift.