Center for Lean Learning
The Center for Lean Learning, LLC
The resources within The Center for Lean Learning have expertise in every aspect of manufacturing and business administration. This collective intimate knowledge of a variety of industry environments coupled with a history of successful Lean implementations gives us the confidence to guarantee a successful transition to Lean for your company. Every participant shares the common passion of restoring domestic manufacturing to a place of prominence in the global marketplace. Assisting your company in achieving that status is our only reason for collaborating in this endeavor. Every resource you need to increase profit and margin, enhance your market presence, reduce lead-time, and improve throughput is available at The Center.
As independent consultants we recognize that, although our individual gifts and talents may be impressive, they are some times insufficient to deliver optimum results for our customers. That is the motivation for the unique collaborative organization of The Center. Organized as a consortium of independent consultants we can ensure every need of a client company will be met without The Center having to invest in a financially burdensome, full-time overhead staff.
The two primary resources responsible for facilitating the initial phase of the Lean transformation at Perry were Jim Lewis and Dave Irwin.
Jim, an author, writer, and consultant since 1992, specialized in implementing Lean in business environments such as foundry, metal and wood furniture, automotive, printed circuit boards, plastics, visual merchandising products, and corrugated products prior to founding The Center with Dave. Jim’s academic credentials include AAS Communication and Management, BA Business, and MBA. Prior to launching a successful consulting career, Jim worked in engineering and operations management positions including business ownership of an apparel manufacturing company. Jim has a passion for partnering with domestic manufacturers so they can gain competitive advantage in the flattening World marketplace that transcends most large consulting enterprises whose motivation focuses on personal financial gain.
Dave brings a wealth of experience and expertise to The Center as well. The emphasis of his consultancy included relationship building, leadership coaching, team development, and strategic planning. Dave’s academic credentials include MA Education, MA Counseling, and completion of the Leadership Development criteria of the United States Army Command & General Staff College. His experience as a teacher and school administrator were excellent venues for developing the skills he brings to The Center. Dave’s passion comes from a belief that a successful Lean implementation centers on a manager’s ability to achieve two critical objectives – create a strategic plan based on a clear vision of the future, and harness the synergy, formidable force, energy, and flow that can be created through an empowered workforce. He works closely with managers coaching them in an understanding and appreciation of those beliefs.
