Looking to Reduce Cost?

Any cost reduction plan has one key ingredient that must be included or else it will fail. There needs to be a high level agreement on what the acceptance policy is. Its easy to change materials, products, assemblies and get a lower cost, but there needs to be an effective way to manage the change and get simple agreement from all parties involved. If you work in purchasing and you want to change something for a lower price, such as a material or a supplier, this is the easy part. Will engineering agree? Will Marketing Agree? Will the executive level agree? How do you determine success? How do you measure success? Cost reduction is possible, and it goes better if everyone is on board at the start.

New Location, New Look

I am updating my website, http:\\www.internationalmold.com
for the Grayslake and Chicago Illinois area. I am looking forward to building some long term relationships for plastic mold tooling and product development of injection molded parts here.

Don't just do it for yourself, Do it for someone else

I recently had the pleasure of listening to Blake Mycoskie speak, he is the founder of Toms Shoes. He was able to convey the benefits of his company, and the one for one principle, for every pair of shoes sold, he gives away a pair to a needy person. His main point was that, if he had become a charitable non profit, he may have raised enough money to give away 40,000 shoes, but since he was for profit, he was able to give away 2 million pairs of shoes!
I would like my business to be able to give back, I would like to be able to give a portion of my profits to help support transportation for single moms. If you have any better ideas, let me know.
Thanks
Len

Len Koren Resume

Leonard J. Koren
1397 Mayfair Lane
Grayslake, IL 60030
313-617-5251 ljkoren@hotmail.com

“Len is a consummate engineering professional. His attention to detail and industry knowledge are assets that has made working with Len easy, efficient, and a real pleasure.” November 15, 2008
Randall Mabery, Designer, Electrolux Major Appliancesworked with Len at Electrolux Major Appliances

“I had the pleasure to work with Len when I was at ABC Group. Len was the Program Manager on two GM programs that I was also involved on. He is a very good manager, detail oriented and also a hard working person. He is a born leader and he knows how inspire others. I would recommend Leonard to any company being one of the best managers that I worked with.” November 15, 2008
Florin Voicu, Sr. Unigraphics Designer, ABC Groupreported to Len at ABC Group
Key Achievements

· Organized large aerospace systems financial data into clear and concise estimates saving millions.
· Delivered a program 35% under budget, at a profit of $560,000, by effectively managing the design schedule.
· Led the engineering team that produced the best performing HVAC system (2007 F250 Super Duty), which contributed to a $5-million sales increase.
· Managed multiple Accounts for a company, including: three GM projects, three Ford projects, and two Nissan projects with a staff of three designers and three engineers.
· Delivered an annual cost reduction of $20 million; replaced suppliers on a GM HVAC program, generating $4.5 million in annual savings.

Professional History
AAR Corp, Cost Engineer, Goldsboro,NC............................. May 2009-Present
Develop cost proposals for Aerospace Systems in the 1-2 million dollar range. Organize data for quoting. Reduce part prices through the supply base to make programs more competitive. Manage data and ITAR compliance. Cost estimating for cnc machined, laser and water jet, turning, and other components.

Electrolux Major Appliances, Product Engineer, Kinston, NC.... May 2007-November 2008
Catia V5 Smarteam Design Engineer trained in Electrolux Manufacturing System, including workshops and Blackbelt activities. Design and Develop packaging and plastic parts for new models. Responsible for maintaining inbound and outbound distribution packaging designs for three dishwasher lines as well Asian sourced product. Perform packaging and component service pack testing and report. Develop internal and supplier packaging specifications. Document test plans, Engineering Change Notices, Bill of Materials and Product Trial Runs. Forecast project savings, timelines, and budgets. Complete investment requests to support new capital equipment purchases. Supported cost take out programs in excess of several million dollars. Design and label consumer kits with appropriate graphics to meet UL requirements. Apply and manage patents on designs and meet with legal regarding patent searches and product liability. Developed and implemented engineering designs in specific technical functions within distribution, manufacturing and packaging to improve efficiencies, increase capacity and reduce costs. Built consensus across functions as project team leader on complex projects and initiatives.

Progressive Moulded Products, Dearborn, MI Account ................ 2006-2007
Oversaw the Instrument Panel Plastic Component Packaging for the Ford Mustang which had a $1.6 million budget. Managed the Front Console Packaging for the Ford D471 including Catia V5 and Teamcenter Designers located at multiple sites. Directed design, bill of materials, and part assembly to meet Ford specifications, including computer aided design, TeamCenter Lifecycle, and DFMEA requirements. Delivered and Reported on program progress to customers and corporate office in Ontario, Canada. Developed technologies and led supplier relationship building. Collaborated with external tiered suppliers to integrate parts into Instrument Panel.
· Met ‘Best in World’ targets for fit and finish of Instrument Panel Trim Panels.
· Designed injection molded trim panels, doors, electronic cluster assemblies, and covers.
· Thermoformed overmold and metal overmold appliqués.

ABC Group Sales & Marketing, Southfield, MI Account Manager...... 2003-2006
Co-located on site at customer location (Ford/GM) providing design, cost, and feasibility studies for blow molded and Injection Molded parts in Catia V5. Oversaw a customer base for the HVAC and interiors product line. Provided business forecasting and planning, including a 5-year strategic plan. Maintained sales as well as customer database for current and prospective clientele. Negotiated contracts in collaboration with the Tier 1 and OEM purchasing department. Assessed resources and recommended cost saving initiatives to support engineering and manufacturing.
· Launched 12 new tools into a Mexican facility to complete a GM product.
· Saved customer~$200,000 by implementing infrared welding into a manufacturing plant to reduce cycle time and capital equipment costs.
· Designed and Packaged Instrument Panel components for best fit and tooling conditions.

Visteon Corp., Dearborn, MI Cost Estimator.......................... 2002- 2003
Provided cost and budget projections for future HVAC and Interior Programs. Negotiated tooling reductions and reviewed estimating process for cost and production refinement. Parts included thermoformed, injection, blow, and compression molded front end radiator modules, interior trim, instrument panels, and consoles, as well as hvac products,
· Saved over $1 million annually in tooling costs by negotiating contracts on new tools and utilizing engineering changes.
· Contributed to $100 million in savings by participating and collaborating in cost reduction workshops.

Pioneer AS., Tallinn, Estonia, Development Director................... 2000-2001
Managed US and Mexican customer accounts for tool and die shop.
SarnamotiveBlueWater Inc., Port Huron, MI Project Engineer 1996- 2000
Managed the interior and HVAC Business. Developed headlamp assemblies for Bosch Automotive Lighting. Interior trim, seat assemblies, and lever mechanisms for Intier seating. HVAC products for Delphi.
NewCor Midwest Rubber, Deckerville, MI Project Engineer 1993-1996
IBMCorp.,RTP, NC, Packaging Engineer Co-Op 1991

Academic/Professional Credentials
Masters in Business Administration, East Carolina University 2011
Bachelor of Science, Engineering, Michigan State University
Member, Society of Plastics Engineers,Dale Carnegie ,Karass Negotiating
Keith Childress Practical Catia V5, Continental Design Catia V4







Buzz words: GE FORD CHRYSLER GM LAND ROVER NISSAN FIAT RENAULT six sigma automation robotics program project HVAC estimating cost modeling design catia v5 v4 pro-engineer wildfire solidworks autocad interior trim seat side shield seat back panel case duct rear battery cover tray packaging pp ps pe shock vibration package drop test fea fluent release engineer testing lab dishwasher appliance foam corrugated consumer goods aerospace cnc machining tooling mold injection tool tooling Detroit Rochester hills Farmington Michigan Illinois Arlington heights Motorola Atlanta Georgia Raleigh durham chapel hill Mitsubishi kia Hyundai superior instrument panel bezel molding forming trimming blowmoulding molding Johnson Controls IAC TMD six sigma lean manufacturing timeline GD&T dimension drawing studio

Custom Wristband Design

Last week was the most productive week I've had in quite a while. I quoted over 30 new projects, and was awarded my second custom wristband project. These wristbands are unique, not like the silicone "livestrong" style with laser engraving. My wristband designs can be 3 dimensional, with different shapes outside a straight band profile. You can see a picture of one here at http://www.coroflot.com/ljkoren
I also started using twitter, my twitter link is http://twitter.com/ljkoren
Its not so exciting.

top 5 tips for an Efficient Outsourcing Partnership

This sunday morning i was reading the April Issue of Medical Design technology, when i came across a really good article. It was written by Chris Coghlin who is the President and CEO of Cogmedix, and medical device manufacturer. chriscoghlin@cogmedix.net

I am writing because this story is really relevant to my business, http://www.internationalmold.com I believe that these 5 tips mentioned in the story describe the way we operate our business.

Tip 1: Take an honest assessment of all documentation before beginning a project.
I have always said this is key, becuase you are normally dealing with suppliers who speak a different language, and the drawing is the most important document. A good drawing with no ambiguity will keep you out of trouble.

Tip 2: Work with a contract manufacturer with a diversified domestic and global supply-chain network.
I couldn't agree more. When you visit my website, http://www.internationalmold.com you will see that I not only have international partners, but domestic partners as well, and we are not focused on only one area, but all areas which join together to provide everything needed in the product development cycle.

Tip 3: Weigh the true and total cost of doing business.
So many times i have seen OEM's try to outsource in a different way than our recommended model, and they get burnt, spend way too much, and have an overall bad experience. Working with my company helps avoid extra costs up front, for a clean trouble free transaction.

Tip: 4: Decide whats right for the business.
Again i agree with this, outsourcing isnt for every project. If you have a particularly detailed product that you have made for years in the usa trouble free, outsourcing may not improve your costs. The launch costs could be extraordinary, and other problems may come up that you have previously never had to address. I will give my honest assessment of your project.

Tip 5: Protect the company and the product.
This is important, you want to make sure that you are not jeopardizing your companys reputation for good products by hastily outsourcing to save a few dollars. Working with my company can help you avoid these pitfalls.
If there are alot of compliance issues with federal agencies, you need to stay on top of those too.

Please contact me to start your next outsourcing project and save you company money. Len Koren 313-617-5251 sales1@internationalmold.com

Take your garage to the world

One of the biggest sources of innovation for plastic parts and metal stampings is the average joe wrenching on his car in his garage. All those guys out there restoring their 1970 chevelle or an old mustang fastback need a part they can't find anymore. Sometimes its the tuner guys with a honda civic or an RX-7 that have a specific need or people are demanding a custom part that they made for their car. Racing is another source of innovation, there is always somebody out there trying to do whatever they can to gain an edge on the track so they can beat the guy in the next stall over. Indy racing, nascar, truck series, even the motorcycle racing clubs are all filled with innovative people looking for a better way to manufacture something. If you have a digital camera, or a few napkin sketches, my company http://www.internationalmold.com can help you get your idea from out of your garage or your head, and into your hands and on your vehicle.