Home Ground
Radio Interview with
WestPaw Design & MMEC

Granrud's Lefse Shack
www.lefseshack.com
The Granrud's Lefse Shack has been an important business in the northeastern Montana community of Opheim since its start in 1977. The company manufactures lefse, Norwegian potato bread similar in appearance to a tortilla and a favorite treat when served with butter and sugar. Today, the product is growing in popularity as a wrap as well. It is sold in all 50 states.

The operation is ideal for a rural farm and ranch community. The plant opens at the end of the harvest season, runs four-day, nine-hour shifts and finishes up operations just when spring planting, branding and home gardens need attention starting in mid-April.

A shortage of available workers in Opheim (population est. 85) for the labor-intensive business is the result of a declining population, a phenomenon that is occurring in communities all across the rural West. Granrud's current owners Twyla Anderson and Alice Redfield are trying creative solutions to overcome this shortage and grow the business including seeking assistance from MMEC...MORE

Montana Boatbuilders
www.montanaboatbuilders.com
When we first got started my wife and I were the only employees doing everything, building, bookwork and brochures. Suddenly we had a waiting list and had to hire and train. In production mode overnight, we found that we had no idea how long processes took us or what amounts of material or tools we were going through," says Montana Boatbuilders owner Jason Cajune. MMEC/UTAP took on the monumental task of evaluating the company's processes from milling raw wood and making finished pieces to composite fiberglass lay-up, and coating and finishing work…MORE

Red Oxx Manufacturing
www.redoxx.com
Just as Red Oxx Manufacturing of Billings was having its PR5 Safari Beano carry-on bag tested against a competitor's at the Army Natick Soldier Center testing lab in Natick, Mass., the PR5 received "Gear of the Year" recognition in the spring 2004 issue of Outdoor Buyers Guide. Together, the trade magazine testimonial and positive hard test data arranged through MSU TechLink and MMEC have made for a powerful marketing tool.…MORE

Semitool
www.semitool.com
Semitool received its ISO 9001:2000 Certification, on December 31, 2004, recommended by the American International Registrar Corp. after an intensive eight-day audit of its quality systems found only four minor non-conformances. Montana Manufacturing Extension Center assisted the company with implementation over a two-year period with extensive training, pre-assessment, simulated audits, and helping interpret the standards to the specific Semitool operation…MORE

Unibest, Inc.
www.unibest.us
Positive marketing indicators turned the attention of UNIBEST, Inc. to automating a 10-step capsule assembly process for manufacturing a revolutionary soils testing capsule developed by owner Earl Skogley a retired MSU soil scientist. He enlisted the help of MSU engineering students in a Senior Design Project to explore the feasibility of mechanizing and sought assistance from the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) for preliminary design and project management assistance as automation took shape....MORE