Today's guest is Mitch Cahn, president of Unionwear, a manufacturer of hats, bags, and apparel in Newark, NJ. I first learned about Mitch and his company because of a display they had at the Northeast LEAN Conference, which I blogged about here. What caught my eye was their display of politician hats they produce, including the famous red "Make America Great Again" hat that Donald Trump wears. Beyond the surface of those hats is a fascinating story about competing instead of making excuses. As Mitch explains in the podcast, Unionwear has been very successful even though he's producing in one of the highest-cost parts of the world. Unionwear has had to compete against imports from China and lower-wage southern states in the U.S. Starting in 2007, Lean has been a major part of their strategy for improving productivity, reducing cost, and being fast to market. Whether you work in healthcare or manufacturing, I think you'll love the story behind Mitch, his company, and his employees. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/234.
Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership Conversations in Healthcare and Beyond