Skills Accelerator Success Story: Hoosier Tank
Hoosier Tank, one of the Modineer family of companies, knew exactly what goals they wanted to accomplish when they applied for their first Regional Skills Accelerator (RSA) grant. Coordinated by the South-Bend Elkhart Regional Partnership (SBE Regional Partnership), RSA grants support employee skills training and development.
A manufacturer of made-to-order steel air reservoirs used in the air brake systems of heavy-duty trucks and trailers, Hoosier Tank sought to incorporate more lean practices into their manufacturing process while developing a culture that strives for continuous improvement and expanded implementation of lean principles. Funding from the Regional Skills Accelerator grant provided multiple training opportunities that allowed these goals to be accomplished and created the foundation for future advancement.
Initially, a team made up of Modineer Human Resource Specialist Shelly Morris, Hoosier Tank Continuous Improvement Manager Rebecca Phillips, and Daniel Zimpfer, Assistant Business Unit Leader at that time, began to explore training opportunities and seek ways to extend their limited training budget.
Their investigation led them to Purdue University’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Purdue team then connected Hoosier Tank with the RSA grant program for funding support. Morris says that the application and subsequent reporting processes have been smooth and straightforward. Hoosier Tank applied for funding in the 2023-24 round and received a grant of $30,000 that was used to provide multiple training experiences.
The first objective was to give the entire organization a common understanding of lean practices and how they could be applied. To accomplish this objective, Hoosier Tank selected the Principles of Lean Manufacturing with Lean Airplane Simulation, conducted by Purdue MEP.
This was an immersive, 4-hour training provided to all employees and conducted in groups of 10-15 people. With two shifts and about 125 employees, the training process took a few weeks to complete. “It was an engaging and enjoyable experience,” says Morris. “And it was effective. Competition developed between teams, and we saw increased collaboration and better teamwork.”
Further solidifying the focus on lean manufacturing, another portion of funding was used to send Continuous Improvement Manager Rebecca Phillips to a series of training courses so that she could attain the Advanced Manufacturing (Lean) Practitioner Certificate level I and II. “With the skills and expertise gained through this curriculum, she is equipped effectively as a ‘resident expert’ to keep pushing for lean initiatives in each area of the plant,” says Morris.
Also as part of the initial round of funding, Purdue MEP visited the plant to conduct a walkthrough and offer consultation that provides measurable goals and feedback on accomplishments.
Finally, using the remaining first year grant funds, Hoosier Tank sent some members of their maintenance staff to pneumatics classes for additional training on new technologies and the maintenance of Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) systems.
“Hoosier Tank is a small, very collaborative community,” says Morris, “and each of these training programs brought about favorable results that were in alignment with company goals and key performance outcomes. These include better asset utilization, better maintenance of equipment, increased productivity and agility, and most significantly, improved employee morale.”
Upskilling their workforce is important to Hoosier Tank. Morris notes that investing in training has reinforced the message to employees that they are valued by the company; it also illustrates the importance of training and its potential benefit for personal and professional growth.
Building on the success of the first Regional Skills Accelerator grant, Hoosier Tank applied for and received funding for the 2024-25 period.
The first part of the training grant focused on skills certification. “The manufacturing process at Hoosier Tank is welding intensive,” says Morris, “requiring specialized weld training for different elements of the process.” Grant funds enabled two Weld Team Leads to be sent to Cleveland for Train-the-Trainer instruction that will enable them to not only train but also certify the qualifications of others in the plant for various types of welding.
Enhancing quality problem solving in-house is the focus of the second part of the current year’s training. Operators will focus on quality issues and receive training on how they fit into Total Quality Management.
“Developing our own people adds value for them as individuals and adds value for the company,” says Morris. “Our experience with the Regional Skills Accelerator has been extremely successful and has helped us to meet our training goals. We would strongly encourage other companies to participate.”
“The grant funding provided both financial support and momentum that we needed to accomplish our training goals,” says Morris. “Without the grant, the process would have taken more effort and more time. In addition, we probably would not have been able to include outside training. While in-house training can be effective, it does add to the burden of responsibilities on those conducting the training and you don’t get the fresh perspective that comes from an outside provider.”
Much has been accomplished in a relatively short period of time at Hoosier Tank. Not only has the entire workforce been introduced to lean practices, but the training was so successful that Hoosier Tank has purchased their own kits and now incorporates the training into the onboarding process for new hires. In addition, a 5 S program that had been initiated at the time of the first grant is now a success and the C-Suite has established goals for the coming year to continue the lean processes and expand their application into inventory management.
Within the last few years, Hoosier Tank’s parent company, Modineer, has experienced rapid growth, with additional plants being added in multiple states. As Modineer seeks to create a standardized look and process across all locations, the training and development experience at Hoosier Tank is positioned to provide a template for extending continuous improvement throughout the organization.