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MiMfg Magazine
November 2018
and establish a legacy through ideas and processes
which will carry on across the industry.
John G. Thodis Michigan Manufacturer
of the Year (Small Tier)
Jim Richards is a leader at home, at the office and in the
community and has spent his career putting people first, all
while watching Total Security Solutions develop a reputation
second-to-none. When you talk about legacy, the John G.
Thodis Michigan Manufacturer of the Year Award’s 38 years
of recognizing industry leaders certainly counts. To have
his name next to some of Michigan’s greatest business leaders
tells a lot about Richards and his passion for manufacturing.
“People talk about how manufacturing is dead and
how all the work is moving overseas. We’re committed to
proving those people wrong. We’re growing and focused on
building a great company that provides a superior workplace,
product and customer experience,” said Richards. “Don’t
get me wrong, manufacturing is definitely a tough industry
to be in. From finding and training people to investing in
new equipment to staying ahead of the competition, there
are challenges to overcome every single day.”
He continued, saying “to me, those challenges are
what makes it exciting; to me, it’s about getting all the
people and pieces to work together to deliver that final
product. Coming up with solutions to problems people
think are impossible to solve — that’s what I love.”
Turn to page 26 to learn how Jim’s values and the culture
at Total Security Solutions allows the team to operate —
and excel — at 25 percent above their comfort zone.
MFG Innovation Excellence
You would think a rearview mirror is just that…a
rearview mirror. You’d be wrong. For a business in West
Michigan, as their technological capabilities improved, the
mirror came to represent prime real estate in an automobile
and endless possibilities. Gentex Corporation is a technology
company that is reimagining the needs of drivers around the
world and turned what many would see as a simple mirror
into a strategic piece of essential technology.
“We can’t do anything without the support of everyone
here behind me — this is a representation of what we are,”
said Paul Flynn, vice president of operations for Gentex,
while surrounded on-stage by the Gentex team. “Gentex
has been in business for 44 years and…listening to you all
tonight, we’re very humbled by all that you do. Thank you
so much for the recognition; we’re going to continue
doing what we’re doing and we’ll be back here next year
to strengthen our relationships with all of you.”
Innovation isn’t easy, but it is at the heart of everything
manufacturers do. Flip to page 24 for more on how Gentex
makes sustained innovation a company-wide goal.
The “Coolest Thing Made in Michigan”
Selecting one product as the “Coolest Thing Made in
Michigan” was the culmination of a months-long social
media campaign narrowing a wide variety of Michigan-
made products down to a competitive Top 10 before