Latest news with #LeanSixSigma
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
RC Mowers names new CFO and expands sales team
This Green Bay-area robotic mower manufacturer has also added engineering and human resources roles to its growing team GREEN BAY, Wis., May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- RC Mowers, a leading manufacturer of robotic and autonomous mowers, announced today that it has hired a new chief financial officer, along with key additions across its sales, engineering and human resources departments. The expansion supports the company's continued growth and commitment to innovation in the landscaping industry. "Helping commercial landscaping companies and public agencies solve real business challenges is one of our top priorities," said RC Mowers CEO Michael Brandt. "These new hires bring the expertise we need to keep pushing boundaries and stay at the forefront of autonomous and robotic mowing. We're excited to welcome them to the team." The company has tapped new CFO Dave Kempski to lead its financial strategy and operations by drawing on more than 30 years of financial and operational leadership to drive sustainable growth. Kempski has worked with both public and private technology and manufacturing companies, ranging from startups to global enterprises with annual revenues exceeding $1 billion. Kempski has been instrumental in a variety of high-impact areas, including mergers and acquisitions, divestiture transactions, financial planning and analysis, SEC and SOX compliance, equity and debt offerings and system implementations. He was instrumental in building the global finance function for a company that scaled from a startup to S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 status. Nationally, the company has also hired: Mike Brown, director of operations & quality. Brown's 30 years of experience spans production, inventory control, packaging and facility operations. As a Lean Six Sigma expert, he knows how to optimize production flow, minimize waste and enhance reliability through data-driven decision-making. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Brown's background as a mechanic shaped his problem-solving mindset and disciplined leadership style. Jeff Bowden, regional sales manager, Pacific Northwest. Bowden has experience in both equipment and technology sales. After receiving training as a diesel engine, weapons elevator and main propulsion maintenance technician in the U.S. Navy, Bowden started his career as a mechanic. He moved into sales shortly after, however, and has consistently proven to be a top negotiator with a knack for problem-solving. Michael Nichols, regional sales manager, mid-south region. Nichols has spent most of his career cultivating relationships with his clients while driving positive customer service experiences through education and consultation. His track record highlights his dedication to delivering results and plans to elevate RC Mowers' visibility in the mid-south region. Jason Mayosky, regional sales manager, California. Mayosky has more than 10 years of outside sales experience and understands how to maintain relationships to build business development. At RC Mowers, he will implement innovative sales and marketing strategies to increase the company's market share in the Golden State. The robotic mower manufacturer has also hired several positions that will work at the company's main office and factory in Suamico, Wisconsin. These include: Marcus Laabs, mechanical engineer. Laabs has more than five years of experience as a mechanical engineer and wants to help RC Mowers succeed through departmental collaboration. He enjoys bringing new products to the market. Evan Molnar, engineering designer. With experience as both an engineer and group leader, Molnar has experience bridging the gap between the engineering department and the manufacturing floor. He is certified in advanced composites and additive manufacturing with an adept knowledge of CAD, CAM and GD&T. Miranda Coonen, human resources generalist. Coonen began her professional career as a teaching assistant at her alma mater, the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point (USWP). From there, she went on to serve as an office administrator, where she managed everything from budgeting to inventory oversight. She also assisted in and eventually led the hiring process for UWSP's Health and Wellness School and for the payroll department. She will help RC Mowers manage its talent while onboarding new employees. For more information about RC Mowers, visit About RC Mowers Founded in 2018 and based near Green Bay, Wisconsin, closely held RC Mowers manufactures autonomous and remote-operated robotic mowers that solve the biggest challenges and improve opportunities for profitability and growth for landscaping contractors, public works departments, city, county, state and federal parks systems and roads departments, and many more. All of our robotic mowers are designed and manufactured in the United States, have a 30-day buy-back guarantee and come with a 72-hour parts shipping guarantee. We are redefining the business of mowing. For more information, visit MEDIA CONTACT:Heather RipleyRipley PR865-977-1973hripley@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE RC Mowers
Miami Herald
05-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
SigmaXL Inc. Announces Release of Version 11
SigmaXL Inc., a leading provider of user-friendly Excel Add-ins for Statistical and Graphical analysis, announces the release of SigmaXL Version 11. KITCHENER, ON / ACCESS Newswire / May 2, 2025 / "SigmaXL was designed from the ground up to be a cost-effective, powerful, but easy to use tool that enables users to measure, analyze, improve and control their service, transactional, and manufacturing processes. As an add-in to the already familiar Microsoft Excel, SigmaXL is ideal for Lean Six Sigma training or use in a college statistics course. Version 11 adds Advanced Design of Experiments and Overlay Histograms," said John Noguera, CTO, SigmaXL. New features in Version 11 include: New Graphical Tools Overlay Histograms & Descriptive StatisticsInteraction Plots Advanced Design of Experiments (DOE) Extends DOE functionality to include: Improved 2-Level Factorial/Screening Designs:Expanded catalog with up to 128 design runsUp to 19 Continuous and/or Categorical FactorsAliasing of Effects Report with Interactions to Specified OrderAugment 2-Level Factorial/Screening Design:Foldover DesignAdd Center/Axial PointsReplicate DesignGeneral Full Factorial Designs:1 to 10 Categorical Factors with up to 10 LevelsUse 1 Categorical Factor with Block on Replicates for Randomized Complete Block DesignImproved Response Surface Designs:Expanded catalog with up to 128 design (cube) runsUp to 8 Continuous Factors and 10 Categorical Factors with 8 LevelsCentral Composite Designs with Minimal (2 center points), Uniform Precision or Orthogonal BlocksBox-Behnken Designs for 3 to 7 Continuous FactorsDefinitive Screening DesignsUp to 19 Continuous and/or Categorical FactorsOptimal Designs:D-Optimal (recommended as an efficient general purpose alternative to classical screening and two-level factorial designs)I-Optimal (recommended for response surface designs)A-Optimal (recommended for screening designs)1 to 19 Continuous and/or Categorical Factors (maximum of 10 Categorical Factors with 10 Levels)Continuous Factor linear constraint formulasReport of Optimal Design Diagnostic Metrics and Model Term SE and VIF valuesImproved power calculator with detailed power information (2-Level Factorial/Screening, Augment and General Full Factorial Designs)Fraction of Design Space (FDS) Plots (Augment 2-Level Factorial/Screening for Add Center/Axial Points, Definitive Screening, Response Surface and Optimal Designs)Option for randomized or equally spaced center points (2-Level Factorial/Screening, Definitive Screening and Response Surface Designs)Randomize runs with Seed (Base) as Clock or Specified ValueAnalysis (for all designs) uses Advanced Multiple Regression, with options such as Stepwise/Best Subsets and includes Multiple Response Optimization A free 30-day trial version is available for download from the SigmaXL website at: About SigmaXL is a leading provider of user-friendly Excel Add-ins for Lean Six Sigma tools and Monte Carlo Simulation. SigmaXL customers include market leaders like DHL, FedEx, Hanes, Kimberly-Clark, Motorola, NASA, Sonoco, Southwest Airlines and Western Union. SigmaXL software is also used by numerous colleges, universities and government agencies. For more information, visit or call 1-888-SigmaXL (888-744-6295). SOURCE: SigmaXL, Inc.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Pritika Shah elevated to head marketing at HDFC Life, Vishal Subharwal to move on
HDFC Life has appointed Pritika Shah as its head for marketing and CSR. Shah announced the same in a post on LinkedIn. Shah, a HDFC Life veteran has been with the organisation since November 2013. In her current role she's the executive vice president and head - marketing and CSR at the company. Prior to joining HDFC Life, Shah's experience in the BFSI sector included stints at Aditya Birla Capital , Bharti AXA and GE Money. She has also worked in the consumer product goods space with companies like Dabur and Pizza Hut. Shah holds a management degree in marketing and had joined HDFC Life as an AVP marketing, leading brand and research functions for the organisation. She was elevated to VP marketing in 2016 and subsequently elevated as the SVP marketing and CRM, before she took on the current role. Subharwal, the CMO and group head for strategy and e-commerce is a 15-year-old veteran with HDFC Life. An MBA from Jamnalal Bajaj, Subharwal was a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt at Genpact before he joined a big four advisory firm PWC in the domain of strategy and operations. His two-and-a half decades of professional experience includes deploying Lean Six Sigma and other business process re-engineering techniques. He had joined the organisation in 2010 as vice president, corporate strategy and product after a consulting stint at PWC. At HDFC Life, his experience straddled several functions including strategy and business insights, e-commerce, digital marketing and analytics. He was elevated to the role of CMO in April 2021. His future plans remain unknown.
Associated Press
10-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Meet Luciana Petitti: Paying It Forward Through Leadership and Impact
Tapping into different voices, perspectives, and experiences helps businesses solve problems, reveals new opportunities to grow, and encourages contributions that better support people and communities. At Henkel North America, diversity is a path to progress, innovation, and impact. Our employees and partners are united by our purpose: Pioneers at heart for the good of generations. They collaborate to tackle challenges, find solutions and open new perspectives – allowing us to deliver products, services, and innovations that enrich and improve everyday life. We invite you to 'meet' our pioneers in our series, 'Pioneers for Good.' Introducing Luciana Luciana Petitti, Supply Planning Performance Manager, in Adhesive Operations Supply Chain, is committed to creative problem-solving, fostering a collaborative and inspiring culture for her colleagues, and nurturing a cycle of goodwill and support within and beyond Henkel. Her ability to bridge critical gaps through mentorship and community service embodies what it means to be a pioneer for good. 'I want to believe that I can make a difference with every little thing that I do in and out of my work if I set my heart to it,' said Luciana. Paying it Forward Luciana's passion for supporting others' success and paying it forward stems from her own upbringing. Having been born in what she describes as an impoverished community in Brazil, her professional and educational journey was shaped by the kindness and mentorship extended to her. As a result, Luciana is dedicated to helping children impacted by poverty and has found a passion for mentoring others to pursue the future they imagine. As a volunteer for 10 years with Compassion International, a global organization dedicated to fighting childhood poverty, Luciana has sponsored several children, worked at sponsorship events and visited one of them at their Compassion center as part of her volunteer efforts. To support the work of this charity, she secured a grant through Henkel's Make an Impact Tomorrow (MIT) program. Her efforts have connected countless children in need with vital resources. Luciana's commitment to helping others also shines through her volunteer work with churches, food banks, and shelters. Her willingness to give her time and resources has had a profound impact on her community, showing the incredible difference one person can make when they are driven by a genuine desire to uplift and empower those around them. Enhancing Processes Across the Region Luciana is constantly finding opportunities to help others grow, including at work. Her collaborative and solutions-oriented mindset has had a positive effect on Henkel's supply planning and production systems. Utilizing her 13 years of process improvement experience and her Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification – which provides her with data-driven approaches to improve efficiency – Luciana leads process-mapping exercises that help teams collaborate to identify roadblocks, drive effective change, and streamline processes. 'One plan, one team!' she says. 'There's a lot of power in this type of exercise. It not only delivers results but also brings people together.' Luciana's dedication, expertise, and impactful work in manufacturing, earned her the Manufacturing Institute's 2025 Women MAKE Award, recognizing her success in implementing processes that bridge the gap between supply chain and manufacturing. Empowering Leadership and Excellence 'Leadership starts with the belief that you are empowered to make a difference. I had people who believed in me, gave me challenging assignments, and exposed me to situations that pushed me to grow. That's why I'm here.' Luciana Petitti, Supply Planning Performance Manager Building on this philosophy, Luciana goes beyond improving efficiencies by helping others see the bigger picture and purpose behind their work. Throughout her 13 years at Henkel, she has mentored female engineers, scientists, interns, and co-op students – guiding them in developing technical expertise and leadership skills, while encouraging them to align customer needs with their professional value. 'It's a greater joy for me to see someone I support achieve success than it is for me to achieve it myself,' Luciana shares. Luciana combines expertise and empathy to improve processes and uplift colleagues and communities. Through her work both inside and outside of the office, she demonstrates that true leadership is about helping others overcome obstacles to reach their full potential and leave a lasting, positive impact.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lakeland Industries Inc (LAKE) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Revenue Surge Amid Strategic ...
Revenue: Q4 revenue increased by $15.4 million or 49.3% to $46.6 million; full-year revenue rose by $42.5 million or 34.1% to $167.2 million. Gross Margin: Q4 gross margin increased to 40.1% from 35.9% in the previous year; full-year gross margin remained at 41.1%. Net Loss: Q4 net loss was $18.4 million or negative $2.42 per diluted share; full-year net loss was $18.1 million or negative $2.43 per diluted share. Operating Expenses: Q4 operating expenses increased by $4.3 million or 29.7% to $18.8 million; full-year operating expenses rose by $22.2 million or 49.1% to $67.4 million. Adjusted EBITDA: Q4 adjusted EBITDA, excluding FX, was $6.1 million; full-year adjusted EBITDA was $17.4 million, a 10% increase from the previous year. Cash and Cash Equivalents: $17.5 million as of January 31, 2025, down from $25.2 million the previous year. Inventory: Increased by $14.2 million to $82.7 million as of January 31, 2025. Fire Services Revenue: Increased by $36.5 million or 137.7% year-over-year. International Sales: Accounted for 64% of total revenues for the fiscal year 2025. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Signs with LAKE. Release Date: April 09, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Lakeland Industries Inc (NASDAQ:LAKE) reported a significant revenue growth of 49.3% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 compared to the same period in fiscal 2024. The company completed four strategic acquisitions over the past 1.5 years, enhancing its competitive advantage in the global fire turnout gear and industrial PPE markets. Lakeland Industries Inc (NASDAQ:LAKE) successfully closed an oversubscribed $46 million public equity offering, which improved its balance sheet and is expected to save approximately $2.5 million annually in cash interest. The company has implemented a company-wide Lean Six Sigma project to enhance operational efficiency and is modernizing its ERP systems to consolidate its IT control environment. Lakeland Industries Inc (NASDAQ:LAKE) has a strong global presence, operating from 18 locations in 14 countries, with sales representatives in 23 countries outside the US and product sales in more than 50 countries. Lakeland Industries Inc (NASDAQ:LAKE) reported a net loss of $18.4 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, primarily due to a $10.5 million goodwill impairment and a $7.6 million write-off of its investment in Bodytrak. Operating expenses increased significantly by 29.7% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 due to inorganic growth, acquisition expenses, and increased SG&A operating expenses. The company faced challenges with tariff pressures and broader economic uncertainties, which could impact its operations and profitability. Lakeland Industries Inc (NASDAQ:LAKE) experienced a decrease in cash and cash equivalents from $25.2 million in January 2024 to $17.5 million in January 2025, reflecting the impact of its acquisition strategy. The company is dealing with a backlog in orders, particularly with a large boot order from Jolly, which was delayed and impacted its financial performance. Q: Can you provide more details on the guidance given the recent tariff developments? A: James Jenkins, Executive Chairman and CEO, stated that the guidance remains unchanged despite recent events. The company is prepared for potential tariff increases and has mitigation strategies in place. However, if tariffs increase significantly, revenue might rise, but margins could be affected. Q: What are the plans for Bodytrak following its insolvency? A: James Jenkins explained that Lakeland has acquired Bodytrak's assets and plans to monetize them through strategic sales and potential patent enforcement. The company aims to leverage its financial strength and relationships to reposition Bodytrak's offerings. Q: How is Lakeland addressing the challenges posed by tariffs, particularly in manufacturing? A: James Jenkins mentioned that Lakeland is exploring options such as shifting production to Mexico, which could be tariff-free under USMCA. The company is also considering India as an alternative manufacturing location if tariffs on Vietnam increase significantly. Q: Can you elaborate on the operational optimization programs, particularly regarding Pacific Helmets? A: James Jenkins noted that the Lean Six Sigma program will be implemented company-wide to improve efficiencies. The focus is on aligning business processes with ERP systems to enhance operational performance across all acquisitions. Q: What is the status of the Jolly boot order, and how does it impact financials? A: Roger Shannon, CFO, confirmed that the EUR3 million Jolly boot order is ready to ship, pending customer inspections. The delay affected Q4 results, but the order is expected to be fulfilled in the first half of fiscal 2026, aligning with revenue projections. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
