Woodworker Meet-up at Maple Landmark Woodcraft & Otter Creek Brewery 

It has been a very exciting year for Maple Landmark Woodcraft. Mike Rainville, his family members and dedicated staff have successfully added 11,500 square feet of manufacturing space to the Middlebury facility. Prior to this expansion, the Maple Landmark Woodcraft team worked under very cramped conditions in 16,000 square feet of space.

The new 11,500 square foot addition with 28 foot ceilings provides the needed capacity for Maple Landmark to continue to grow and provide a desirable environment for staff and improved productivity.

New shop interior pictured below:

Mike was determined that with the move into the new space improvement in production processes, inventory management and efficiencies would be generated.

Mike engaged Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC), with financial support from Vermont Wood Manufacturers Association (VWMA), and the Northern Forest Center in a robust lean manufacturing process improvement program. Mike was looking to improve organization of workflow, reduce waste and improve overall efficiencies.

Maple Landmark Woodcraft completed the new addition earlier this year and successfully has moved the bulk of production into the new space thus freeing up the old space for an improved finishing area, better organized finished product and shipping area, and a larger, improved space for laser engraving and printing.

Don Paul, with Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center, and Dave Redmond, with Northern Forest Center, had the opportunity to visit the company several times before and after the expansion and move into the new space.

Don and Dave agree the dramatic improvements in work flow, systems to manage inventory and engagement of staff has been significant!

Mike is very modest and feels there are many more steps to meet the goal. This is the definition of lean process improvement.  Process improvement never stops, it is a continuous and never ending journey!

Above is the new tap handle line that Maple Landmark offers to customers.

During the tour you will learn about Lean Manufacturing and how it has helped MLW's business.
A follow-up discussion will occur after the tour and you will hear from the Northern Forest Center and VMEC about current opportunities and how they were involved with the expansion at Maple Landmark.

About Maple Landmark: We have been making eco-friendly, educational wooden toys, games and gifts since 1979 at our shop here in Middlebury, Vermont. We pride ourselves in being a local company that supports other local companies who operate in a responsible and sustainable manner. We employ about 40 local folks year around. As a result of these practices we produce products that have always been safe and of superior quality. Learn more here. 

About Otter Creek Brewery: In 2010 we completed a sizable expansion of our facility. Six new fermenters added 30,000 barrels to our capacity while a state-of-the-art filling machine helps us meet the growing demand for our brews. Our newest toy, a centrifuge, allows us to control the efficiency of each batch we brew and bottle. In October we broke ground on a brand new, 120-barrel brew house paired with a 9,000 square foot addition to our current space. We'll start cranking out more of our tasty brews in Summer 2016 as our cosmic journey continues. Learn more here.

The event starts at 1:30pm and the Otter Creek Brewery closes at 7pm so everyone is welcome to stay as long as they like there to continue networking and enjoy their food/drink.

There is no cost to attend but please pre-register. Please sign up by filling out the form at the link below, by emailing Erin at erin@gwriters.com, or calling office at 802-747-7900 by October 26th. Hope to see you all there!

Register Now!