For 30 years, Dutch American Foods (DAF) has been proving that mid-sized American manufacturers can compete and thrive on a global scale. Despite its humble beginnings, the company has grown to be the largest employer in Beecher, Illinois and one of the largest employers in Crete, Illinois. With a combined workforce of over 250 employees staffing their two state of the art facilities, you could say that DAF is here to stay!
Following some of DAF’s best years in terms of output there was an industry wide reduction in demand and DAF had to start looking at how they could continue thriving even as growth stagnated. Research shed light on the fact that communication was slow or non-existent between various departments and stages in their manufacturing processes.
To address these issues DAF decided to make a major investment in a manufacturing software designed to bridge these gaps. In addition to the technical and logistical challenges DAF faced in implementing such a pervasive system, there was also the problem of training their workforce on how to use it effectively. From frontline Production Workers through the C-Suite, it was understood that success or failure of this implementation rested on the ability of employees to use it effectively.
Recognizing this, the new implementation was coupled with an equal in scale plan to provide on-site training to DAF’s workforce. This training project is what led to the formation of the relationship between DAF and the WSD. As of now Dutch American will receive a $19,500 Employee Training Grant upon the completion of training at their Beecher Facility, with plans to reapply for the Employee Training Grant when they implement the same training at their other location.
Following the total completion of training in early 2025 DAF employees will have the added skill set of being able to effectively manipulate this essential industry software. Additionally, training will include instruction on manufacturing concepts such as kaizen, root cause analysis, action cycle creation, lean manufacturing, and more.
When all is said and done DAF will undeniable be a more efficient and adaptable organization. Their employees will be well suited to tackle problems efficiently and safely, not to mention being better equipped to progress in their careers. A commitment to investing in people and focus on continuous improvement is why Dutch American Foods stands out as a leader in Will County manufacturing.
Congratulations to DAF and we are a proud partner of your organization! Those of us at the Workforce Services Division are glad your organization, and the people who make up your exceptional workforce, call Will County home!