Category Archives: Advanced Manufacturing

Steve Davis Talks About Tapecon’s Medical Device Business

by Alan Rosenhoch, Buffalo Niagara Enterprise

Steve Davis, Vice President of Tapecon

Steve Davis, Vice President of Tapecon

Headquartered here in Buffalo, NY, and in business since 1919, Tapecon is a highly technical and specialized printing and converting company. Through the years, Tapecon has positioned itself as an industry leader in niche markets with unique value propositions and technologies. It has achieved this through a mix of in-house services – driven by experienced and innovative employees -matched with manufacturing platforms that deliver superior products. Five generations of family ownership have proven to be nimble, open to change and invested in innovation.

Tapecon currently focuses on Medical/Medical Device, Industrial OEM, Electronics and Military/Aerospace markets. Long-term vendor and customer partnerships are paramount. Products include:  single-use medical diagnostics, printed electronics, custom converted functional parts & shields, product identification, and other printed markings. Tapecon’s services platform includes: in-house industrial & electronics engineering, commercialization services, validation services, graphic design, prototypes, and supply chain maximization. Their mix of competencies drive value for their customers.

Tapecon is ISO 9001:2008 & ISO 13485:2003 Registered, and cGMP Compliant.

Steve is a passionate advocate for operational continuous improvement, and has worked to create and sustain a progressive culture of change and innovation within Tapecon. He graduated from Clarkson University in 2001 with a Bachelors in Engineering and Management & MBA in International Business at St. Bonaventure University. In 2005 Steve returned to Buffalo to join Tapecon Inc. as a Manufacturing Engineer.  He was promoted to Director of Manufacturing in 2007 and again to his current role as Vice President in 2009.

I had the opportunity to ask Mr. Davis a few questions:

Q. Tapecon offers the ability to work with a client’s concepts. Who are some of your clients and what have been your most unique projects?

A. We are an extension of our customer’s design and manufacturing process.  We help our customers design, grow, and improve their products.  3M Medical and GE Healthcare are a couple of key clients. We have had a strong partnership with 3M for over 40 years. tapecon featured products

As part of our expansion project we worked with 3M on various improvements and process validation to improve process capability across their product lines.

Q. How has a Buffalo Niagara headquarters, the local manufacturing industry, and our workforce affected Tapecon’s success?

A. Our location offers value from a sales and logistics standpoint by allowing quick access to different regions by air or ground.  Our airport is convenient in bringing customers in or getting our sales staff out with competitive rates. The open communication among manufacturers in our region has promoted shared education of best practices and allows us to compete more effectively as a region.

Q. With Tapecon customers in numerous industry sectors; how much of your business is concentrated in the medical/medical device sector?

A. About 35% and growing. 

Q. Was targeting the life science industry always part of your business plan?  If not, how did you identify it as an opportunity for growth?

A. Not always.  In 2011 we took a strong look at the industries we were serving and put a strategy in place to target more in the medical and life science industries.  We have produced single use medical diagnostics for many years but saw the opportunity to grow within the industry using our full capability.

Q. Tapecon’s medical products fall under the advanced manufacturing umbrella as well. Advanced manufacturing has a long rich history in Buffalo Niagara, as does Tapecon. The industry has evolved with time and Tapecon has been able to stand the test. What would you say are the key factors that have sparked Tapecon’s growth over the years and ability to shift directive?

A. I think that over the years we have learned to focus on strong partnerships and collaborations with vendors and customers.  As our customers’ needs change we adapt and change with them to continue to add value.  Open collaboration and a team approach are core values that drive this.  Change is a constant at Tapecon and all of our employees expect it and participate in the change.

Q. What collaboration work, if any, do you (Tapecon) participate in with other local institutions or companies?

A. We are an active member of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership and participate with the Manufacturing Council which hosts educational events and local factory tours. We also help support the Dream It Do It campaign lead by the BNP.  We also support the Niagara Frontier Industry Education Council by hosting teacher tours and participating in career fairs aimed at raising awareness of careers in advanced manufacturing.

Q. The life sciences and advanced manufacturing industries in Buffalo Niagara today are drawing a young professional, smart and creative workforce. What do you think Buffalo Niagara has to offer this distinct workforce both personally and professionally?

A. There are a lot of opportunities for professional development through programming and networking from a variety of organizations.  Educationally we have it all – from certification programs to degree programs.  There are so many options to take advantage of, it’s just a matter of keeping up with it.  From a personal perspective when I need to balance my life it isn’t hard given all of the different festivals, music, sports, cultural diversity and natural resources in the region.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Q. What Life Sciences organizations, events, campaigns, or community outreach do you personally or professionally participate in, at what level, and why – if any?

A. I graduated from the UB Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership  (CEL) Core Program in 2011 and am now an active board member in the alumni association (CELAA).  I enjoy helping to engage all of the entrepreneur spirit in the area.  The High-Tech CEL program is aimed at early stage and Life Science companies and is a great resource.  The collaboration is what makes the innovation come alive.   I also enjoy attending the Life Sciences Commercialization Lecture Series and recently participated in the Innovation Center open house, which was excellent.

Q. What is your outlook for the growth of the Life Sciences industry, in Buffalo Niagara over the next 5-10 years?

A. That depends a lot on how the commercialization process occurs for the research capacity that is being developed here, as well as how you define successful growth.  Funded research won’t bear economic fruit without a market or without good product and process development.  Tapecon is just one company locally that plays a role in the “extension” of a concept through to a scalable manufacturing process that meets quality standards.  The commercialization process, intellectual property, and ultimately the sustained jobs need to stay and grow in Buffalo Niagara to consider the investments successful for our region. I’m optimistic that we can pull it all together.

Interested in learning more about Tapecon? Register to attend a tour on May 9 hosted by the Buffalo Niagara Partnership.

Click to learn more about Advanced Manufacturing and Life Sciences in the Buffalo Niagara region.

Connecting Businesses with Skilled Trade Workers

by Carolyn Powell, Business Development Manager, Buffalo Niagara Enterprise

Canadian manufacturers that consider expanding their operations into the U.S. often inquire about 1) the availability of skilled trade workers, and 2) the affordability of those workers.

The Buffalo Niagara region maintains a strong infrastructure of workforce development initiatives to fill the needs for not only production line workers but also the skilled trades. Collaboration between the private-sector, educational institutions, non-profit initiatives and manufacturing associations are leading these efforts. Read more here about resources, funding and initiatives accelerating the workforce development delivery system in the region.

Workforce Development Highlight – connecting industry to skilled workers

While experienced workers are important, companies want assurance that local colleges and universities are continuing to educate students in the skilled trades to backfill the current aging workforce with new talent. Buffalo Niagara has several state and community colleges providing high quality and low-cost education, training and certificate programs.

For example, in a recent visit to Alfred State’s SUNY College of Technology I received a tour of the campus and the various degree programs offered.  During our tour, Craig Clark, P.E., Dean of the School of Applied Technologies explained that Alfred State provides a project-based learning experience that is the cornerstone of their culture.  Students work on real-world problems; thus they learn how to think, not simply what to think. As a result, Alfred State has a 99% employment and transfer rate.

Students can enroll in both Associate degree programs (2 years) and Bachelor degree programs (4 year) at the school.  Everything from Business Administration, Architecture to Applied Science and Occupational Studies (degree programs).

  • The Applied Sciences programs include: CAD/CAM, Electrical Engineering,  Electromechanical Engineering,  Mechanical Design Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
  • Their Occupational Studies program includes:, Air Conditioning and Heating, Drafting/CAD, Machine Tool, Masonry, Welding

Workforce Affordability – maintaining competitiveness in a global market

It is also important for Canadian companies to understand what they will be expected to pay potential employees in Buffalo Niagara.  According to the Economic Research Institute (ERI), employees with the same job titles in Alfred’s Applied Sciences and Occupations Studies program can be expected to be paid the following salaries:

AlfredChart-03_11_13 (2)

Canadian companies looking to expand to the U.S. can learn more on our website. To view of list of Canadian companies BNE has helped expand to the U.S., view our success stories.

Will new long-haul trucking regulations impact economic development?

by Tony Kurdziel, Business Development Manager

The staffing shortage for long-haul truckers has been well documented since the mid-2000s. Combine this with a sputtering national economy, unpredictable fuel costs and a constantly evolving regulatory environment, and it has added up to trying times for the trucking industry. An important new regulatory deadline from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is fast approaching and will most certainly force additional change in this industry.

Effective July 1, 2013, the maximum amount of time that a commercial motor vehicle driver can work in one week will go from 82 hours to 70 hours. It will also prohibit truck drivers from driving more than eight hours without taking a  break of at least thirty minutes. These two major changes, along with other provisions of this law, are intended to reduce driver fatigue and make the roads safer.

What economic development ramifications (if any), will develop from these changes? When added to the current strains on the trucking industry, will companies be forced to shift their supply chains? For example, will manufacturers look to concentrate vendors and suppliers even closer to production points? Will distribution centers move closer to their end markets? And finally, will this cause more consolidation in the trucking industry, placing more traffic on capacity-constrained rail lines? If so, how will the rail industry be able to absorb the different shippers that approach them?

The next few years should be quite interesting for the commercial transportation business, especially if the global economy recovers in a meaningful way.

Workforce Development in WNY, One Step Ahead

BBillionBy Matthew Hubacher, Research Specialist

In his recent State of the Union address, President Barack Obama presented several strategies aimed at strengthening the nation’s economy and creating new jobs for the millions of Americans who continue to struggle to find work.  One specific initiative cited by the President was the creation of manufacturing innovation institutes that will provide workforce training and development.

Among the most cited concerns from manufacturers who seek to hire new workers is the persistent skills gap – the difference between the skills possessed by a prospective worker and the skills needed to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of an existing job opening – that exists across the economy, and is particularly acute in the manufacturing sector.  This mismatch of training and education makes it extremely difficult for low-skilled workers to find and retain employment in a 21st Century economy, particularly in manufacturing where technical skills are at a premium.

Western New York is leading the way in developing an innovative manufacturing hub where local workers can hone and learn new skills, which will ensure that the local workforce has the training for jobs in growing subsectors within manufacturing.  As part of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion promise, the Western New York Regional Council, with assistance from researchers from McKinsey & Company, Brookings Institution, UB Regional Institute and Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, conducted an exhaustive review of value-added interventions that will assist the region’s workforce for the jobs of tomorrow.

Among the several innovative strategies outlined in the Regional Council’s Buffalo Billion Investment Development Plan is the creation of a state-of-the-art facility to support the region’s manufacturing sector.   The proposed facility, the Buffalo Niagara Institute for Advanced Manufacturing Competitiveness, would provide services to local manufacturers in four specific areas: applied research and development, process excellence, export assistance and workforce training.  Specifically around workforce development, the Institute would work with manufacturers to “upskill” their workforce to perform operations that are more complex by utilizing shared equipment to provide hands-on instruction to help early and mid-career workers learn the tasks demanded by advanced manufacturing processes.  This targeted manufacturing workforce development initiative is in addition to general proposals by the Regional Council to align training, skills and education in the labor force at large.

Buffalo Niagara is one step ahead when it comes to preparing our workers for the jobs of the 21st Century.  With the leadership of the WNY Regional Development Council and the support of Governor Cuomo, Buffalo Niagara will remain a region that “Works.”

Buffalo Niagara: A Manufacturing Moment?

Tom Kucharski, President & CEO, Buffalo Niagara Enterprise

An April 2012 report published by the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings examines a resurgence that some are calling the “manufacturing moment” from the standpoint of its staying power and geography.  Elements of that report, combined with BNE’s experience, reinforce my belief that the commitment of public and private resources in this sector will produce growth opportunities for our region.

As the Brookings report confirms there has been in recent years a re-shoring of manufacturing by U.S. companies, driven in part by growing wage scales in emerging countries.  Mid-western states in particular have seen an increase in machinery and auto manufacturing.  While the advanced manufacturing in our region has been very diversified, we have seen trends in steel and steel processing, packaging and opportunities for high tech manufacturing.

While the mid-west has experienced more of this re-shoring to date, northeastern states and regions have compelling assets and are developing tools that are growing their competitive advantage.  Consider some of these examples in our state and region:

  • Affordable & available real estate – our market has over six million square feet available and an average price per square foot that is $6.55 less than the U.S. average.  We also boast 10 shovel ready certified sites whose benefits are coveted by projects driven by speed to market.
  • With 10.8% of our total employment in the manufacturing sector, we offer a motivated and productive workforce, highly trained in engineering, physical sciences and the construction trades.
  • Buffalo Niagara is cross-border community with seven international ports, two of the largest Foreign Trade Zones in the U.S., an advanced transportation infrastructure, and easy access to major U.S. and Canadian markets.
  • Contrary to what many would think New York State has low taxes on high tech manufacturing.  The state is also home to multiple sites ideal for high-tech and Nano-tech manufacturing, one of them right here in Genesee County.
  • Manufacturing companies who invest in our region can be eligible for a wide array of valuable incentives, one of which can’t be offered by the majority of our competitors – clean, reliable, low-cost hydropower.

Our growing competitive advantages run much deeper and include our strong supply chain, work ethic and manufacturing heritage.  So if this manufacturing moment exists, as we think it does, what are we doing to take advantage of it?

Advanced manufacturing is one of six key strategies in Governor Andrew Cuomo’s billion dollar commitment to Buffalo.  It will be supported by the development of the state-of-the-art Buffalo Niagara Institute for Advanced Manufacturing Competitiveness.  The institute will focus on applied research services and workforce training while providing export assistance and services to develop process excellence.

In our current fiscal BNE anticipates spending in excess of $70,000 on a very targeted advanced manufacturing campaign consisting of advertising & public relations, direct mail, e-communications, events in Canada and the development of new advanced manufacturing mini-site hosted on our website.  Specific companies are being targeted based on their size, geographic location and product.

Our public partners across all eight counties continue to commit significant resources to the development of sites for us to market to our targets.  This is one of the most important contributions the public sector can make to the success of attracting manufacturing opportunities to our region.

Is the moment real and will these efforts be worthwhile?  Only time will tell.  Since our inception BNE has supported 89 advanced manufacturing project wins that have created and retained over 12,000 jobs while investing more than $1.4 billion in our region.  The direct and indirect economic impact from only 12 of these projects that have come to our community since 2010 is $607.9 million.  The potential that exists and the impact of the results have me convinced that manufacturing will be an important part of our future economic success.

A Billion Dollars A Year Later

Tom Kucharski, President & CEO, Buffalo Niagara Enterprise

It was the first week of January 2012 and our community, still brimming with excitement from receiving $100.3 million through the state’s regional economic development process and the announcement of a $375 million SUNY 2020 Challenge Grant, learned from Governor Cuomo in his State of the State Address that he was making an unprecedented commitment of $1 billion in state economic development assistance for Buffalo.

Fast forward through 11 months of research, data collection and analysis, collaborative planning and strategizing, and Governor Cuomo came to town last week to unveil the plan that will guide the state’s investment in our region.  I am optimistic about the plan that was announced and the long term impact it can have on our community.  I am also excited by the role I see Buffalo Niagara Enterprise playing in ensuring the success of the plan.

The six strategies interwoven into the development plan include three high potential targeted industry clusters and three key enablers important to ensuring the success of the new economy in each priority cluster.  Investments in life sciences, manufacturing and tourism sectors will be supported by investments in workforce, entrepreneurship and revitalization.  I applaud the strategy developed because I believe it wisely avoids the temptation to use large sums of public resources trying to win one or two “blockbuster” deals.  Instead it utilizes the state’s commitment to build a foundation and an infrastructure that will invite outside investment and enhance the development of our existing growth opportunities.   The Governor’s commitment of resources is over a five year period.  The plan is looking to create an impact for the next twenty-five years.

Each strategy rolled out has a specific initiative that has been identified for the first wave of investment, and a number of talented and dedicated individuals have been selected to work on the implementation of these spending initiatives.  I was impressed by the significant number of Cuomo administration commissioners who were present at the announcement of the plan and participated in the bus tour of the region later that day.  These state agencies will play meaningful roles in implementing the strategies ad initiatives contained in the plan.  The fact that Governor brought them to Buffalo not only to hear the plan, but to see firsthand where it will be implemented is a very clear statement to our community and everyone in his administration that he is serious about making a transformational impact on our upstate economy.

BNE’s involvement in the Buffalo Billion included my participation as a member of the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council and our research department’s early work with the Brookings Institute, but I see even more work and more opportunities ahead for us.  Aggressive marketing outreach will be required to inform the marketplace of the new initiatives being developed while more research will be necessary to identify the most appropriate targets for this message.  Focused business attraction efforts will be necessary to successfully attract the companies and talent that will make use of the infrastructure being built while applying the resources available.  With 13 years of successful economic development and relationship building under our belt, Buffalo Niagara Enterprise is well prepared and very excited to join with our long time partners in state government to meet this new challenge head on.

In the Competition for On-Shoring Jobs…

The concept of “on-shoring,” the return of a company’s overseas investment back into the domestic market, began to gain traction in trade publications and industry journals a few years ago as a remedy for a stagnant economy with sluggish job growth. Last Tuesday night, the concept of on-shoring found itself at the center of a national discussion as President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney debated how best to invigorate job growth across the country.

Seemingly all observers agree that not every operation and job that has moved offshore will one day return. However, several external influences may lead to multinational companies moving high-skilled jobs back to the U.S. Labor costs across the globe have been rapidly increasing, particularly in regions that had long been extremely low-wage, and multinational companies continue to struggle to find large numbers of highly skilled workers in developing nations, which leaves a large talent gap compared to domestic operations. Furthermore, rising real estate and transportation costs, quality control issues, fluctuating currency exchange rates, and intellectual property rights infringement are just a sampling of additional factors that may lead to a company’s decision to bring operations and assets back stateside.

Buffalo-Niagara is poised to take advantage of increased on-shoring activities by positively addressing many of the aforementioned negative issues with doing business offshore.

  • Western New York boasts a large, qualified manufacturing workforce of nearly 67,000 and the region’s colleges and universities produce over 2,000 graduates in engineering, mechanical and production trades each year.
  • One of every nine jobs in our region is in the manufacturing sector (10.8% of total employment) and the region enjoys a rich manufacturing history and heritage.
  • Private sector manufacturing wages in the region average $57,876, over 2% below the national rate.
  • Industrial real estate costs in Buffalo Niagara are nearly $1.00/square foot less than the national as a whole.
  • A developed multi-modal transportation systems allows for direct market access to over 38% of the U.S population and 59% of the Canadian population within 500 miles of the region.
  • Unique business incentives, including low-cost, renewable hydropower from the New York Power Authority (NYPA), make the region an affordable place to do business.

In an ever-changing economy, Buffalo Niagara remains a low cost but highly skilled area with a bi-national location and diverse economic base; an ideal region for advanced manufacturing operations looking to expand or relocate.

“Near Shoring”, a Growing Trend?

Earlier this year, as fuel costs surged and the global economy slowly gained momentum, use of the term “near shoring”  increased. The term is frequently found  in trade publications dedicated to manufacturing and transportation of finished goods. For the uninitiated, “near shoring” refers to the movement of manufacturing facilities back to the United States, or at least to nearby markets like Mexico. The primary drivers of this movement are quite transparent:  a weaker U.S. dollar coupled with higher ocean shipping costs and rising wages in Asian manufacturing markets (especially China) have made domestic manufacturing more competitive. Add in unpredictable supply chain disruptors like natural disaster (Japanese earthquake/tsunami crisis) and rapid societal change (government protests in Middle East) and one can understand why “near shoring” was a hot topic in early 2011.

If “near shoring” becomes a trend in the coming decades (and the jury is obviously still out) it is easy to be optimistic about Buffalo Niagara’s prospects for success. Our local intellectual capital and legacy of manufacturing ingenuity are well documented  and should only continue to grow.   Not to mention, the Buffalo Niagara MSA is seventh lowest in the U.S. in average private sector manufacturing wages ($55,647), plus we have a multi-modal industrial transportation system with capacity to stare. Add to this the potential to access the original low-cost, green energy source (hydropower via New York Power Authority) and it is difficult to imagine how a manufacturer couldn’t take a look here.

Perhaps coincidentally,  BNE is currently working with two companies that are considering locating near-shoring operations in Buffalo Niagara. Only time will tell whether more of these “near shore” facilities are considered for  the region, but one thing is for sure: for the first time in a long time, companies are not automatically assuming that cheaper, distant markets are the best place to manufacture goods that are ultimately consumed in North America.

Tony Kurdziel, Business Development Manager

Intersolar Europe Showcases Solar Industry Solutions

Intersolar Europe — the world’s largest exhibition for the solar industry, takes place annually in Munich Germany.  To date, the majority of solar technology developments have occurred in Germany, fueled by their lucrative renewable energy policies, established solar infrastructure and supply chain.  This year nearly 77,000 visitors and 2,280 exhibitors attended the exhibition July 8-10.
Buffalo Niagara Enterprise (BNE) used this tradeshow as an opportunity to meet with solar manufacturers to highlight the Buffalo Niagara region, existing solar supply change, and the availability of hydropower.
BNE worked with our partners across NY State to co-market our region asNY Loves CleanTech.  By partnering, we promoted the state as a whole and occupied one booth that represented the entire state.  The joint initiative was sponsored by National Grid. While working at the booth, BNE arranged meetings with new contacts and companies.  We also had the opportunity to meet and follow up with contacts from prior shows who had previously expressed an interest in the region.
The majority of international meetings that BNE participates in involve companies that are considering U.S. expansion in some form or another.  No matter what the company is looking to establish; manufacturing operations, warehouse, R&D, or simply a sales office they all look to the U.S. governmental policies and programs regarding renewable energy and see opportunity for growth. The company then questions what U.S. location is best for them.  BNE works to help companies understand the benefits of locating a division in the Buffalo Niagara region. 
- Carolyn Powell, Business Development Manager
Buffalo Niagara Enterprise