Marlin Steel President Drew Greenblatt accepts a Baltimore VOLTAGE Award for 2013 (Credit: Jaimie Hurst)Marlin Steel was named the top medium-sized “Technology Implementer” in the 2013 VOLTAGE awards presented in the Greater Baltimore region by SmartCEO magazine.
Marlin was one of nine winners from among 29 finalists, who generate a total of about $50 billion in annual revenue and employ more than 177,000 people. The annual awards spotlight business success in leveraging technology. The finalists are recognized, the organization said, “for their creative vision, leadership philosophies, innovative strategizing and undeniable work ethic.”
“Technology is a big driver of our transformation at Marlin Steel,” said company President Drew Greenblatt. “We’ve invested $3.5 million in state-of-the-art automation to maximize our precision and speed in building material-handling containers for many industries.“We are glad to be recognized as a ‘technology implementer’ because it is our people who implement the technology that matter. Our automation is effective because of skilled engineers here devising innovative solutions for clients and top-flight machinists carrying out those designs in steel wire baskets and sheet metal fabrications.”
“It’s no secret that the evolution of technology is what drives business forward. These companies are pushing the limits of innovation – streamlining processes, finding efficiencies and discovering the next great product,” said Craig Burris, founder and president of SmartCEO.
The nine VOLTAGE winners in Greater Baltimore were:
Technology Implementer:
Emerging -- Cyber Incubator
Small -- Charm City Circulator
Medium -- Marlin Steel Wire Products
Large -- TBB Global Logistics Inc.
Blue Chip -- Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States
Technology Innovator
Emerging -- Unbound Concepts Inc.
Small -- CSA Medical Inc.
Medium -- Mind Over Machines Inc.
Large -- SURVICE Engineering Company
Other honors for Marlin Steel during the past year include being ranked on the Inc. magazine “5000” list as the 162nd fastest growing private manufacturing company in America and being one of three U.S. winners of the Precision Metalforming Pioneer from the Precision Metalforming Association and The Hitachi Foundation.
Robert: TEDCO stays up to date by doing one thing and doing it well: we are an active listener. Not only do we listen to the market needs, but we listen to our customers.
Donna: I constantly meet with our partners that we have, whether they are technology groups, vendor groups, and constantly meet with our customers to see what the marketplace demands.
Brian: Keep myself current on the latest technology and changing environment by speaking with and listening to what our customers and prospects have to say. Typically our customers have the best ideas.
Jeff: We read as much as we can. We belong to a number of best practices groups so we always have our finger on the pulse of what's going on in our industry.
Sam: The way I keep myself and my company up to date in a fast-changing environment is simply to network with fast-moving business groups—people that understand what's happening in terms of the pulse of technology and the pulse of business change.
Drew Greenblatt: Our employees are trained. We send them to school: robot school, laser school, punch school.
Brian: Embracing change is one of Protec's core values. Technology and solving business problems is what we do day in and day out.
Robert: Introducing new technology into a corporation is about as big a change as your employees will face, and that is because you're asking them to change the way they've been doing their job.
Jeff: The earlier you can get them involved, the more people you can include, the more people that the technology changes touch that you include, the more successful that embracing and implementation is going to be.
Sam: And most recently, we introduced a new concept at our company called Circles of Innovation, which will actually be teams of employees who will be responsible for developing and implementing the next generation of products and services.
Brian:The advice I give another CEO is looking to implement new technology is to take an agile approach. Get up and running quickly, but correctly.
Drew Greenblatt: Advice I would give to another CEO about technology would be to aggressively invest, because you want your team to have the best equipment. You want them to have the best technology, the best software, the best training.
Donna: Never limit your dreams. The worst answer you can always get is no.
Robert: It's important for CEOs to know that new technology isn't always going to be the answer, and new technology is hard.
Sam: Begin with the end in mind. Think about what business purpose your technology will accomplish, and then plan, plan, plan. Don't skim on training for your employees, and hire professional management to oversee the project so that it doesn't become a burden for your staff.
Jeff: The advice I'd give to another CEO that wants to implement technology is include your people, include your customers. After all, they understand the problems better than we do.
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