Sep 12, 2019 | Blog, News
$960,000 will support student learning…
Capecodtoday.com recently wrote about Cape Cod Community College being awarded two grants totaling $960,000 providing support and technology for students studying in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).
The first grant, awarded to the College by the National Science Foundation (NSF), will fund over 50 scholarships to academically talented students with demonstrated financial need in the College’s Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Science programs.
Eligible students must be US citizens who qualify for FAFSA based financial aid, enrolled full-time in a STEM degree program with a GPA of at least 3.0 or higher, and have completed at least 6-credits prior to becoming a participant. This grant will focus on increasing access and entry for low-income, rural, and diverse students into STEM programs and well-paid, in-demand STEM careers.
The second grant, awarded to the College via the Massachusetts Workforce Skills Cabinet with support from the Baker Administration, provides $310,000 for classroom and laboratory technology upgrades in Engineering, Digital Manufacturing, Robotics, and Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) training. These funds allow significant enhancements to the College’s Engineering, Computer Science, and Manufacturing toolsets and equipment.
The College collaborated with local high schools and area industry partners including Teledyne Marine Systems, SencorpWhite, Hydroid, and Onset Computer Corporation to develop the grant and to ensure continuity of technology.
“These grants, and the commitment they provide, will have tremendous impact for our students,” said John Cox, President of Cape Cod Community College. “We are seeing a STEM revolution happening in our region and beyond, and we are proud that our students, faculty, and staff are at the center of this movement. With more access to STEM degrees, upgraded technology, and a new Science and Engineering Center coming in 2022, Cape Cod Community College is positioned for the future of STEM education.”
Activities for the NSF grant will be led by Fredrick Bsharah, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Engineering for Cape Cod Community College, Bridget Burger, Director of Cape Cod Regional STEM Network, and Jill Neumayer DePiper, Senior Research Associate at the Education Development Center. Grant activities for the MassSkills award will be managed by Bsharah.
“Here on the Cape and Islands we have an opportunity to create a bright future for ourselves withscience and technology, and 4Cs is uniquely positioned to offer pathways to success for our students with high-quality STEM programs, made even more meaningful with grants like these,” said Burger. “We are immensely thankful for these two grants and for the support we’ve received from NSF and the Massachusetts Workforce Skills Cabinet to continue to enhance our STEM offerings and technology.”
For questions about the grants or how to apply for STEM scholarships, contact Fredrick Bsharah at fbsharah@capecod.edu or Bridget Burger at bburger@capecod.edu.
May 21, 2019 | Blog, News
White Systems announced the immediate availability of StorBOT 2.0., StorBOT 2.0 is an automated traversing picking system coupled with a space-saving dense storage solution and a full-featured inventory management system.
“StorBOT 2.0 is the next evolution in the Goods-to-Operator space providing incredible flexibility and almost unlimited SKU count. The system efficiently uses traditionally wasted space both horizontally and vertically while minimizing labor requirements,” said Corey Calla, President at White Systems, a SencorpWhite Company.
Positive Customer Impact
Many customers are currently realizing increased throughput from our original StorBOT solution. This innovative design extends the original functionality allowing a single StorBOT to service up 36 horizontal carousels. StorBOT 2.0 is intelligently coupled with a full-featured software solution that can manage inventory, slotting, and is capable of running an entire manufacturing or distribution center or both simultaneously.
StorBOT 2.0. Availability
StorBOT 2.0. is the next product in White’s long legacy of Automated Storage and Retrieval solutions. White Systems has a talented network of field service engineers across the United States to assist in commissioning, preventative maintenance, and emergency response.
Founded in 1947, White systems is a United States based supplier of specialized automated storage and retrieval systems and full-featured software solutions with manufacturing in Hyannis, MA.
White Systems and StorBOT 2.0. are either registered trademarks or trademarks of White Systems in the United States and/or other countries.
You can learn more about White Systems at www.whitesystems.com
May 15, 2019 | Blog, News
Late last month, I attended the PMMI Executive Leadership Conference, an annual trade event for packaging machinery manufacturers. According to PMMI, “this must-attend event features impactful education that can help you navigate the latest industry trends… and take your business strategy to the next level.” Personally, I keep going back for two main reasons. First, I enjoy talking with like-minded business leaders in SencorpWhite’s industry. Second, I always benefit from listening to the presentations from ITR Economics. They discuss trends with macroeconomics, industrial manufacturing, automation, and advanced technology, and frankly, I have found their forecasting so spot-on that is has become a necessary component of my business strategy planning.
This year, PMMI ELC offered even more value—because the keynote speaker was Daymond John.
Like many of you, I recognized John from the popular TV show, Shark Tank, but I had never heard him speak before. John opened his talk by telling us that he used to dream about making it big in hip-hop, but since he couldn’t sing or dance, he had to find another way to capitalize on the hip-hop movement. In 1992, with $40 in his pocket, John founded the fashion label FUBU (For Us, By Us) and started sewing sweatshirts and hats in the living room of the house where he was raised by his single mom. Today, he is the face of American entrepreneurship, managing a multi-billion-dollar empire encompassing fashion, media, philanthropy, and even a monthly shaving club.
John’s story captured my interest from the start. How could someone from such humble beginnings (to say the least) climb to the top of the food chain? What could I learn from him?
I listened as John offered a few memorable lines, like “Responsibility is taken, not given” and “Assets feed you; liabilities eat you.” Good stuff, to be sure, but relatively common fare for speakers at a business conference. But then, moving on to his core message, John told us all to start thinking and acting like “sharks” (a nice play on the show he stars in). As it turns out, SHARK is an acronym John’s now uses to guide his life:
“S” = “Set goals.” John said every day he was driven by his goal of being a success in the hip-hop scene.
“H” = “Do your Homework.” It’s not enough to have a goal or dream; you also need to do your research. You need to answer questions like: Is your dream achievable? What is the market? How are you going to actually achieve your goal?
“A” = “Amore” (love). John reminded us that when you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.
“R” = “Remember, you are the brand.” Everyone knows that companies have brands, but YOU are your own brand. John said it is essential to have a two-to-five-word mantra that tells the world who you are and what you do. Nike uses “Just Do It.” For FUBU, it’s “For Us, By Us.” What is your brand?
“K” = “Keep swimming!” Success isn’t instantaneous. Inevitably, you will fail, and you need to be able to learn from those experiences and keep going. This made me think of the old adage, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”
John’s talk was one of the most inspiring stories I’ve heard in a long while, and his message was clear: Anyone can become a SHARK—if you set a goal for yourself, do your homework, create and sell your own brand, love what you do, and always, keep swimming!
May 6, 2019 | Blog, News
I can’t believe it has been ten years already!
Back in October of 2008, our company Sencorp, which included the Sencorp thermoforming product lines, as well as the CeraTek and CeraPak sealing product lines, had a total of 67 employees located in Hyannis, Massachusetts. That November, Sencorp began the integration of White Systems, relocating the company from Kenilworth, New Jersey.
In less than 90 days, the Sencorp facility in Hyannis was reconfigured to accommodate White Systems manufacturing. Fifty-seven truck-loads of machines and materials were shipped from New Jersey and then, unloaded, installed, and serviced. At the same time, 45 employees were hired and trained to manufacture and assemble White carousels. Within six months, full production resumed and White Systems, a brand that had been recognized for over 70 years as the preeminent designer, manufacturer, and service provider for horizontal and vertical carousels, reemerged as a leader in the automated storage and retrieval market.
While the integration of the two companies went smoothly overall, we did have to overcome a few challenges. Here are the four most important lessons we learned along the way:
- Appreciate the value of a trusted brand name. Shortly after the integration of White into Sencorp, the combined entity was renamed SencorpWhite—our way of paying homage to the legacy of each company. While the new name made sense to us, the market thought otherwise. Both Sencorp and White each had over 70 years of brand equity as recognized leaders in their respective markets, and the new name confused many customers. “What did a ‘Sencorp’ have to do with White?” and “What did ‘White’ have to do with Sencorp?” We listened, and after recognizing the true value of the original brand names, White is now as it was, in name and logo. What’s old is new again!
- You don’t have to manufacture everything. In the late 1990s, White entered the vertical lift module (VLM) market in the United States representing a European manufacturer under the PowerColumn brand. Believing that we needed to manufacture all of our products, utilizing Sencorp engineering, we quickly embarked designing our own VLM, the PowerColumn Three (PC3). While the PC3 is successful for unique applications, it is not a product for the general VLM market. To round out White’s product range, we partnered with an Italian VLM manufacturer, ICAM, to supply automated lift modules for the North American market. Our experience taught us that you don’t always have to manufacture everything yourself in order to be successful.
- Offer customers a complete solution. My thinking around the concept of “software for machinery” was the product of years of experience in industry, so when we acquired White, I expected its software to be the same as Sencorp’s, i.e., applications to run the machines. How wrong I was! White carousels need to work together in warehouses filled with disparate machines and technologies, creating a total warehouse solution. As such, we recognized that being a provider of inventory management solutions requires more than just stand-alone hardware. System providers in the warehouse automation market must have integrated solutions that include hardware, software, and service. Recognizing our inexperience in warehouse inventory management software, we have also acquired Intek Integration Technologies and Minerva Associates, leading software companies in warehouse management systems (WMS) and warehouse control systems (WCS).
- Be open to new, even unexpected, markets. Today, with White’s complete portfolio of hardware, software, and service, we are positioned as a leading provider of integrated storage and retrieval systems for the hospital pharmacy and emerging click-and-collect grocery markets. In addition, White custom configures hardware and software solutions for diverse markets like aerospace and automotive manufacturing and maintenance, e-commerce distribution, defense, and medical marijuana, to name a few.
Looking back, it’s incredible to see how White has expanded in size and scope over the past ten years. Now with over 240 employees, two manufacturing facilities on both coasts, European partners, three engineering and software development offices, and 23 field-ready service sites located throughout the United States, White is better positioned than ever before to be a leading provider of automated storage and retrieval solutions.
