Survival Camp

How do you stimulate large capital equipment sales during an economic downturn when many companies are merely trying to survive? You show them how investments in technology are an important catalyst for success.

During the last recession, competition for Mazak's customers had been brutal. Foreign companies added to the mix of low-cost producers in a N. American market that was already highly competitive. Many smaller companies simply disappeared, leading some to say, "Manufacturing in the U.S. is dead." Yet, those Mazak customers who had embraced change through technology advancements were succeeding. Our challenge was to showcase these case studies in a way that could help more companies overcome their natural resistance to change.

We developed a campaign that was very timely. Events called "Survival Camps" were to be held at Mazak's U.S. headquarters, and then duplicated at several Regional Centers across the U.S. and Mexico. The thrust was educational - how technological advances have changed the face of American manufacturing.

The Survival Camp program evolved to include:
• G. Temple designed and produced the A series of seminars by industry professionals and Mazak experts on lean manufacturing
• Real-world applications being machined in their Technology Center
• Plant tours showing advanced technologies at work in Mazak's factory
• A printed journal of case studies from G. Temple's editorial archives documenting the impact on real companies of investing in new technologies
• Lean manufacturing reference tools

Survivor Kit materials (shown here) as a take-away reference folder. The first Survival Camp exceeded expectations, with more than 500 attendees. Following its success, three more camps were held at Mazak Technology Centers throughout North America.