STRICTLY BUSINESS: COMPANIES HELP EACH OTHER WITH NETWORKING

Local manufacturers can help each other.

A recent manufacturing survey in Southern Illinois reveals great diversity of manufacturers throughout a 30-county region, with products ranging from auto parts, sporting goods, heavy manufacturing machinery, consumer specialty products, home and building components and food products.

"The information gathered by this survey will guide a multi-year program to provide direct value-added assistance and services to manufacturing companies throughout the area," said Don Norton of the Southern Illinois office of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce.

Norton directed the survey, conducted through the efforts of a number of Southern Illinois groups and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.

The mission of the survey was to inventory, classify and analyze existing products, manufacturing processes, inputs and outputs of manufacturers in the Southern Illinois region.

'Linking' manufacturers

The results will be used to "link" or match manufacturers able to provide products and services to each other, "thereby building business and creating or maintaining jobs in the region," said Norton.

In other words, the overall goal of the survey is to maintain, strengthen and expand the manufacturing base in Southern Illinois.

This was a survey of wide scope said Norton.

The 30 counties contained more than 250 manufacturers, with annual sales ranging from $72,000 for small manufacturers to more than $215 million for larger manufacturers.

"It was sort of like going on a quail hunt without dogs," said Norton. "You knew they were out there, but you didn't know exactly where they were. We went hunting in 30 counties."

The results have been great, said Norton. "We hope to see businesses start networking together."

Although the survey was only completed in November, it has already attracted attentions from other parts of the state, said Norton.

What Norton and the survey found was that some companies were purchasing parts from other areas when they can find them locally at reduced transportation costs.

"We found that a few companies could make good use of the expertise of another company in a number of ways," said Norton. "We made some referrals, and dug out a lot of information on what area companies can do."

Other observations

Hundreds of "partnering links" were discovered in the study.

The study also revealed some other observations. Manufacturers were asked about the region's industrial climate, such as pressure for higher quality production, workforce attitudes and other improvements.

This involved interviewing and touring 33 Southern Illinois area manufacturers, and analyzing results of 39-page surveys from a total of 220 manufacturers.

Manufacturing facilities generally indicated a 20 percent average growth over the past six years.

Many manufacturers indicated an interest in identifying Southern Illinois suppliers for materials they purchase and were surprised to learn there were so many such vendors in the area.

Almost every plant reported difficulty in finding qualified employees who can perform their type of work. Gaps ranged from lack of basic skills of reading and math to more complicated skills, such as machine technology and maintenance.

Companies reported difficulty in attracting such skilled workers as machinists, tool-and-die makers and professional engineers to their areas.

Several manufacturers indicated interest in school-to-work programs to help increase the hiring pool and improve math, reading and computer skills.

Employee training

Many companies, 67 percent, reported they provided training for their employees, either in-house, or through area educational facilities.

About one in three manufacturers reported some union representation. Most reported good working relations with the company's unions.

More than 50 percent of manufactured items were sold to "end users." Many sold to both users and other manufacturers.

Regional sponsors for the Southern Illinois survey included Central Illinois Public Service Co., The Electric Cooperatives of Southern Illinois, GTE North, Carbondale Business Development Corp., Illinois Power Co., Williamson County Marketing Committee, and the Illinois State Chamber.

Researchers also received assistance from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, and community colleges throughout the 30-county area.

The Southern Illinois "linkage" program is similar to a program being conducted under the Community Based Economic Development Plan of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.

'Partnering' program here

"This is a key part of our existing business program," said John Mehner, president of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. "We ask companies what supplies they cannot obtain locally, and if it would be more convenient if they could purchase these supplies locally."

This program also serves as a means of compiling a "potential" new-industry list.

One big example of "partnering" companies in Cape Girardeau County is that of Procter & Gamble Paper Products and Mildenberger & Willing (M&W) Packaging, both located north of Cape Girardeau.

Procter & Gamble has been a customer of M&W Packaging, a German company, a number of years. When M&W started looking for a U.S. site, it was only natural that the Cape Girardeau area be a consideration, and in 1989, M&W officials visited here and were greeted by a group of 30 to 430 chamber members.

Two years later, the M&W manufacturing facility -- a $40 million, 147,000-square-foot plant -- opened on property donated by P&G.

This all led to a third "partnering" company -- Sauressig, another German-based company.

Sauressig produced gravure printing cylinders needed by M&W for printing on its packaging products.

M&W later purchased the local branch of Sauressig.

21-minute shopping sprees

Ever wonder how long the average grocery shopper spends at the store?

One large manufacturing company -- Procter & Gamble, headquartered at Cincinnati -- conducted a survey to find out.

Today's average consumer, more often than not a woman, said the survey, takes just 21 minutes to do her grocery shopping -- from the moment she slams her car door in a supermarket parking lot to the moment she climbs back in with her purchases.

During that time, she buys an average of 18 items, out of 30,000 to 40,000 choices.

That really cuts down on the browsing time. Consumers aren't even bothering to check prices. They want the same products, at the same price, in the same row, week after week.

B. Ray Owen is business editor for the Southeast Missourian.