GA Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) Georgia Tech

NuGen Systems Wins with Safety and Sustainability

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NuGen Systems wins a check for $5000 at the Innovation Test Track competition for innovation in automotive technologies.

NuGen Systems, a manufacturer of rechargeable battery-based solutions, was started in 2016 by co-founder and CEO, Venus Desai, with the goal of designing a safer, more powerful lithium-ion battery solution (using lithium iron phosphate chemistry), to replace the lead acid batteries commonly used in  industrial applications. Finding it difficult to break into well-established markets as a component of other products, NuGen began designing its own products made with its batteries, to market independently. The company found a fit for their battery solution in the mobile generator market.

Gas-powered generators are noisy, produce carbon monoxide (which is harmful for both people and the environment), and can be a fire hazard. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recently released a report estimating that about 85 consumers die in the U.S. each year from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by gasoline-powered portable generators and noting that one portable generator can produce the same amount of carbon monoxide as hundreds of cars. However, until recently, they were the only available option for many mobile businesses like food trucks and car maintenance services. NuGen set out to provide a safer, greener option.

To help make the transition, the company drew upon its network of resources at the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute. NuGen, a member of the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) since the company was founded, worked with coach and manufacturing catalyst, Shane Matthews, to help  build and test the idea, write a business plan, and access mentors and advisors in strategy, finance, and other areas of expertise.

Through ATDC, the company was invited to a webinar hosted by another Enterprise Innovation Institute program, the Georgia Minority Business Development Agency Business Center (MBDA Business Center). There, NuGen connected with the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) and with Mike Stonecipher, group manager of strategy and leadership development. Stonecipher immediately saw the potential for the company to participate in the Innovation Test Track Competition®, an automotive-related pitch competition that he helps organize each year.

Stonecipher encouraged the company to participate in the competition, which is designed to bring new technology to the automotive industry while also giving entrepreneurs a chance to showcase their automotive-related products. Participating start-ups are provided with coaching and networking opportunities with representatives from major automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and other business leaders.

Desai and his team worked with their Innovation Test Track® advisor to refine their pitch, including quantifying how much environmental impact their product could make if the gas generators in the U.S. (approximately 15 million) were replaced by battery-powered generators. They also participated in pitch practice sessions hosted by the Georgia MBDA Business Center program to help them prepare.

On Oct. 6, 2022, NuGen Systems competed in and won the competition, hosted at the Southern Automotive Conference in Duluth, Georgia. The prize awarded was $5,000 cash provided by SAE Atlanta, plus $5,000 in consulting services provided by Clarity Capital Advisors.

NuGen’s next step is to launch a subscription model to provide easier access to the product for small businesses. The model will allow businesses to essentially rent the equipment for a low monthly fee, approximately what it would cost to purchase the gas needed to run a traditional machine and complete regular maintenance.

NuGen plans to use the strategy services provided as part of the competition prize to develop this business model and then pursue the food truck market across the U.S., a booming industry that is estimated to include more than 35,000 operations currently and continues to grow.

To learn more about the Innovation Test Track® Competition or GaMEP’s automotive industry services, contact Mike Stonecipher at ude.hcetag.etavonninull@rehpicenots.ekim

Two Georgia Manufacturers Partner to Produce Face Shields for COVID-19 First Responders

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Two Georgia Manufacturers Partner to Produce Face Shields for COVID-19 First Responders

Less than 100 miles of interstate and back-roads in Georgia separates one of the largest car manufacturers from an OEM manufacturing supplier. Eight weeks ago, these two manufacturers had never been in contact, let alone imagined they would connect over a product that neither were producing at the time. Fast forward to May of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic and not only are they supporting each other, but one of the companies is incorporating this product change into their long-term business strategy.

In late February, Reagan Barksdale, president of TSG Resolute in Americus, Georgia, could see the writing on the wall. Watching what was occurring in Asia and Europe and talking to numerous Fortune 500 clients, Barksdale and his team had the forethought to understand that there was going to be a shortage in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at the hospitals and began putting together a plan to manufacture and distribute face shields. Barksdale said, “The product itself was aligned with what we were already producing in our facility and by getting ahead of the curve not only have we been able to stay open and keep our team working, but we are manufacturing a key item that is helping out in the community and across the country.”

Around the same time, Stuart Countess, chief administrative officer with KIA Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG), out of West Point, was having a similar conversation with his team. Knowing the automobile industry was going to have to slow production to deplete existing inventory, KMMG wanted to give their team a chance to keep working and tie back to their “Accelerate the Good” program. Countess said, “We could use our manufacturing resources to support the needs of the medical industry in a timely manner and make an immediate impact.” The KMMG plant got to work, reconfiguring the materials space for their new production line – setting up glass partitions and work station tables six feet apart. Countess reached out to John Morehouse, Director of the Center of Innovation for Manufacturing at the Georgia Department of Economic Development and Derek Woodham, West Georgia region manager for the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) at Georgia Tech, to gain confirmation that KMMG’s idea of producing face shields was an immediate need in the state.

Morehouse connected KMMG with the Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI), a non-profit 501(c)(3) and affiliate of Georgia Tech, where the groups partnered to prototype and test KMMG’s face shield renderings. While this was occurring Countess was asking Woodham how to get the materials sourced to create the face shields. Woodham reached out to TSG Resolute, a long-time client of the GaMEP. Woodham said, “Reagan has been in our CEO Roundtable for years and has been a very active participant and supporter of the GaMEP, and just knowing that they were already making face shields, the connection seemed perfect.”

During the conversation, the two groups agreed that TSG Resolute would supply KMMG the materials needed to produce face shields. Countess said, “It was great to be able to connect and support a Georgia-based manufacturer.” Barksdale agreed, “We took a chance at the beginning of all of this and since we were one of the first to make this product, we had enough raw material that we were able to supply KMMG so that they could help out with the critical supply efforts as well.” In addition to supplying material, TSG Resolute also got involved in the face shield design, helping GCMI optimize material to keep the cost down.

Two months into the COVID-19 pandemic, KMMG is fulfilling commitments across the United States. The team is providing face shields to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), which are then being distributed to those on the front line. The group is also shipping out product to their regional offices across the country, who are then dispensing the face shields to medical facilities and hot spots in their regions. Countess said, “We have a goal to produce 300,000 face shields by the end of May in order to get our product into the hands of people that need them most.” As for a what’s to come, the KMMG team is continuing to assess the situation and align their future efforts with the needs of those in the field. Countess continued, “KIA and the KMMG family have a strong community relations program and it’s great to be able to give back during such an important time for all of us.”

For TSG Resolute, a 250 person plant in a small town in Southwest Georgia, the short-term goal is similar to KMMG – to supply the medical industry with what they need to stay safe. Barksdale said, “We are currently making up to 65,000 face shields a day and sending them to local hospitals, as well as supplying KIA with 50,000 parts, such as foam and latex straps, per week so they can continue to produce product as well.” For the long-term, however their goal is different than KMMG. Prior to COVID-19, TSG Resolute had sold a few of their products to the medical industry, but had a five-year plan to break into this new-to-them market. Barksdale said, “We had just made a million-dollar capital investment to serve the medical industry, so COVID-19 has sped up our plans and instead of it taking years to make connections in the industry, it’s taken weeks to form important relationships with hospital chains and medical suppliers.” In addition, the company has used this time to complete construction on their clean room, form connections, educate themselves on the industry, and look at economical ways to produce medical industry products in Georgia, but at costs closer to overseas competitors, so they can continue to forge this new path for the future of the company and the growth of jobs in their community.

Prior to COVID-19, Barksdale and Countess had never talked nor was KMMG aware of the manufacturer less than 100 miles away, but for both groups, through their trusted relationship with GaMEP, they have grown to rely on each other and are exploring ways to work together even long after COVID-19 is a distant memory.

By Katie Takacs, with the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Kia Plant Tour Drives Student Interest Towards Careers in the Automotive Industry

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In April, a group of Georgia Tech students had the opportunity to tour the Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) automotive plant, an impressive facility spanning over 2,300,000 square feet located in West Point, Georgia. Hosted by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Atlanta Section, the tour provided students with an in-depth look into KMMG’s history and manufacturing process for the three Kia models produced in the plant: The Optima, Sorento, and most recently the Telluride, which debuted in spring of 2019.

Mike Stonecipher of GaMEP at Georgia Tech, Joy Johnston and Ted Arnold of KMMG welcome Georgia Tech students to the Kia Plant 

Before witnessing the plant’s assembly line in action, the students met with KMMG employees, Ted Arnold, Head of Quality Assurance, and Joy Johnston, Public Relations Specialist, to learn what sets KMMG apart from other automotive manufacturers. Arnold and Johnston highlighted several of the company’s quality accolades, including its recent award for ranking number one among all mass market brands for four consecutive years. The pair was quick to credit its success and continued growth to its incredibly diverse and highly skilled workforce.

“The Kia Georgia Training Center and Georgia Quick Start have played a key part in the Kia Continuous Improvement mindset, helping us to sustain a work environment dedicated to fostering teamwork, safety, and world-class training,” said Johnston while discussing some of the company’s core values and training methods.

Following a Q&A session, the students experienced the final part of the visit and what they had been anticipating since their arrival – a golf cart tour through the different stages of the Kia assembly facility. During the tour, the students were driven through multiple buildings on-site as Johnston explained the operations performed in each one. In addition to watching employees work together on the assembly line to build vehicles, the students got a firsthand look at how the plant incorporates automation into its process. Stopping at one point in front of a group of industrial robots, the students observed how the robots welded together the inner and outer panels of a vehicle.

“Seeing the automation that surrounds the process was really interesting,” commented Reed Clark, a Georgia Tech senior majoring in mechanical engineering. “I had never been in an automotive plant before so I enjoyed seeing how the assembly line works and watching all the car bodies and parts move overhead from one area to the next until you’ve ended up with a full-blown car. It was easy for me to identify all the different steps of production as they were happening on the assembly line.”

Accompanying the group of Georgia Tech students during the tour was Mike Stonecipher, Project Manager for the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) at Georgia Tech and Board Chair for the SAE Atlanta Section. Having significant work experience within the automotive field, Stonecipher is an industry expert and has been involved with the SAE Atlanta Section for the past five years. After being named Board Chair three years ago, he has played an integral role in revitalizing the section through strong leadership and strategic plan development and execution. Generating excitement and interest in the field of automotive has been an important goal of the SAE Atlanta Section’s strategic plan. To accomplish this, the SAE Atlanta Section works with Georgia Tech and GaMEP throughout the year to develop successful events that not only increase interest within the community of students, but also champion manufacturing in the state of Georgia.

“The SAE Atlanta section is heavily involved with promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and serving the automotive industry,” Stonecipher said. “We have some of the best colleges in the world developing the next generation of engineers and leaders.  As a result, one of our objectives is to support local manufacturers and students by providing an opportunity to connect.”

The Kia Plant tour is one event choice that aligns well with the SAE Atlanta Section’s objective. According to Patrick Sands, Public Relations Manager, KMMG is excited to offer students ranging from middle school age to college level an inside look at the automotive industry as well as provide an example of an advanced manufacturing opportunity that could be available to them once they join the job market.

“During a plant tour, students are able to see up-close-and-personal the quality that Kia puts into its products,” Sands said. “We hope these tours not only inspire students to think higher of the brand, but to also consider joining the Kia team once they graduate.”

 

About Kia Motors America

Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia Motors America continues to top quality surveys and is recognized as one of the 100 Best Global Brands and 50 Best Global Green Brands by Interbrand.  Kia serves as the “Official Automotive Partner” of the NBA and offers a complete range of vehicles sold through a network of nearly 800 dealers in the U.S., including cars and SUVs proudly assembled in West Point, Georgia.*

Innovation Test Track Competition

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SAC 2018 Innovation Test Track Award Ceremony
From left, John Evans, department chair of Industrial and Systems Engineering and director of the Thomas Walter Center for Technology Management at Auburn University, the 2018 Innovation Test Track (ITT) sponsor; Mike Stonecipher, organizer and emcee of 2018 ITT and automotive industry project manager for the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) at Georgia Tech; Jack Sisk, 2017 ITT event lead and member of Auburn University’s Industrial and Systems Engineering team; Paul Noble, CEO of AUTIT and competition winner; and judges Jane (Karwoski) McCracken, interim director, Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) at Georgia Tech; Tim Yerdon, president, Plymouth Technology Advisors, LLC; Jimmy D’Emilio, procurement manager, Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia; Rusty Kruciak, 2nd Generation Capital, Nashville, and Jianan Sun, Innovation Hub Solution Architect at Mercedes-Benz USA.

The Innovation Test Track Competition is held each year during the Southern Automotive Conference and encourages companies with innovative products or services that could benefit the automotive industry to pitch their concept to a panel of judges who have a background in innovation. This year, GaMEP project manager, Mike Stonecipher, helped organize the event and served as emcee for the awards ceremony. Stonecipher said, “Each of the finalists are technology leaders and demonstrate the passion required to make transportation and manufacturing innovative, safer, and exciting.”

The winner of the event was AUTIT (now known as Verusen), an Atlanta-based startup that uses artificial intelligence to help manufacturers accurately predict inventory needs and avoid buying excess inventory.

Read the full article in Southern Automotive Alliance Magazine.