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PRESS RELEASE: May 20, 2003
ALLIANCE FOR ETP
A nonprofit organization to support the
programs of the California Employment Training Panel
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Carson woodcarving company finds quick rewards from training
It's like a hive on the floor of the factory, with workers
leaning over tables, benches and machines as the whir of saws
and cutters fills the air.
They are shaping the highest quality of lumber into square
and rectangular blocks, then putting them through the noisy cutting
processes to transform the wood into delicate roses and ribbons
that will decorate walls and drawers, ornate spirals that will
line staircases and balconies, animal heads that will guard fireplaces
and columns, and detailed figurines that will bring life to back
bars and table tops.
Enkeboll Designs in Carson has been doing such intricate woodcarvings
for nearly 50 years, since the late Raymond Enkeboll founded
it in 1956.
The company has supplied the world with architectural woodcarvings
that have enhanced homes, offices and even ships. The products
can be as simple as molding with some minor details, or as complex
as mantel bases in the shapes of larger than life lions or swans.
Enkeboll has about 215 employees involved in the artistic woodcarving
and the operations, sales and administration that go with that
business.
Many of those employees recently finished a job training program
that was designed to teach them to streamline the plant's processes
and improve the efficiency of the work.
The continuous improvement training provided by Quest Consulting & Training
Corp., which is based in Pacific Palisades, was customized to
the specific needs of Enkeboll.
It was partially funded by the California Employment Training
Panel (ETP), a state agency created 20 years ago to keep high
paying, highly skilled jobs in California by helping businesses
stay competitive.
Although the training just ended a few months ago, Enkeboll
has already seen a number of good results from it, said Barbara
Nannini, director of human resources for the company.
"We've implemented 16 or 17 improvements suggested by
the teams formed during the training," Nannini said. "We
don't have any objective measurements yet. But subjectively,
we've seen some very positive changes."
Most of the changes have been in the woodworking shop, where
some tools have been modified to make them more efficient, setup
processes have been streamlined to increase productivity and
the inventory system has been modified to make sure workers don't
run out of supplies they'll need, Nannini said.
"I think there are going to be results that can be objectively
measured by next year," she said.
Although it's too soon to know the bottom line results at Enkeboll,
other manufacturers who have used similar ETP funded training
to teach streamlining processes and problem solving skills have
found that productivity increased as much as 10 percent afterwards.
Enkeboll doesn't allow photographs in its shop because the
company has proprietary technology it doesn't want competitors
to see. But the showroom in Carson has a museum like collection
of woodcarvings and samples that can be seen during office hours.
Life like lions' heads look out from mantels. Grapevines dangle
along a wall. The sides of one room are filled with carved moldings,
while another room shows standard items as simple as wooden knobs
for drawers and decorated corbels. One wall is covered by wooden
panels that show finely detailed people carved into intricate
scenes and stories.
The state's ETP spends about $80 million a year for individualized
job training and retraining programs like the one used at Enkeboll.
That money is raised from California businesses themselves, not
taxpayers. Last year the agency helped fund training programs
for more than 5,000 businesses that collectively employ about
75,000 Californians.
Since it was created, the ETP has helped train and upgrade
the skills of approximately 550,000 Californians through some
50,000 employers.
The Alliance for ETP is a nonprofit organization of businesses,
trade associations and educational institutions that support
the programs of the California Employment Training Panel.
Members of the Alliance for ETP are: Affiliated Computer Services
Inc. (ACS), Alicia Ashley, American Business Concepts, Barry
Menzel, California Manufacturing Technology Center, California
Training Coalition, California Training Cooperative, College
of the Canyons, Employers Group, Foundation for Educational Achievement
(Foundation College), GoTrain Inc., Herrera & Company, Insurance
Educational Association, ITTS, Leadership Consulting Associates,
MANEX, McMullan Solutions, Myers Organizational Development and
Consulting, National Training Systems, NTMA Training Centers
of Southern California, Oxman College, PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP, Professional Career Institute, Professional Development
Center (Glendale College), Quest Consulting & Training Corporation,
R. Hammer Enterprises, Steve Duscha Advisories, Timely Concepts,
Training Funding Partners, UAW LETC, Vickie Bradshaw, West Los
Angeles Community College/Center for Economic Development, Westech
College.
Alliance for ETP contact: Thom Akeman
Phone: (831) 643 2140
Email: thomakeman@aol.com
To contact Enkeboll Designs:
Phone: (310) 532 1400
Web site: www.enkeboll.com
(Note: The business is located at 16506 Avalon Blvd., Carson)
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