Wards Natural Science

Ward's Natural Science has been meeting the needs of the science education community since 1862 - from middle school and high school-level classroom and homeschool studies to college curriculum, lab experiments, science fairs and hobbies.  They are the single source for the highest-quality Biology, Biotechnology, Earth Science, Environmental Science, Forensics, Physical Science, and Chemistry science teaching supplies.  This Henrietta, New York based company has 180 employees and is known worldwide for quality products and technical expertise.

Situation:

Competitors are stepping up their outsourcing of their manufacturing operations and many are purchasing products from offshore manufacturers.  In order to stay competitive and continue to produce many of its educational materials in-house, Ward's began to work to increase efficiency in its production processes.  Their long-term goal was to retain jobs and expand business.

Solution:

Working with High Tech Rochester, Ward's was granted an $86,000 grant by New York State and is using the funds to train all its production employees in Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing techniques.  This training took place during 2003 and 2004 at the company's headquarters and was performed by High Tech Rochester.

Results:

As a direct result of this training sales increased by $3.5 million and cost savings were $100,000.  They were also able to add or retain 8 jobs.