Anyone who questions the value of attending trade shows might want to take a lesson from the engineers at Kennedy Valve (KV; Elmira, NY). Kennedy Valve is a 100-year-old, privately held company, currently owned by the McWayne family. It is one of the largest manufacturers of fire hydrants and water valves in the world, employing 400 workers with sales exceeding USD125 million. While attending IMTS, several years ago, Michael Lombardi, a KV manufacturing engineer, made a stop that changed the company's approach to cost savings, time savings, inventory reduction, and overall profitability.
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