At Gage, we follow some straightforward ideals: quality, reliability, innovation, customer focus, and environmental stewardship. With the opening of our new Gage Innovation Center we have put all of these concepts into overdrive to strengthen our commitment to vehicle manufacturers and the automotive and industrial suppliers we serve.
Our commitment to advancing research and development efforts for new products and continued growth is evident in our new center. This multi-million dollar facility, located at our 12-acre Ferndale headquarters site, is important for many reasons: It lets us bring the Quality Control (QC) and Research & Development (R&D) departments together under the same roof for easier collaboration and in-house testing. We celebrated the official opening on Oct. 15th with community leaders, state and local officials, and, of course, all of our valued employees.
One of the most exciting aspects of this new center is the state-of-the-art laboratory outfitted with highly technical equipment. Our scientists now have access to gas chromatography and mass spectrometry equipment, both of which are critical to the multitude of tests we run. In the past, it was also time consuming to deliver reports and findings across departments — the new computerized, integrated information system allows technicians to share QC and R&D testing results much more quickly and efficiently.
This new facility also allows us to add new capabilities. We are now able to:
• Perform aromatic and detailed hydrocarbon analysis for fuels • Determine compound identifications through use of a mass spectrometry upgrade • Execute critical testing on up to 50 distinct fuel properties • Increase storage capacity for customer-product test samples
As one of our missions is for continuous improvement, this new Innovation Center gives our QC technicians better control and focus on the 500+ tests that we run each week. Performing all the tests in our own laboratory, without needing to outsource, lets us deliver results in 1-2 days. If re-testing is necessary, it can begin right away. The benefit greatly enhances the service we provide for our customers.
This new Innovation Center is an investment in our future so that we can expand our capabilities and develop new products while continuing to offer outstanding customer service. Gage is certified for ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 and the new Gage Innovation Center laboratory is in the process of certifying to ISO 17025 standards.
To learn more about our expanded and upgraded facilities and capabilities, feel free to contact us. We’d love to share our new innovations with you!
It’s no secret that we at Gage Products are big supporters of U.S. manufacturing. Although our last blog discussed expanding our services in a global market, we believe a strong American foundation is the key to a successful future—and we do our part to support it.
Aside from making our products in the U.S., we also help the industry through STEM education initiatives, working alongside the future generation of the manufacturing workforce. Not only we do provide a scholarship program and support a student car competition, we take opportunities to get involved with our own community in Michigan. There are plenty of great things happening in manufacturing in our area.
One example of manufacturing’s success and growth is the Detroit-based organization known as The Empowerment Plan. The nonprofit works to give jobs to the homeless and manufacture coats that can be transformed into sleeping bags—something that not only benefits these particular people but the industry and community as a whole. Initiatives such as this are driving nothing but positivity into the workforce and sector.
Another major event for Michigan manufacturing was the 2013 Manufacturing Talent Summit, which took place at the end of October. This summit focused “connecting industry professionals, educators and state leaders in the effort to combat Michigan’s growing talent crisis,” according to the event website. In addition, across the U.S. last month, Manufacturing Day sought to connect the next generation of manufacturing professionals to the up and coming jobs, and this month, we’re looking forward to recognizing American Made Matters Day’s effort to raise awareness. Both of these events celebrate the commitment to creating opportunities for the industry, which is invaluable.
At Gage, we wholly support U.S. manufacturing with our products, offerings, and outside work and hope you’ll make the commitment this month to the industry by pledging to buy American made products.
This year’s winner, Randell Seaton, is an intern in Gage’s R&D lab.
Our previous blog post highlighted our involvement in the EcoCar competition, which sponsors teams of student engineers as they design an American-made automobile with less dependence on oil and more environmental benefits. And if you haven’t seen our Facebook page, you’re missing out on photos of us at color runs, community events, and awards ceremonies. Here’s the Cliff Notes version of what Gage is all about: We love to be a part of our community and support STEM education.
A result of our activities with the chamber of commerce and community, led us to realize that we had an opportunity to do more for local students. We firmly believe that today’s students represent tomorrow’s business leaders, and we think it’s very important to support them and provide assistance, which is why we have awarded a $1,000 scholarship to a local senior high school student studying science or engineering for the past 20 years.
In 2007, we realized that four-figure sum wasn’t enough to last through an entire undergraduate career. Consequently, we opened up the opportunity to renew the scholarship, meaning each winner can claim their scholarship annually for up to five years.
While we’ve been thrilled to provide an opportunity to support the local education system and encourage careers in science and engineering, this opportunity has also provided a chance for students to intern with us and get hands-on experience in the field. We firmly believe the development of a sustainable talent pipeline is vital to Michigan’s (and Gage’s) long-term success. For more information on our company, initiatives, and products, visit our website.
Last month, Gage Products took part in one of our most exciting opportunities to date. A trade mission to China, organized by the Michigan Economic Development Corp., gave 21 companies from the state the chance to explore export options in major Chinese cities. According to the MEDC, China is expected to be the largest consumer market in the world by 2015 – a trend bolstered by strong economic development in the business and manufacturing sectors, which is why Gage participated in the trip. The opportunity to explore potential partnerships with manufacturers looking to increase efficiency in the face of a squeeze on land resources allowed Gage to demonstrate our full and broad range of sustainable, efficiency-improving products.
One of the major benefits of trade missions like this one is the potential to explore not only overseas partnerships, but also business with fellow Michigan-based firms. On this particular trip, almost half of the 21 companies that went were related to the automotive industry, an area in which Gage has extensive expertise. Working with some of these manufacturers while discovering the potential for business abroad can, in many cases, lead to partnerships that might not have otherwise occurred.
By expanding our indoor diesel blending capabilities and packaging facility, we are better equipped to extend the provision of products and services to our customer base, which has led to our first fuel sale in China. The introduction of cutting edge fuel additive equipment allows us the flexibility to make additions of small quantities precisely and efficiently. As a result, Gage continues to attract new Fuels customers while remaining flexible enough to deliver the level of exceptional service our current customers are accustomed to. A cornerstone of the recent growth Gage has seen is based on a combination of product excellence, flexibility and service distinction.
The sheer size of cities like Shanghai can be overwhelming, but in many ways, there is no better place to explore new business than burgeoning economies like this one. Whether at home or abroad, however, we look forward to the chance to share our technologies with you.