The assets and intellectual property of the TWI Institute were purchased recently by its two principals, Scott Curtis and Patrick Graupp, both longtime colleagues and thought leaders in TWI (Training Within Industry) and Kata programs that improve human productivity and business performance in workplaces worldwide. Curtis and Graupp made the acquisition from CNY TDO, a not-for-profit organization focused on helping Central New York manufacturers and technology companies innovate and grow.
The purchase became logical as TWI Institute's consulting and training programs expanded globally to manufacturing, healthcare, services and government, whereas CNY TDO's focus is on manufacturing and technology companies in Central New York only. TWI Institute will operate as a dba of TWI Consultants, a limited liability company owned by Curtis and Graupp, with Curtis retaining the President/CEO position and Graupp as Vice President and Senior Master Trainer. Terms of the purchase agreement were not disclosed.
Curtis said, "Early on, CNY TDO saw the potential for TWI and the Institute, and provided the resources we needed. Toyota's adoption of TWI in its storied production system sparked a global interest that we eventually served through a network of partners in Asia, Europe and South America. It became clear that our direction and that of CNY TDO were evolving. Both of us knew it was time to pursue our own missions. CNY TDO gave Pat Graupp and I the opportunity." CNY TDO has been licensed by TWI Institute on an exclusive basis to provide TWI consulting and training to manufacturers and technology companies in its five-county Central New York State region.
TWI originated in the United States early in World War II. Because the war effort required so much manpower in the European and Pacific theaters, the people who replaced them in the manufacturing plants, including women who had never worked in factories or shipyards before, not only needed job training, but also a different approach to work in order to produce the amount of materials needed by the armed services. After the War, Americans brought TWI to Japan to help rebuild its manufacturing. There it was embraced and became the foundation for the Toyota Production System (TPS), a model for contemporary management, manufacturing and production.
TWI Institute, founded as a division of CNY TDO in 2001 and headquartered in Syracuse, NY, uses the authentic TWI programs to train people to be more productive and satisfied on the job. The cornerstone programs include Job Instruction, Job Methods, Job Relations and Job Safety. TWI Institute also consults with companies on how to best prepare for TWI and sustain the beneficial effect it has on continuous improvement, productivity and employee engagement. Clients of TWI Institute include Cummins, LEGO, BMW and Merck, among many others. More information on TWI Institute is available at: www.twi-institute.com.
