News and Insights
MLC Plant Tour: An Up-Close Look at Kohler’s OT/IT Integration
MLC members toured Kohler’s new 1-million-square-foot Arizona smart factory, learning how OT/IT integration, wireless networking and automation support bathtub production and warehouse operations.
Manufacturing Leadership Council Appoints Ron Castro as Chairman and Will Bonifant as Vice Chairman of Board of Governors
Manufacturing Leadership Council names IBM’s Ron Castro chairman and Hormel Foods’ Will Bonifant vice chairman of its Board of Governors to guide manufacturing digital transformation efforts.
The Best of Rethink 2025
Rethink 2025 highlighted Manufacturing 4.0 best practices, from AI and digital resilience to autonomous operations, with sessions on Eaton, IPG, Hershey, and strategies for accelerating transformation.
Welcome New Members of the MLC August 2025
Introducing the latest new members to the Manufacturing Leadership Council
MLC welcomes new members from leading manufacturing companies, including executives from Regal Rexnord, SC Johnson, Lincoln Electric, Plexus, and others. Learn more about their membership.
The AI Divide: Manufacturing’s Pivotal Moment is Here
AI is now production-ready and delivering measurable manufacturing gains in quality, maintenance, and productivity. Manufacturers that fail to adopt it quickly risk falling behind AI-enabled competitors.
Scenes from Rethink 2025
Manufacturing leaders gathered in Florida for MLC’s record-setting Rethink 2025, focusing on accelerating digital transformation, AI, and Manufacturing 4.0 through panels, case studies, and awards.
MLC Announces 2025 Manufacturing Leadership Award Winners
MLC named Celanese, Pure & Gentle and Merck’s Besu Alemayehu as 2025 Manufacturing Leadership Award winners for digital transformation, sustainability and innovation in manufacturing.
Decarbonizing Scope 3 Emissions through Circular Strategies
Circular economy strategies can help companies cut Scope 3 emissions by reducing upstream supplier impacts and product-use emissions. Circular procurement and supplier engagement offer practical decarbonization levers across the value chain.
Building a Practical Sustainability Management System for Manufacturers
A Sustainability Management System helps manufacturers embed sustainability into daily operations, leadership, and continuous improvement. It moves companies beyond reporting to practical, business-driven action across the value chain.
The Business Case for Circularity
Circular manufacturing helps reduce waste, protect profitability and build resilient supply chains by redesigning products, processes and partnerships. Consumer demand and regulation are pushing companies toward closed-loop, regenerative business models.
MLC Announces Finalists of Manufacturing Leadership Awards
MLC announced finalists for the Manufacturing Leadership Awards, recognizing companies advancing digital transformation in manufacturing. Winners will be revealed at the June 18 gala in Florida, alongside the Rethink conference.
Sustainable Supply Chain Management: Balancing Today’s Needs with Tomorrow’s Challenges
Sustainable supply chain management balances current operations with future growth through smart location planning, efficient facility design, and resilient business continuity. Packaging, transportation, and risk preparedness also support long-term performance.
Welcome New Members of the MLC February 2025
Introducing the latest new members to the Manufacturing Leadership Council
MLC welcomes new members from Kimberly-Clark, Hatco Corporation, and Galloway Company for February 2025.
The Best of the Manufacturing Leadership Journal
2024’s best Manufacturing Leadership Journal articles cover digital twins, GenAI, smart factories, and M4.0 maturity models, offering practical strategies for innovation, workforce readiness, and operational excellence.
The Best of 2024 Decision Compass Calls
MLC’s 2024 Decision Compass calls covered generative AI, workforce retention, predictive maintenance, cloud-based supply management and carbon reuse. Recordings are available in the member-exclusive content library.
Dialogue: Change is the Only Constant
Cooley Group CEO Dan Dwight says successful digital transformation requires cultural and leadership change, especially transparency and employee engagement. A decade into the effort, the company is driving constant change alongside new technology.
Welcome New Members of the MLC August 2024
Introducing the latest new members to the Manufacturing Leadership Council
MLC welcomes six new members from Valvoline, New Balance, TXI Digital, First Solar, Dow, and Eli Lilly, spanning supply chain, manufacturing engineering, automation, and operational excellence leadership.
Intertape Polymer Group, Cooley Named Top Winners in 2024 Manufacturing Leadership Awards
Daniel Dwight named Manufacturing Leader of the Year in awards program's 20th season
Cooley Group’s Daniel Dwight was named 2024 Manufacturing Leader of the Year, while Cooley won Small-Medium Enterprise Manufacturer of the Year and Intertape Polymer Group earned Large Enterprise Manufacturer of the Year for digital transformation and sustainability.
The Human Factor in Industry 4.0: Capability-Led Change
A global CPG company scaled Industry 4.0 across 20 business units by putting people first, aligning learning, governance, and KPIs to drive double-digit throughput gains.
M4.0 Technology as a Catalyst for Enduring Change
Emerging manufacturing technologies are driving safer, more resilient operations while reshaping workforce needs, with women playing a growing role in digital transformation.
