Page 197 - BWM March 2013

March 2013 | Business World Magazine | 197
Services. The Sloss brothers ran the opera-
tion throughout the modern era, but the last
thirty years of its success is largely due to the
leadership of CEO Bob Sloss (son of Joseph
Sloss).
MODERN ERA EXPERTISE
From springs and stampings to a range of
custom designed components applied in a
variety of mechanisms, ConnorManufactur-
ing Services has continued to prosper under
the leadership of Bob Sloss. The company’s
California location has particularly flour-
ished through its proximity to Silicon Val-
ley and relationships with a number of high
tech firms that rely on Connor’s engineered
metal forms in the manufacturing of com-
puter parts. A Connor division in Portland,
Oregon, is equally vital to companies like Pe-
terbilt and Freightliner who have relied on
their products in the manufacturing of heavy
trucks for more than 40 years. The company
has continually invested in the refining of
capabilities in Portland, as Kwiecinski notes,
“That business isn’t moving offshore so we
continue to invest in it.” At the same time,
for companies that are conducting opera-
tions overseas, the relationship with Connor
Manufacturing poses unique benefits in that
products can be designed in America and
rapidly transitioned for mass production in
China or Southeast Asia. With its interna-
tional presence, Connor has engineers on
site to supervise production in these overseas
locations for the companies requiring that
capability. The standards of quality honed in
its America locations are equally employed
throughout Connor’s overseas locations.
Under Bob Sloss’ leadership, more than
40 years ago, the company made heavy in-
vestment in new management control sys-
tems and information systems. The intro-
duction of a new sophisticated computer
system helped the company realize greater
efficiencies in the tracking of production
jobs, which effectively enable all employees
to rapidly access a range of details on any
particular job or customer.
As for the future, Kwiecinski anticipates
the company will continue to experience
growth in their manufacturing capabilities
in China. He also expects Connor Manu-
facturing to further build on its presence in
the consumer electronics, telecommunica-
tions and automotive industries, utilizing
the range of its customer designing, metal