OECBD and HSU faculty have been working with local manufacturers in two main ways. Dr. Mark Doggett, program leader of the Department of Applied Technology At HSU, has conducted several lean manufacturing training programs with local manufacturers such as Sun Valley Floral Farms. These seminars focus on the principles of Lean Thinking as developed by Taiichi Ohno and help local businesses cultivate practices leading to responsible prosperity.

Mark Doggett at Sun Valley Floral Farms conducting Lean Manufacturing workshop

Another aspect of OECBD and HSU's work with local manufacturers includes specific applied research, developing production processes and problem solving. An example of this work can be seen in the project with local dairy farmers and Aleutian geese.

Another example is the research done for Cypress Grove Chevre, a local manufacturer of award winning gourmet cheeses. Cypress Grove's signature cheese, Humboldt Fog, is made by sprinkling a fine ash over the cheese to create a dark layer for the mold activation. An unintended consequence of this process is a layer of ash on the hands, skin and clothing of workers. The ash gets in the air and creates a mess in the surrounding area. Currently, workers wear respiratory facemasks and keep the area wetted down to mitigate this problem.

OECBD connected Cypress Grove to a small team of Applied Technology students to design a cleaner system for the ash process that also reduces labor. Mark Doggett oversaw the design and provided expertise to accomplish the project outcome within the sixteen week semester of spring 2005. The team was also able to create a process for the ash that was more visible to the public to generate public interest and develop greater awareness for the quality of the product.

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