Earlier this month, in mid-May, Kestrel girls, Liz and Meg made the venture to the other side of the world, literally! There, they attended the Tradewinds Asia Conference. The trip was a great experience as the girls had the chance to meet with some of NK’s long-time dealers of the Kestrel products. On one of their first days in Asia, Liz and Meg sat down with a dealer who sells to the poultry farming market. They learned that these farmers were using the Kestrel 1000 through 3500 to measure the wind breaks to improve feed efficiency. It was a great opportunity to meet with this dealer and learn more about the poultry market and how the Kestrel meters apply. They also met with a few other dealers in different markets hearing some interesting feedback about how Customs work in Thailand.

Next, the girls were off to Singapore! What a beautiful city! In addition to meeting several U.S. Commercial Service representatives, they were able to meet with some Kestrel dealers in Singapore and hear more about their individual businesses and how they operate. It was especially exciting because Liz had the chance to inform all of the dealers of our new products, in particular, the new Kestrel 4400 Heat Stress Tracker! It sounds like this product can definitely be of use in Asia for both the military and athletic market. The Kestrel 4400 measures WBGT (wet bulb globe temperature). a measurement that combines humidity, radiant temperature (what the black globe measures), and air temperature. This measurement can indicate when conditions become too hot to work in, potentially causing heat stress or a heat related illness. In both Thailand & Singapore, the temperature was well over 90 degrees Fahrenheit while Liz and Meg were visiting, so it sounds like the 4400 will fit right in.

To end the trip, Meg and Liz had the chance to attend a reception held at the US Ambassador to Singapore’s residence and even were able to meet the Ambassador himself. Overall the trip was a great success, each of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce Reps were very excited about the Kestrel product, some of them even asked for more information to share with friends or family that they thought may want to buy one.

Meg (on left) and Liz (on right) with one of their dealers at the Tradewinds Conference in Asia.

This morning at NK’s facility located in Boothwyn, PA, the staff hosted an event for AME (Association for Manufacturing Excellence).  There were 30 people in attendance from the area all from different manufacturing companies. The attendees came to learn and observe the lean manufacturing principles applied at NK.

The day kicked off with an introduction to the company followed by a tour where the visitors were broken into groups of three to experience how the different departments within NK practice lean principles. Katie Godfrey, Director of Sales and Marketing explained how her team embraces the visual aspect of lean. Every morning at 10am her team meets for a standing meeting at a large white board in the lobby where projects in process and new ideas are discussed and prioritized. Michael Naughton, NK’s Director of Engineering talked about how his team implemented lean into their meetings using visual whiteboards to keep everyone accountable and on track. After the internal office tour, groups were brought out on to the production floor where Production Manager, Tim Phelps showed how the company is using technology effectively by having a large dashboard displayed where all employees can see if they are meeting expectations. Lastly, the groups also received a tour of the cells, were shown how the production line keeps products moving and learned from CEO, Alix James how lean practices were even used in the Accounting Department.

The remainder of the day the AME attendees learned about the Andon Light System and how it is utilized for Continuous Improvement within the company. An andon light is a lean manufacturing term that basically is a system that is put in place to bring an issue to everyone’s attention so it can quickly be addressed and resolved so go production and/or the office can go back to running smoothly. The guests even had a chance to experience one first hand when Customer Service called an Andon Light. The day ended with some general Q&A and a quick wrap up. Overall, it was a success and the NK team enjoyed the opportunity to host the event and hear feedback from those who attended.

Beginning this month through October, Breast Cancer Awareness month, NK will be selling their products in pink! For the past several years we have sold the bumpers for our rowing products in pink and donated $1 from each sale to breast cancer research but this year we decided to kick it up a notch.

In addition to the bumpers, we’ll be selling pink Kestrel Pocket Weather Meter. The advanced Kestrel models that come with impeller covers will have a breast cancer ribbon engraved on to the cover while the basic line will have a breast cancer ribbon on the slip cover.

This idea to support breast cancer was inspired by one of NK’s very own employees, Marie Johnson, who is a nine-year survivor of the illness and suggested it would be a great way to support the cause. Since then, the idea has inspired the office and we’ve heard several stories of how breast cancer has affected many of the NK team. If you see any members of the NK team around town, you’ll notice they’ll be sporting a custom NK THINKS PINK t-shirt or hoodie, where $5 from each sale will go directly to the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition.

NK decided to partner with the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition (“DBCC”) after hearing what a strong support network they offer for those with breast cancer. Ninety-one cents of every dollar donated to the DBCC goes directly to the women in need. The organization also pairs each newly diagnosed woman with a breast cancer survivor who is the same age as them to help them through tough times. To learn more, visit their website.

We realize what a wonderful cause this is and we anticipate a lot of support from our customers, friends, and dealers. If you are interested in buying your pink Kestrel today, visit the NK Thinks Pink section of the website and order while supplies last!

Also, please feel free to share your story of how breast cancer has affected you or a loved one.