Clocking In: Voices of NC Manufacturing

E-40: Redefining Culture - Wieland Copper

Davide Varze and Markus Rusznyak tell the story of how they helped transform Wieland Copper’s Pine Hall, NC plant

E-39: Ready for Impact: How EDPNC Is Keeping North Carolina Competitive

Since 2015, the EDPNC has helped North Carolina win more than 500 recruitment and expansion projects, resulting in 67,000 new jobs and $14 billion in announced new investments across the state.

E-38 A Sturdy Solution - BeachBUB

Greensboro, NC manufacturer beachBUB has worked to revolutionize beach umbrella safety.

E-37: When One Door Closes…

Lillington, NC-based security door manufacturer Boon Edam, strives to make buildings safer with “smart doors.”

E-36 Smart Textile Technology: The Future of Fabrication

NC State University Industry Expansion Solutions’ (IES) North Carolina Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program (NC DMCSP), creates opportunities for smart textile innovators. 

As our lives become ever connected through smart phones, tablets and other devices, the way we interact has changed dramatically and that even applies to textiles. Textiles come in a wide variety of forms, from clothing to bedding to household items. Smart textiles include the next generation of wearable technologies. They combine textile design with advanced sensing capabilities. This new class of materials promises to revolutionize the future of wearable computing.

In 2021, the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC) awarded North Carolina State University IES a grant under the Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program (DMCSP). The DMCSP is designed to support long-term community investments that strengthen national security innovation and expand the capabilities of the defense manufacturing industrial ecosystem. The program was created to recognize communities that demonstrate best practices in attracting and expanding defense manufacturing by bringing together key local stakeholders and using long-term planning that integrates targeted public and private investments across a community’s entire defense industrial ecosystem.

In this episode of Clocking In Phil Mintz sits down with Dr. William Reynolds and Dr. Casey Boutwell - two participants in the NC DMCSP sponsored propeller project looking to market their breakthrough smart textile technology. 

Founded in 2017, Onda Vision Technologies (OVT) is a North Carolina State University startup company. OVT is a spin-out company from the North Carolina State University’s Advanced Self-Powered Systems Integrated Sensors and Technologies (ASSIST) Center, which is a National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored Nanosystems Engineering Research Center (NERC). 

Onda Vision has developed a wearable sensor for real-time hydration monitoring to optimize human performance and health. Onda Vision’s Founder, Dr. William D. Reynolds, Jr Ph.D, has over 20 years of experience in research and development between the commercial and government sector. His management experience extends over fifteen years of building and leading high-performing corporate science and engineering teams. Onda Vision are developing a wearable sensor that has the ability to monitor body hydration in real-time. Dr. Reynolds’ background and expertise cover signal processing, deep learning and algorithm development. Dr. Reynolds has attended the University of Delaware and the University of Illinois-Chicago. 

Dr. Casey Boutwell, Ph.D MBA, is the chief executive officer of DermiSense Inc., a startup company commercializing a medical diagnostic technology developed at NCSU that uses a microneedle patch to extract and analyze interstitial fluids in the skin. DermiSense was founded in 2018 when the founding team licensed the underlying IP from NC State University. The company is extending their manufacturing and process optimization to increase patch area and reduce production time while continuing to collaborate with the originating lab at NCSU to explore new sensing applications.

Mintz, Reynolds and Boutwell discuss the history of Onda Vision and Dermisense, Onda Vision’s and Dermisense innovative smart textile technologies, how these technologies can help prevent things like heatstroke and detect diseases and more. 

LINKS

NCMEP

Onda Vision

DermiSense

ABOUT

Phil Mintz

Phil Mintz is the executive director of NC State Industry Expansion Solutions (IES) and director of the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP). At NCMEP, Phil drives outreach to NC manufacturers, builds relationships with federal and state leaders and coordinates efforts to drive profitable manufacturing growth in the state. He also leads the broader IES Extension Operations outreach unit of regional managers, technical specialists and business development leaders providing business engagement, assessment and improvement tools. This includes statewide peer networks, ISO 9000 quality management systems, Six Sigma, Lean manufacturing, environmental services, and health and safety solutions.

Bill Reynolds 

Dr. William D. Reynolds, Jr., has over 20 years of experience in research and development between the commercial and government sector. His management experience extends over fifteen years of building and leading high-performing corporate science and engineering teams. Dr. Reynolds’ background and expertise cover signal processing, deep learning and algorithm development. Dr. Reynolds has attended the University of Delaware and the University of Illinois Chicago. 

Casey Boutwell

Dr. Casey Boutwell, Ph.DMBA, is the chief executive officer of DermiSense. Dr. Boutwell contributes his technical expertise in micro-and nanofabrication, business experience in technology commercialization, intellectual property, and licensing strategy, and professional network in digital health and wearable biosensing systems.

Well Oiled Machine

Sanford, North Carolina-based company emerges as one of North Carolina’s leading precision machined components manufacturers

Educating The Workforce of the Future

Central Carolina Community College strives to teach relevant skills needed in today’s technology and artificially intelligent-driven workforce.

Strengthening Workplace Attraction and Retention

Dr. Jenni Harris discusses the value the North Carolina Department of Commerce - Workforce Solutions Division provides to North Carolina workers.

E 32: Protecting Those Who Protect Us

In this episode, Phil Mintz sits down with Dyer Bennett, the senior vice president at Sirchie Corp. Bennett is responsible for leading all aspects of the business operation, including purchasing, manufacturing, engineering, inventory management, and order fulfillment/shipping. He also builds teams to meet the Sirchie goals of delivering world-class criminal investigation and security products with excellent customer service. Bennett has a Bachelor’s in textile engineering from Philadelphia University, a Master’s in textile science from the Institute of Textile Technology and an MBA from the Wake Forest School of Business.

E-31: Putting Customer Success Before Profit

An Asheville, North Carolina-based business boasts a 60% rate of repeat customers because of their excellent customer relations.

In this episode of Clocking In, Phil Mintz sits down with Jason Dingess, president and owner of Quis Machinery. Jason began his career as an apprentice to a master furniture maker before attending Inside Passage School of Craftsmen.