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By Lindsay Andrews, CPA, Partner, Louis Plung & Company Lean accounting principles focus on aligning accounting practices with the core principles of lean manufacturing to eliminate waste, improve efficiency, and drive continuous improvement. Lean accounting systems provide financial and nonfinancial information necessary for management to drive financial success and make informed decisions based on the relevant data. Key elements of lean manufacturing accounting principles include: Value-Based Measurement: Lean accounting…

By Todd Miller Whit Little, Catalyst Connection’s new CFO, has spent more than 30 years in senior management at multiple startup technology and manufacturing companies in the Pittsburgh region. In many of those roles, Whit was a loyal client of Catalyst Connection. Those experiences enabled him to gain a solid understanding of Catalyst Connection’s mission of providing consulting and training services to small manufacturers in southwestern Pennsylvania, accelerating revenue…

by Todd Miller After 34 years of helping Pittsburgh’s technology and manufacturing communities grow, Jeanne Straw is retiring from Catalyst Connection on December 31 as senior vice president of administration. As second in command under President and CEO Petra Mitchell, Straw has been responsible for compliance, government grant reporting, tax, finance, human resources and operations. She will use her well-deserved leisure to spend more time with her five grandchildren…

Grant will be used to expand robotics and autonomous systems technology to small and medium employers in Southwestern Pennsylvania On September 2, President Biden announced the Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative as one winner of the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge. Catalyst Connection will lead the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Robotics Expansion project. The SME Robotics Expansion Project will help SMEs adopt advanced manufacturing and digital…

Catalyst Connection has piloted a new manufacturing ambassador program for 2021. The program, called Navigators, is modeled after a national best practice program created by the Manufacturing Institute. Throughout the program, a team of eight ambassadors from local manufacturing companies will be connected with local schools, after school programs, and participate in virtual experiences to inspire and share their pathway story into a career in manufacturing. Ambassadors, or “Navigators,” will…