By Christie Walker: Contributing Editor

   
 Satisloh president/CEO Larry Clarke welcomes attendees to SLUGfest.  Motivational speaker, Ron Kaufmann, gives tips on how to provide “Uplifting Customer Service.”
MILWAUKEE—Satisloh gathered its Satisloh Users Group (SLUG) here last month for its biannual SLUGfest, a three-day program that offered education, a close-up look at new products, special announcements and a healthy dose of fun including an evening at the Harley Davidson Museum. The meeting, which was attended by optical lab personnel, lens manufacturers and Satisloh engineers, management and trainers began with a welcome reception on Wednesday night and a Thursday morning address by Satisloh president and CEO Larry Clarke.

“2012 was a record year for Satisloh and 2013 is shaping up to be more of the same,” Clarke told attendees. “We continue in our efforts to better support you including the opening soon of a new state-of-the-art training center; increased investment in our tech service team, which now numbers over 100 strong; faster tech service phone response and a new and improved parts fulfillment program.”

Clarke announced that the move to the larger 45,000 square foot facility located five miles away had already started with the relocation of the warehouse in June. The corporate offices will move to the new building on Aug. 23, with the opening of the new training center scheduled for February, 2014.

 
 Satisloh’s Rob Jewson demonstrates the new Magna Spin Micro to Mike Dougher, Hoya and Giorgio Striano, Luxottica/Oakley.
Day one was spent at the current location checking out new equipment and robotic technology. The goal of SLUGfest was to help Satisloh customers gain a competitive edge with better service offerings while at the same time gaining product efficiencies with a lower total cost of ownership. Customers were shown how this could be achieved by improving turnaround time, using smart manufacturing with improved uptime, new green/sustainability programs, lower consumable and service costs and new technologies that save on operating costs.

Ten new technologies were introduced at SLUGfest including: UVAR Ioncote k X UV, a new AR coating for Satisloh coating machines that reduces up to 80 percent of UVA and UVB; the re-launch of the ES-Curve edger with improved default feeds and speeds, shelf accuracy, consistency and safety bevel; the VFT-Micro Line generator and Micro-Flex 2 spindle polisher; and the Magnaspin Micro tabletop spin coater for solvent based UV-cured hard coatings.

The education sessions kicked off on day two with Ron Kaufmann, author of Uplifting Service! A Proven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues and Everyone Else You Meet, speaking on best practices of creating a culture of uplifting customer service. Afternoon classes included advancements in automation, gaining efficiencies in an AR department, process optimization and proactive maintenance. Day three featured hands-on technical training for the ES-Curve, box coaters and the VFT orbit generator, followed by a salmon fishing trip on Lake Michigan. ■