Viwinco President Mike Duncan Jr. Featured on LEI’s The Management Brief
We’re excited to share that Viwinco President Mike Duncan Jr. was recently featured on The Management Brief, a podcast from the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI). In this episode, Mike joins host Mark Reich and Senior LEI Coach Karen Gaudet to discuss Viwinco’s lean transformation, the development of our daily management system, and how strategic planning is shaping the company’s future.
As a family-owned business built on quality products and innovation, Viwinco has always embraced continuous improvement. Our lean journey began before COVID-19 with small initiatives and evolved into a comprehensive partnership with the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), focusing on the development of a robust daily management system aligned with our strategic planning process. Our lean transformation has enabled us to manage customized products, fluctuating demand, and short lead times more efficiently.
In the episode, Mike reflects on his personal growth as well as the company’s journey toward a more structured and people-focused operation.
“I think what I really enjoy is being able to help kind of lead and build an organization that is constantly growing and transforming every day—trying to get better and better.”
Mike also spoke about the foundational role that lean thinking has played in Viwinco’s recent growth.
“Organizationally, we’ve been able to double sales in five years. We’ve significantly improved profits, and the value of the company has increased. The lean transformation is a fundamental staple of what we’re doing to help support that.”
Karen Gaudet, who has worked closely with our team over the past three years, praised the high level of engagement across the company:
“Their level of engagement is never in question. Everyone on the floor is in it—not because they’re being forced, but because they’re curious, they want to learn, and they’re not afraid of the challenge.”
We’re proud to see Viwinco’s progress recognized by leaders in the lean community. You can listen to the full episode of The Management Brief featuring Mike Duncan on the WLEI channel, available on PodBean, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
