20 MiMfg Magazine January 2017
Member Spotlight
The ability to be innovative is essential in today ’ s manufacturing industry . That and the ability to utilize technology in new ways can mean the difference between being a company on the forefront of new ideas and a business slowly being overtaken by competitors .
Today ’ s talent grew up surrounded by technology and a smart employer must showcase those high-tech opportunities in order to attract new faces . BorgWarner Inc ., a global leader in clean and efficient technology solutions for combustion , hybrid and electric vehicles , looks to embrace this new workforce with an in-house destination for innovation which is setting them apart from the rest of the industry .
“ Our eyes are trained on the future ,” says Tonit Calaway , vice president and chief HR officer for BorgWarner . “ Technology is everywhere . It ’ s part of everything we do and only becoming more important . We want to be the company millennials come to because we ’ re developing high-tech innovations that drive the world forward .”
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When
I look at where manufacturing is heading , it ’ s so exciting , it energizes me . Something you and I aren ’ t even considering is being thought about by someone somewhere — why not at BorgWarner ? I think people want to be part of manufacturing ’ s
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innovation age . [ At BorgWarner ], they can be .
At BorgWarner , teams live in the future every day at the company ’ s Technical Center in Auburn Hills .
“ It ’ s the lifeblood of the company , and the center of innovation and creativity ,” says Calaway . “ All our businesses have a presence there . It ’ s a special place — it ’ s where we attract the best and brightest to come and help us innovate .”
A company focused on developing propulsion systems should always be moving forward . To that end , BorgWarner established the Technical Center to nurture a collaborative , future-focused environment that inspires innovation .
“ Manufacturing helped build this country but we need to recognize that the manufacturing of tomorrow will not
The focal point of BorgWarner ’ s next generation R & D , the company ’ s Technical Center in Auburn Hills look like the manufacturing of yesterday — technology moves us forward ,” says Calaway . “ How we communicate , how we collaborate , how we improve efficiency and processes , it ’ s all impacted by technology . If you want to stay in business , you need to make technology a priority .”
That ’ s what BorgWarner is doing . The company is investing millions into technology-driven improvements to the Technical Center , including a 46,000-squarefoot expansion and 250 new jobs .
“ It ’ s an environment where we can maximize our resources , including talent , to bring new innovations to market faster ,” says Calaway .
The state-of-the-art research facility includes countless new technologies to address current and future trends of the industry , including new friction test equipment and a variety of energy and water-efficient equipment . Employees also benefit from a fully-equipped 4,000-square-foot fitness facility and wellness clinic .
“ When I look at where manufacturing is heading , it ’ s so exciting , it energizes me ,” says Calaway . “ Something you and I aren ’ t even considering is being thought about by someone somewhere — why not at BorgWarner ? I think people want to be part of manufacturing ’ s innovation age . Here , they can be .” 6