CARIBOU — The Northern Maine Development Commission (NMDC) and the Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Maine MEP) have announced that Ken Letourneau has been selected to serve as the Maine MEP project manager for Aroostook and Washington counties.
Letourneau will work with small and medium-size manufacturers to help them become more productive, efficient and globally competitive.
“NMDC is very pleased to hire Ken Letourneau as our new project manager to assist manufacturers in northern and eastern Maine,” said Bob Clark, NMDC’s executive director. “Kenny brings a background in manufacturing and experience working with Smith & Wesson in a variety of production roles. His skills should benefit other manufacturers looking for solutions to their production challenges.”
Letourneau’s position is the result of a collaborative agreement between NMDC and Maine MEP designed to promote economic growth in the region. As an employee of NMDC, Letourneau will be assigned to work with manufacturing clients of Maine MEP in northern and eastern Maine. He will function as part of the partnership’s statewide team of project managers and will be able to call upon the resources available through the national MEP network and federally funded national research laboratories.
In his new role, Letourneau will be responsible for assisting manufacturers in researching, evaluating and implementing opportunities for business and technology improvements. He will keep abreast of the latest trends in manufacturing and technology developments and work with clients on strategies that can enhance their growth and strengthen their bottom line.
Muriel Mosher, president of Maine MEP, expressed strong support for the partnership between the two economic development organizations and welcomed Letourneau to the team.
“Through the partnership with NMDC, we bring additional resources to manufacturers in rural and eastern Maine. NMDC’s knowledge of the business needs in the region can help us identify clients that could benefit from our services, while our national network of manufacturing resources can help firms in rural Maine who might not otherwise have access to the expertise and state-of-the-art technologies available through MEP centers,” said Mosher.
“We’re pleased that Ken has joined the Maine MEP team and look forward to utilizing his manufacturing background and skills.”
Letourneau began working in 2009 at Smith & Wesson’s manufacturing facility in Houlton, where he has supervised production, inspection and assembly lines. As a member of the engineering team, he determined solutions for assembly problems, revised production processes to reflect lean manufacturing practices and worked on the plant quality assurance program among other assignments.
His skills and certifications include experience in precision metals manufacturing with mill and lathe NIMS accreditations from Northern Maine Community College, certification in architectural drafting, experience with metrology technologies and computer-aided design software.
Prior to joining Smith & Wesson, Letourneau served on active duty with the Maine Army National Guard and was deployed to Iraq from 2006-2007.
He expressed excitement at his new role. “I’m very pleased to join NMDC as the new Maine MEP project manager. The position will give me an opportunity to utilize my production experience and work with Maine companies to help them overcome manufacturing challenges and identify new opportunities for growth,” Letourneau stated.
