2025 KCOE Operational Excellence Summit Oct. 23

LATROBE, PA –– The 2025 Kennametal Center for Operational Excellence (KCOE) Operational Excellence Summit is scheduled for 1-6 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Fred M. Rogers Center on the Saint Vincent College campus.
 
The summit, emphasizing different approaches to operational excellence tools and practices, is geared toward high school and college students, industry professionals, educators and administrators. Operational excellence is a philosophy aimed at enhancing organizational performance by improving business methods on a continual basis, thus creating greater efficiency and more value to customers.
 
“My hope for all attendees is for them to learn from others and grow from the experience,” said Dr. Terrance Smith, C’05, assistant professor of management in the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government and KCOE program executive director. “One of the event goals is to have industry professionals and students connect and engage with each other to establish relationships.”
 
Attendees should primarily have a business-focused career path.
 
“Although there is not one specific industry that applies, typical career paths include operations, continuous improvement, supply chain management, finance, logistics and quality control,” Smith, who also is the director of the Master of Science in Management: Operational Excellence program, said. Relevant industries include manufacturing, healthcare, technology, automotive and retail.
 
Ken Segel, co-founder and chief relationship officer of Value Capture, LLC, will serve as keynote speaker. Presenters include Mark Kachmar, executive in residence at SVC, and Dr. Michael Sherwin, assistant professor of supply chain management at Duquesne University. The workshop presenters for the event are from East Penn Manufacturing Co. and include Dan Barata, Michael Kissling and Steve Kneeream.
 
“When choosing speakers for the event, we are just looking for individuals (or teams) that have proven experience in the exchange of best practices, emerging tools and transformative strategies that help organizations excel in operational excellence issues,” Smith said.
 
Attendees should register for the summit no later than noon Oct. 6.
 
 
PHOTO: Attendees listen to a speaker during a previous Kennametal Center for Operational Excellence (KCOE) Operational Excellence Summit.