For any business, gaining a competitive advantage and sustaining long-term success starts with quantifiable data – measures and metrics that reveal critical trends. At The MPI Group, our proven research enables clients to not only benchmark their organizations versus peers and competitors, but to also discover the strategies, tactics and investments ideal for their industries – unleashing productivity and profitability.

The MPI Group collaborates with each client, determining the organization’s overarching objectives and customizing a benchmark solution to plot the most effective course of action.

In addition to customized benchmarks and the white papers we produce, The MPI Group also conducts annual proprietary research projects on manufacturing best practices, including the Census of Manufacturers for the U.S., China, Mexico and Canada and the Census of Distribution. In fact, we maintain one of the largest databases on performance metrics in the world, and MPI has surveyed more manufacturers than any other research firm in the last five years.

The MPI Group also offers significant experience in the areas of strategic planning, research, and conference and keynote speaking.

What can MPI do for you today?

MPI is a privately held firm whose principals include:

John Brandt | jbrandt@mpi-group.net

John Brandt, CEO and founder of The MPI Group, has devoted more than two decades to studying leadership in effective, purpose-driven organizations. An expert on how companies can adapt themselves to the realities of new markets, new corporate structures and new customer expectations, Brandt is an accomplished management innovator and an internationally recognized expert on manufacturing and technology.

Before founding The MPI Group in 2003, Brandt followed a unique career path combining two decades of experience in marketing, management and consulting with a passion for journalism that has earned him more than 20 awards for reporting, writing and editing. He was publisher and editor-in-chief of IndustryWeek (IW) magazine, which garnered more than 70 editorial awards for excellence and doubled its revenues under his leadership. While at IW, Brandt led the development of several pioneering research efforts, including the IW Value Chain Survey; the World-Class Communities Project; the IndustryWeek 1000; the World’s Best Managed Companies Program; and the IW Census of Manufacturers, which was co-sponsored by The MPI Group. He continues to write an award-winning column for the publication.

Additionally, Brandt served as president, publisher and editorial director of the Chief Executive Group, publisher of Chief Executive, where his leadership transformed the magazine into one of publishing’s most surprising comebacks.

A frequent lecturer around the globe on topics ranging from leadership and customer value to management best practices and building world-class communities, Brandt’s access to and relationships with leading executive teams gives him a unique perspective on how organizations can reinvent themselves through the application of proven management best practices. In both his speech presentations and advisory activities, Brandt combines these assets with his wit, research and insights to help organizations position themselves for long-term profitability.

A recipient of the prestigious Neal Award in 1998, Brandt has also served as a Neal Awards judge. He has also served as a member of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership National Advisory Board; judge for the National Association of Manufacturers Awards for Workforce Excellence; co-chair of the Northeast Ohio Product Innovation Initiative; advisory board member of both SupplierInsight.com and Ken-Tool Manufacturing; director of the Work in Northeast Ohio Council; and president of The Press Club Of Cleveland. Brandt is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Case Western Reserve University, where he held the James Dysart Magee Economics Fellowship.

George Taninecz | gtaninecz@mpi-group.net

As vice president of research for The MPI Group, George Taninecz applies more than 20 years of experience in studying manufacturing and management to develop the research tools that enable organizations to assess their performances, gauge best practices and define roadmaps for success. He also oversees the creation of thought-provoking white papers and reports that clearly outline research findings, industry trends and areas of opportunity.

Prior to joining The MPI Group in 2003, Taninecz worked at McKinsey & Company as a knowledge developer and communications specialist for the firm’s manufacturing practice. Taninecz’ background also includes a decade as a journalist covering best practices, strategy and management for IndustryWeek (IW). During his tenure as the magazine’s managing editor, he was a director for the America's Best Plants program and launched numerous research initiatives for the magazine, including the IW Value Chain Survey and the IW Census of Manufacturers.

Taninecz also works independently with the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) to develop books and workbooks about lean manufacturing, including Lean Solutions by Jim Womack and Dan Jones (Free Press, 2005), The Gold Mine by Michael Ballé and Freddy Ballé (LEI, 2005), and Getting the Right Things Done by Pascal Dennis (LEI, 2006)

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