Stiles Machinery recently gathered over 120 industry professionals for three days of comprehensive education and training on the latest software and digital solutions. Held at Stiles’ Southeast Region showroom and the Guilford Technical Community College in High Point, N.C., the event also introduced the distributor’s new training program, START.

START stands for Solutions, Trends, Applications and Readiness Training. The program’s debut focused on the latest Industry 4.0 and advanced manufacturing trends, with an emphasis on software and digital technology for the woodworking industry.

“’START: Digital’ is a reflection of Stiles’ continual commitment to training and educating industry leaders in the latest trends and innovations,” Doug Maat, director of strategic sales at Stiles, said in a statement. “Throughout the event, we took a closer look at the impact of Industry 4.0 and IoT (Internet of Things) and how manufacturers of all sizes can better utilize digital tools and data to produce more efficient, cost-effective and eco-friendly manufacturing practices.”

Attendees also heard from Marc Sanderson of Innergy, an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution provider for the woodworking industry, and Elliot Germany of Panel Specialists Inc. Both speakers provided examples of how the latest digital innovations are shaping their businesses and the manufacturing industry. Consultants were also on hand from RSA Solutions, a software provider.

For more, visit www.stilesmachinery.com. 

This article originally appeared in the August 2018 issue.