Solutions for Success: The Luminous Group

This article appeared in the June 2025 issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.

Sometimes, businesses need an outside perspective to identify inefficiencies and rethink processes to enhance productivity and profitability.

One such case was Millennium Cabinetry of Farmington Hills, which was referred to MMA partner The Luminous Group for help with their growth challenges and succession transition. The client’s goals were to become more competitive, increase profitability and foster implementation of new ideas. Luminous was asked to work with the new Vice President of Manufacturing to help him fill his growing responsibilities, including how to improve efficiency while also acclimating the staff to the change in leadership.

After an assessment of operations, a Luminous facilitator coached Millennium’s new vice president and helped him see processes, data and operations with a fresh set of eyes.

For example, the team started to tally how many times a part was missing during on-site installation of finished cabinetry — and the number was larger than the factory team realized. Noticing that parts are missing at the 11th hour delays installation, inconveniences the customer and adds demands on plant floor personnel, says Murray Sittsamer, President of Luminous, whose mission is to help manufacturers reduce inefficiencies and improve productivity.

To prevent this situation at Millennium, Luminous coached the plant team to create a checklist to ensure accuracy throughout the manufacturing process. After the implementation of this solution, the number of times a part was missing dropped by 80 percent, Sittsamer says.

Customized strategies and creative ideation help clients see the bigger picture with more clarity, according to the Luminous team.

“We help manufacturing companies reduce inefficiencies so they’re more productive, as well as help them improve quality so they get more things right the first time,” Sittsamer says.

Clients may connect with Luminous, founded in 1999, because they are facing manufacturing challenges, maybe high turnover, or outdated training. Luminous facilitators, who are matched with clients based on applicable skillsets, then work closely with the client to find solutions to their specific needs, particularly with a focus on small to mid-sized manufacturers.

While building these solutions, Luminous prioritizes workforce retention and workplace culture, adds Elizabeth Sollish, Client Engagement Manager.

“Our expertise is helping manufacturers. We understand holistically that we also have to embrace the culture and make that part of what we do to help our clients,” Sollish says. “It’s not necessarily black and white. There has to be character behind what we do and how we do it.”

By recognizing and reducing inefficiencies — such as unplanned downtime, the amount of scrap that is created, changeover time and nonproduction time — businesses can improve uptime, product quality, profitability and both customer and employee satisfaction.

“We help paint reality,” Sittsamer says, adding that it’s not just about equipment and materials. “There are people involved who are proud of their work. We help them see how it could be better and incorporate their input into solutions.”

See Member Benefits to how Luminous can help enhance your manufacturing efficiency or contact MMA’s Brenda Nalett at 517-487-8512 or nalett@mimfg.org.