Directors
Edward T. Rychcik
As a Director of the Value Management Institute (VMI), Ed leads the Continuous Improvement, VE/VE, and Quality activities for the organization. Clients of VMI include automotive, electrical, furniture, educational, fuel cell and consulting companies.
Ed was the primary mover in the establishment of the Value Management Methodologies for Ford in the US, Europe, Mexico and Japan. He designed Ford’s Quality Engineering Process and has conducted over 250 Value Analysis / Engineering Cost Reduction, Value Improvement workshops for Ford and VMI.
Work Background:
Senior Accountant – Ford Parts and Service Division
Senior Design Cost Accountant – Ford Product Development Group.
Purchasing Agent – Ford – All plastic components.
Value Engineer – Ford Body Engineering, Purchasing, and headed up the Cost Reduction activities under VMI for the Engine and Transmission Organizations.
Vice President – Sales – Pilot Industries – Metal and Plastic Automotive Tubing Supplier.
CFO – St. Mary’s College, St. Mary’s Prep School and St. Cyril Seminary.
Ed is a graduate of Electronics Engineering Institute and Eastern Michigan University, BBS, Management.
Drew M. Algase, CVS, FSAVE
Drew Algase is a Six-Sigma and Lean Systems Master Black Belt for Freudenberg-NOK General Partnership, a leading supplier of sealing and vibration control systems to the automotive industry. Drew directs Continuous Improvement, VA/VE and Six-Sigma activities, which complement Freudenberg-NOK's global lean systems program called GROWTTH® (Get Rid of Waste Through Team Harmony). His role consists of applying Lean, 6-Sigma and Value Engineering methodologies for new product development. He is the corporate deployment leader for Six-Sigma (DMAIC).
Drew has over thirty years of engineering and manufacturing management experience with automotive, food processing and consulting industries. He is a director of the Value Management Institute of Michigan.
Drew is a graduate of the University of Toledo with BSME/IE and MBA degrees. He is a Certified Value Specialist (CVS) through SAVE International, a member of SAE and the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE). He served as Chairman of the SAVE Certification Board and is SAVE’s past-Vice President of Manufacturing. In 2006, Drew was elected to the College of Fellows of SAVE International.
