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The Make it In America Challenge
The Make it in America Challenge will provide up to $40 million in competitive grant funding through the US Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Agency and NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP), DOL’s Employment and Training Administration, and the Delta Regional Authority. This collaboration allows applicants to submit one application to support the development and implementation of a regional economic development strategy accelerating job creation by encouraging re-shoring by U.S. firms, fostering Foreign Direct Investment, encouraging U.S. companies to keep or expand their businesses in the United States, and training local workers.
NIST is making up to $6 million available through the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) as part of this challenge. MEP expects to issue new cooperative agreements of up to $125,000 per year over three years to up to 15 existing MEP Centers as part of selected Make it in America Challenge projects, subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance. MEP Center participation could include providing market intelligence and analysis, outreach to existing firms, and technical assistance to businesses looking to relocate or expand in the U.S. More information and resources are also available at http://manufacturing.gov/make_it_in_america.html
For more information and to apply visit the Grants Opportunity page at Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) under Funding Opportunity Number MIIA2013. All applications are due on May 31, 2013.
Contact Mark Troppe at mark.troppe@nist.gov, (301)975-5745 or Megean Blum at Megean.blum@nist.gov, (301)975-3160 with any questions.
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What's Happening Around MEP
Good Jobs, Green Jobs 2013 Conference
April 16-17, 2013
MEP Centers – Be a Convener for the 2013 Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference
The 2013 Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference is an exciting opportunity to highlight your organization by serving as a Conference Convener. Conference Conveners have a special opportunity to participate in this unique event that brings together business and community leaders, elected officials and opinion makers, union members and environmentalists for the nation's leading forum for sharing ideas and strategies on how to grow a clean, green economy that creates good jobs.
As a Conference Convener, your organization will:
- Have its name listed as a Convener in Conference materials – and gain the visibility to thousands of attendees
- Assist in promotional efforts by sharing materials within your network
- Be provided with promotional materials and tools to support outreach efforts, including: conference flyers, website collateral, and recruitment materials
To learn more about how to serve as a Conference Convener and to highlight your organization at the 2013 Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference, please contact Dave McGonagle or visit the Good Jobs Green Jobs website.
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MEP in the NEWS
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Manufacturing a new direction: Employers using Insyte Consulting to guide improvements Don’t try to tell Benjamin L. Rand that U.S. manufacturing is dead. Rand, president of Insyte Consulting, a nonprofit firm that helps companies grow and solve problems, sees lots of life in the sector, even if some of the companies just go about their business quietly.Read Article
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MMTC aims to change perceptions with student video project With the help of some local students, scenes from the plant floor will soon be headed to the silver screen. The "Discover Manufacturing Today Video Challenge,” is intended to expose students to real-world manufacturing experiences and to counter any negative stereotypes they might have.Read Article
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MANTEC has been honored as the winner of the 2013 Nonprofit Innovation Awards in the category of Management Operations In an event with 420 people hosted by the Central Penn Business Journal, MANTEC was selected #1for its proven internal innovation system, rolling out services to benefit its clients and fulfill its mission of "driving manufacturing growth and innovation." 100% of MANTEC staff has been trained in the Innovation Engineering Management System.Read Article
Calendar of Events 
March 26, 2013
Webcast: Bringing "Made in America" Back to American Innovation
Join us in a webcast to learn more about the Edison Nation® Made in America program and what it can do for your manufacturing clients. The retailers participating in this program are Belk, Bob Timberlake, Snapware, Pyrex, Worx, Chicago Cutlery, ToyQuest, and Corelle who are looking for U.S. based manufacturers that are capable of and interested in making production quantities for new product ideas. This is a great opportunity for U.S. based manufacturers to bid on making products with a guaranteed large distribution channel. The product idea request for quotes and bid packages will be sent out next week, through MEP Connect.
The guide, Guide to Doing Business with Large Retailers, is available to assist you and your clients as you act on upcoming "Made in America" Opportunities to help Belk, Bob Timberlake, Snapware, Pyrex, Worx, Chicago Cutlery, ToyQuest, and Corelle find U.S. manufacturers in your state who can make these products.
Webinar Link
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Password: Welcome
For questions, please contact Dave Cranmer (David.Cranmer@nist.gov | 301-975-5753) or Caroline Ranghel Ashley (Ranghel@rti.org | 919- 541-6822)
March 25 - December 13, 2013
MEP Innovation Services / Training – 2013
The Black Belt training schedule for 2013 is listed below. As you may remember, we sent out a communication at the end of December 2012 detailing some of the changes to the Innovation Engineering training. Please read the updated policies, procedures and FAQs that are posted on MEIS. This document explains the changes and updated policies to the Black Belt certification program.
Below are the dates for 2013 training.
- March 25 - 29
- April 15 - 19
- May 13 - 17
- June 9 - 13 (location: University of Maine - open to all)
- July 22 - 26
- August 19 - 23
- September 23 - 27
- October 21 - 25
- November 11 - 15
- December 9 - 13
If you have any questions about the policies, about Black Belt certification, or to schedule training, please contact Kari Reidy at Kari.reidy@nist.gov| (301) 975-4919
March 27, 2013
Strengthening U.S. Clean Energy Manufacturing: Opportunities and Initiatives at the Department of Energy
US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE), will discuss their new initiative to strengthen U.S. competitiveness in clean energy manufacturing. This complimentary webinar has been designed specifically for MEP Centers and manufacturing companies and provides potential diversification and growth opportunities for manufacturing companies.
Webinar Link
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Password: CEMC
Contact: Linda Nielson
April 2-4, 2013
Tech Scouting and TDMI Workshops in Pennsylvania, and Tennessee
The course provides MEP representatives with the instruction and tools needed to initiate Technology Scouting and TDMI services for MEP clients. This training is part of a larger collaboration between NIST MEP and RTI International to bring RTI practitioners’ new market research and scouting skills to MEP field agents.
Below are the dates, name of center hosting, and location of each workshop:
April 2-4, 2013 | Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Centers | Crowne Plaza Harrisburg, PA
May 7-9, 2013 | Tennessee Center for Industrial Services | Radisson Airport Hotel Nashville, TN
For questions, please contact Dave Cranmer (David.Cranmer@nist.gov | 301-975-5753) or Caroline Ranghel Ashley (Ranghel@rti.org | 919- 541-6822)
April 5 - June 11, 2013
Lean Product Development Webinar Series
NIST MEP will host 6 webinars and you are encouraged to commit to attend all 6 sessions. Our presenter, Ron Mascitelli, will provide detailed coaching corresponding to specific chapters from the “Mastering Lean Product Development” textbook and recommend you procure a copy of the book in advance and read the appropriate chapters prior to each webinar. Copies of the book are available through the following link. www.techper.com/books
The schedule for the webinar series are listed below. Each webinar will start at 2:00pm EST and end at 3:30 p.m. EST. The webinar links for the first two sessions are located next to the date by its title.
- Friday, April 5 - Session 1: Building a Business Case Brief and Prioritizing Development Projects (Reference: Chapter 1 in Mastering Lean Product Development)
- Friday, April 19 - Session 2: Managing Development Resources in a Multi-Project Environment (Reference: Chapter 2 in Mastering Lean Product Development)
- Friday, May 3 (2:00-3:30pm Eastern) Session 3: Visual Workflow Management / Visual Project Boards (Reference: Chapter 4 in Mastering Lean Product Development)
- Friday, May 17 (2:00-3:30pm Eastern) Session 4: Defining Market Requirements for a New Product (Reference: Chapter 5 in Mastering Lean Product Development)
- Friday, May 31 (2:00-3:30pm Eastern) Session 5: Visual Project Planning and Risk Management (Reference: Chapter 6 in Mastering Lean Product Development)
- Tuesday, June 11th (2:00-3:30pm Eastern) Session 6: LPD Sales process and implementation
For additional information, please contact Brian Lagas at Brian.Lagas@nist.gov, 301-9
April 18, 2013
SBA Small Business Training Series: Bonding - Successful tips for small businesses
There are certain instances when small businesses are required to obtain bonding – this training session, hosted by LIFT, is designed to address many of the issues / questions that small businesses encounter.
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Location: The Morrelly Homeland Security Center, Bethpage, NY
Info: Event Details
Contact: Diane Muscarella at LIFT
May 8 - September 19, 2013
Upcoming MEP System Update Meetings and Webinars
Below is a general schedule of upcoming MEP system-level meetings and webinars. We are still in the planning stage for many of these activities so final locations may change.
- May 8: MEP System Update Webinar, 2:00-3:30 EST
- May 21 – 23: Northeast / Mid Atlantic Regional meeting (tentative location in Philadelphia, PA)
- June 24: MEP Advisory Board Meeting (Denver, CO or Salt Lake City, UT)
- June 25 – 27: Pacific Northwest / Southwest Regional meeting (Denver, CO or Salt Lake City, UT)
- July 22 – 24: Midwest / Southeast Regional meeting (tentative location in Charlotte, NC)
- September 11: System Update Webinar, 2:00 – 3:30 EST
- September 18 –19: MEP System Update Meeting (tentative location in Portland, OR, to be held in conjunction with the SSTI meeting)
If you have any questions, please contact Kari Reidy at Kari.reidy@nist.gov| (301) 975-4919
May 17, 2013
U.S. Commercial Service Trade Winds – Asia
Seoul, Korea and the dynamic cities of Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo and Manila offer global sales potential for U.S. businesses in a range of industry sectors. Learn how to increase profits and overcome barriers in the growing Asia-Pacific region and network with the region's leading industry and government officials and experienced U.S. and global companies. Meet one-on-one with top Asia business experts from the U.S. Embassies and Consulates from the region for the latest trade leads and market entry strategies. Find a partner or customer through screened business-to-business meetings in Korea, Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan.
Info: Register your interest to receive a complimentary market assessment at exportgov. For additional information, contact tradewindsasia@trade.gov, Leslie.drake@trade.gov or judy.kornfeld@trade.gov.
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Make it in America" Manufacturer of the Week!
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Falcon Performance Footwear, a client of Maine MEP, is based in Auburn, ME, and manufactures safety footwear for firefighting, mining, and other challenging environments. Falcon has been manufacturing footwear in Maine since 1963.
Visit the NIST MEP public site to learn more about this company and how the center is helping them grow.
For more information about NIST MEP's "Make it in America" Manufacturer of the Week, please contact Karen Lellock (karen.lellock@nist.gov | 301-975-4269).
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