MEP Update Meeting: Registration Open

FFO: M-TACs Pilot Projects

RFI: M-TACs Pilot Projects

MEP's Role in NIST AMTech FFO

SSTI Conference

Manufacturing Day Update

What's Happening Around MEP

MEP in the NEWS

Calendar of Events

Make it in America Manufacturer of the Week!

View e-blast from July 26, 2013

Registration is now open for MEP’s Update meeting taking place in Portland, Oregon, Sept. 18-19, 2013.  NIST MEP will host an update meeting for center leadership and staff to discuss the status of the MEP system, changes in manufacturing, and how best to position the MEP to provide these services going forward. It is critical for NIST MEP to focus on growing the capacity and skill set of the MEP system in order to meet the demand for services and the changing needs of the manufacturers in responding to expanding global competition.  These meetings provide MEP with the opportunity to ensure center staff are educated and aware of the latest tools, topics, and goals of the MEP system.  
 
The meeting will begin around 8:00am on Wednesday, September 18, 2013 and end around 5:00pm on Thursday, September 19, 2013.  Draft agenda to follow shortly.  To register for this upcoming meeting, please visit the MEP Update Meeting website and click on the “Register” button in the top right hand corner.  The registration fee has been reduced from $290 to $250 per person and will be open until Wednesday, September 11th. 

The meeting will be held at the Red Lion on the River hotel.
Red Lion On The River
909 N Hayden Island Drive
Portland, OR, 97217
Phone: 503-283-4466
 
Room Rate: $113.00
*This rate will be assured until the end of the business day on August 28, 2013, if the block has not been filled already. After this date, reservations can be made on a space-available basis.

Click here to place reservations online. This link is already generated with the group discount code. Once on the website select your arrival and departure date and the Group/Convention Code will automatically populate to say “September MEP Update Meeting”.

To place reservations by PHONE please call 503-283-4466 or 1-800-RED-LION (1-800-733-5466) and reference “Group: IMC09151 or IMC-MEP”

For more information about the Update Meeting, please contact Karen Lellock (karen.lellock@nist.gov | 301-975-4269)

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Last week, we announced a Federal Funding Opportunity to conduct approximately two (2) pilot projects that will inform future NIST investment leading to the development of a network of Manufacturing Technology Acceleration Centers (M-TACs).

The emphasis of these pilots will be to demonstrate the conduct of technology transition and commercialization activities with small and mid-sized U.S. manufacturers to foster their readiness to adopt and/or adapt advanced technologies into their manufacturing processes and products.

To view the full announcement, click here. Additional information on the proposal process is available in the notice of Federal Funding Opportunity posted at www.grants.gov under Funding Opportunity Number 2013-NIST-MEP-MTAC-01.

Due Dates: Electronic applications must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday, September 23, 2013. Paper applications must be received by NIST no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, September 23, 2013. Applications received after the respective deadline will not be reviewed or considered. The approximate start date for awards under this FFO is expected to be March 2014.

An informational webinar for applicants who are considering to apply will be held on Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at 2:30 P.M. EDT.

For further information or to register for the August 13th webinar, please contact Diane Henderson at diane.henderson@nist.gov | (301) 975-5105.

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The deadline for comments related to the creation of New Manufacturing Technology Acceleration Centers (M-TACs) ends this Monday. Your feedback and ideas are important to us, and your inputs are critical to help the MEP Program’s mission to strengthen U.S. Manufacturing competitiveness. Please send your comments no later than 11:59 P.M. EDT on Monday August 5, 2013

Full details of the RFI can be found on the MEP website at www.nist/gov/mep/rfi-mtac.

For questions regarding this Request for Information, please contact Diane Henderson @ diane.henderson@nist.gov.

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NIST recently announced a FFO for the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia (AMTech) Program. This competition will establish new or strengthen existing industry-driven consortia in planning research that address high-priority challenges impeding the growth of advanced manufacturing in the United States. NIST's anticipates awarding $4 million in two-year planning grants in fiscal year 2013. Grants will range between about $250,000 and $500,000, subject to the availability of funds.

PLEASE NOTE: This FFO includes specific language about potential applicants reaching out to/through the MEP network to assist in establishing collaborations. See Section III.1, page 5 of the FFO. In addition, the FFO also references the MEP within the FAQs, see question B.Q6.

Details of the solicitation, including the solicitation overview, eligibility requirements, selection criteria, legal requirements and the mechanism for submitting proposals is available in the notice of Federal Funding Opportunity posted at www.grants.gov under Funding Opportunity Number 2013-NIST-AMTECH-01.

Two information webinars are scheduled for the month of August. Participants are required to register in advance. To register, click on the webinar dates below.

August 15, 2013 at 2:00 - 3:30 P.M. EDT
August 20, 2013 at 2:00 - 3:30 P.M. EDT

For more information about AMTech and this funding opportunity, visit NIST website at www.nist.gov/ampo or send an email to amtech@nist.gov.

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SSTI’s 17th Annual Conference, Dynamic Innovation Ecosystems: Bringing It All Together, is scheduled for September 15-17 in Portland, Oregon. This year’s conference will focus not only on the key elements required for a dynamic innovation ecosystem—higher education, commercializing research, innovation capital, workforce, and manufacturing—but also on how to bring those elements together. This two-day event is filled with three plenary sessions, sixteen breakout sessions and three workshops, including a manufacturing track that will be of particular interest to MEP’ers.

Because the NIST MEP System Update meeting will immediately follow SSTI's conference, MEP center attendees will receive a discounted registration fee of $550. To receive the reduced rate please register at SSTI's registration page and select the "All Others $700" Conference Registration fee, complete and submit the form. On the next screen, enter the promo code: MEP2013 (case sensitive). The reduced rate should be reflected and registrants will then have the opportunity to enter their credit card information. For more information, visit SSTI's website at www.ssticonference.org. For questions, please contact Mark Troppe at mark.troppe@nist.gov | (301) 975-5745

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Earlier this week, we blew passed 100 open houses registered on the Manufacturing Day website. Compared to last year at this time, that’s a lot. Compared to our goal of 500, there’s still some work to do. We know that there are a lot of you planning events and working with partners and clients to plan events. Carry on!

As an added incentive, the co-producers of Manufacturing Day are entering everyone who registers their event on the website by Friday, August 9, 2013 into a drawing to win one of three $50 Shell gift cards. (Shell is a Gold Sponsor of Manufacturing Day.)

There is a big push underway to get ALL Manufacturing Day events registered on the official www.mfgday.com site. Doing so helps present an accurate count of what's really happening across the country, gets the hosts exposure when we make a big public outreach push with Science Channel and others in a few weeks, and will help drive public participation at local events.

For more information, please contact Zara Brunner (zara.brunner@nist.gov, 301-975-2001) or Mark Schmit (mark.schmit@nist.gov, 301-975-3255).

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West Virginia MEP Vacancy Announcement: Industrial Extension Specialist
The West Virginia University, Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, Mining & Industrial Extension seeks an individual responsible for contacting manufacturers and small business to primarily promote the export-related services of the Industrial Extension Service and its partners, the West Virginia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WVMEP) and The West Virginia Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

For more information, or to apply for this position, please click here.

DEMEP Vacancy Announcement: Executive Director
The Delaware Technical Community College is seeking a highly qualified individual to become the Executive Director for the Delaware Manufacturing Extension Partnership (DEMEP). The incumbent will be responsible for the administrative direction, strategy, contract management and operational results for DEMEP. In addition, the incumbent will supervise administrative support staff and Manufacturing Extension Partnership Specialist to ensure that small and medium-size Delaware manufacturers are provided with appropriate technical assistance to develop and improve their operations.

For more information, or to apply for this position, please visit the vacancy announcement at www.dtcc.edu/hr and search for the position "Stanton: DEMEP Executive Director"

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• Manufacturing Day’s Sponsor Base Continues to Grow. The roster of Manufacturing Day 2013 sponsors has added three more key support organizations, with the SME Education Foundation (SMEEF) and the Plastics Industry Trade Association (SPI) both joining the movement at the Silver level, while the Florida Advanced Technological Education Center (FLATE) has joined the movement at the Bronze level. Read Article.

• Arkansas Manufacturing Solutions (AMS) becomes part of the Argenta Innovation Center, Arkansas planned regional innovation hub. The Argenta Innovation Center is a space designed to give local entrepreneurs a place to build their ideas and create new companies around technology and engineering. “I see this as an opportunity to collaborate and work with the Innovation Center here to help us roll out Innovation engineering to manufacturing companies. This country needs to create a value, and that value is created through manufacturing,” says Arkansas Manufacturing Solutions Center Director, Daniel Curtis. Read Article or View Video

• CONNSTEP President, Bonnie Del Conte, joined U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker on her visit to Connecticut where she toured APS Technology. During the visit, the Secretary held a roundtable with Connecticut technology companies to discuss ways to facilitate growth among businesses to hire more employees. View photos from the event

• CMTC recognizes Made in CA manufacturers.  CMTC's blog feature "Enjoy California Made Products These Last Dog Days of Summer" showcases California made products by Made in CA manufacturing companies located in Southern California. Read Article

• IMC's client Discovery Machine was recently featured in Keystone Edge, a Pennsylvania newspaper. Every successful organization has at least one key person who is so indispensable that cloning seems the only answer. When Anna Griffith and her husband, Dr. Todd Griffith, started Discovery Machine Inc., it was with the goal of providing methodology and supporting technology to capture the “know-how” of pivotal people in an organization and deploy it into training programs, job aids and enterprise systems. Read Article

• MassMEP Signs Alliance With SBA to help advance small businesses in the industry. The alliance was announced at the headquarter of Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MassMEP). "Our partnership with MassMEP is a huge milestone for the SBA's Massachusetts district office," SBA District Director Bob Nelson said in a prepared statement. "With the signing of this agreement, SBA will be able to help the manufacturing community in Worcester and across the state by giving local manufacturers the tools and resources they need to become successful entrepreneurs." Read Article.

• Planting Something Isn’t the Only Way to Go Green. The Utah Manufacturing Extension Partnership has sponsored a Green Enterprise Development course, with the objective of helping companies to reduce waste, do more with less and become more efficient and productive in their operations.  Read Article.

• Minnesota Manufacturers maintain optimistic outlook as they confront health care, workforce challenges Since 2008, Enterprise Minnesota has been regularly checking the pulse of the state’s manufacturing industry by conducting an annual survey of small- to mid-sized manufacturers, asking them to provide the company outlook and explain the issues they are confronting. Read Article

• Read the Latest from the

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 Send us your News Clips! Email us at mepeblast@nist.gov

August 8, 2013 from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. CDT
Marketing through Social Media: Understanding and Leveraging Social Media Information
UW-Stout, Northwest Wisconsin MEP, will be hosting a one day workshop for business professional interested in dynamic tools and techniques to understand and leverage social media information and increase their competitive edge in marketing. Participants will learn strategies relating to the foundations of social listening, social media measurement, leveraging consumer-intelligence data, and context-driven strategies for real-world situations. Registration cost is $225. Click here to register. If you have any questions, please contact: Joni Geroux, | (715) 232-5270.

August 13 - October 8, 2013
Go Global Webinar Series
In celebration of World Trade Month in May, U.S. Department of Commerce will launch a webinar series illustrating how U.S. businesses can expand into the global marketplace and reach the 95 percent of consumers outside the United States.The “Go Global” Webinar Series draws from trade expertise across the Administration to equip companies with the tools they need to start exporting or increase sales to new markets.

The following webinars will be held at 1:00PM EDT on the dates specified below:

• August 13, 2013: Trade Financing
• August 27, 2013: Documentation and shipping
• September 10 & 24, 2013: Understanding export regulations
• October 8, 2013: Avoiding and resolving problems

If you or your clients are interested in participating in any of the following complimentary webinars, please register at the U.S. Census Educational Resources Website. For questions, please contact Kari Reidy | (301) 975-4919.

August 19- December 13, 2013
MEP Innovation Services / Training – 2013
The Black Belt training schedule for 2013 is listed below. If you would like to register, please email Kari Reidy with the name of the individual(s) you are registering and their proposed dates. Because NIST MEP is making a significant investment in the cost of this training we do expect that those registering are committed to this program and agree to complete their Black Belt certification within the 1 year time requirement.

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 and will continue to be updated with the latest FAQs.

• 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 | (301) 975-4919.

August 21, 2013 at 2:00 P.M. EDT
Business Continuity Suite Webinar
Join us on Wednesday, August 21, 2013, at 2:00pm (EST) for a 90 minute webinar to learn how MEP Centers are utilizing the Business Continuity Planning (BCP) Suite of tools developed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to successfully coach clients in developing business continuity strategies. Participants will learn about:

• The importance of Business Continuity Planning
• How MEP Centers can utilize BCP tools
• MEP Practitioner’s perspective on using the tools for client engagements as well as internally to develop, implement, and maintain MEP Center plans

Click here to register. If you have any questions, please contact: Samm Bowman | (301)975-5978.

To download BCP Suite of tools visit the BCP page on the MEP's website or if you would like a CD of the software contact Samm Bowman (301) 975-5978.

August 22 & 23, 2013
Alabama E3 Sustainability Conference
Join the Alabama Technology Network on August 23 & 24, for the Alabama E3 Sustainability Conference for August 23 & 24 in Montgomery, AL. The conference will incorporate sustainability in manufacturing training sessions, informational workshops, and other activities to assist attendees in their efforts to reduce wastes in order to increase productivity and profitability for their businesses. In addition to the workshops, the conference will also include exhibitors, a tour of the Coca-Cola plant in Montgomery, and an awards ceremony to recognize companies for outstanding achievement in the three categories of economy, energy, and environment.

For more information and to register, visit the event's website at www.alabamaE3.org/conference.

For questions, please contact Dana Stone at dstone@atn.org.

September 10 - 11, 2013
Controlling Organizational Costs Through Safety & Medical Management By: Ernie Richardson
Companies lose as much as $60 billion in decreased productivity each year due to workplace injury and safety issues, in addition to the personal impacts of a workplace injury to the employee.

This course will help the learner set the foundation for safety & medical cost prevention and control. Participants will learn how to look at costs and cost drivers, especially multiple - year costs such as worker’s compensation. Current systems are seeing greater than 15% increases in safety & medical costs, but by using the techniques presented in this training seminar, companies can expect long - term decreases in costs while experiencing improvement in productivity, attendance, and worker morale

Location: Decatur, Alabama
Event Brochure
Cost: $750

To register,click here. For questions, please contact Hank Czarnecki at LeanHank@auburn.edu.

September 18, 2013 @ 2:00P.M. EDT
Energy Management Resources for Manufacturers From ENERGY STAR Webinar
Most of us recognize ENERGY STAR as the symbol of energy efficiency. But, did you know ENERGY STAR has tools and resources that you can use to help manufacturers manage energy? Join us for a webinar on September 18, 2013 at 2:00 pm Eastern to learn about these free tools, how manufacturers are making use of them, and how you can take advantage of them to help other manufacturers cost-effectively improve the energy efficiency of their operations.

September 18, 2013 @ 2:00PM EDT
Webinar Link
Password: EnergyStar1$
Dial in number: 1 (855) 272-0056
Conference Code: 253 241 1643

For questions about Energy Star, please contact Betsy Dutrow (Dutrow.Elizabeth@epa.gov | 202-343-9061. For questions about this upcoming webinar, please contact Ben Vickery (ben.vickery@nist.gov | 301-975-2954).

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