# Presentation: 514945

## Manufacturing ExtensionPartnershipBen VickerySenior AnalystNIST MEP

- _[www.mep.nist.gov](http://www.mep.nist.gov/)__       _
- 800-MEP-4MFG

## MEP stands for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. 
MEP is a nationwide network of not-for-profit centers in over 350 locations, whose purpose is to provide manufacturers with the tools they need to succeed. 
The centers, serving all 50 States and Puerto Rico, are linked together through the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology. 
Centers are funded by federal, state, local and private resources to serve manufacturers. 

**MEP** is a nationwide network of not-for-profit centers in over 350 locations, whose purpose is to provide manufacturers with the tools they need to succeed.
- The centers, serving all 50 States and Puerto Rico, are linked together through the **Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology**.
- Centers are funded by federal, state, local and private resources to serve manufacturers.

- Commerce Department’sManufacturing Extension Partnership

**Notes:**
MEP is a national system of integrated partners working together to help US manufacturers succeed.

MEP is a cooperative effort between the Federal government, State governments, and Private resources 
and our funding is representative of this partnership

## MEP Mission Statement

- “To strengthen the global competitiveness of US-based manufacturing by providing information, decision support, and implementation assistance to smaller manufacturing firms in adopting new, more advanced manufacturing technologies, techniques, and business best practices.”

## Building a National Program

**344,000 Small & Medium Sized Manufacturers**

**Over 1,400 Field Staff**

**Over 350 Service Locations**

**59 MEP Centers**

**NIST **

**Over 3,000 Affiliated Service Providers**

## MEP Office Locations(as of January 2005)

- MEP Office Locations(as of January 2005)

**Notes:**
MEP’s 350 Service Locations

## Center Structure

- Utilizes existing local resources to provide manufacturing extension services
- Staff are employees of the Center and its partners -- _not_ the Federal Government
- Structure varies
- Single location
- Principal organization and partner organizations
- Central office with regional offices
- Headquarters operation with multiple field offices

**Notes:**
NIST has about 42 Federal employees working in the national office.
We seek out existing economic development and extension partnership programs whenever possible.
National program, not a federal program.

## Top Industries Served(as of January 2005)

## FY 2003 Impacts Attributed to MEP Assistance

- New Sales			$1,483 Million
- Retained Sales		$2,638 Million
- Capital Investment		$912 Million
- Cost Savings			$686 Million
- Jobs Created and Retained	50,315
- Establishments Served		18,422

- FY 2003 performance is based on a survey of 4,865 MEP-served establishments out of 5,648 attempted.

## MEP Products & Services 

**Lean:** A Lean Enterprise produces more with existing resources by eliminating non-value added activities. Lean establishes a systematic approach to eliminating these wastes and creating flow throughout the whole company.
**Strategic Management:** Planning and executing business strategies through people, processes and technology - is a powerful competitive weapon that too few executives use to their advantage.
**Quality:** Quality Systems encompasses everything from product design to distribution of finished products.

## MEP Products & Services 

**Growth Planning:** The business activity which allows a company to know what its customers want.
**Environmental:** For over a decade, MEP consultants have helped companies avoid wasting materials and energy.
**Human Resources/Organizational Development:** MEP recognizes the impact that people, culture, and skills have on the competitive abilities of small and medium-sized manufacturers.
**Tools:** MEP has produced tools for learning about eBusiness and for assessing the security of a company's IT infrastructure.

## SBIR Client Assistance

**Alabama**** **– Attendees at a recent Alabama Technology Network SBIR funding course learned how to tap federal R&D dollars. The event, sponsored by NASA's Southeast Regional Technology Transfer Center and held at Mobile's University of South Alabama campus, drew entrepreneurs and attendees from an assortment of industries along the gulf coast.
**Montana**** **– The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) works with SBIR clients in Phase I, II, and III. **MMEC has field engineers providing SBIR assistance with TechLink, a DoD technology transfer center, and with the Department of Agriculture on a Phase III project. MMEC’s MilTech program works with several DoD SBIR clients in the Northwest on technology deployment and DoD procurement.**

## SBIR Client Assistance Continued...

**New York**** **– High Technology Rochester and Insyte Consulting, Inc. (formerly Western New York Technology Development Center) have assisted firms with SBIR awareness building, opportunity identification, and training on the application process and content via seminars and individual firm assistance.
**Pennsylvania**** **– Over the past three years, the Catalyst Connection has assisted with the SBIR program, touching several hundred firms in outreach and training, and has assisted about 50 proposal efforts. They’ve partnered with the SBA’s Federal State and Technology (FAST) program to form the Innovation Partnership, which helps early-stage technology firms to secure federal funding opportunities.

## SBIR Client Assistance Continued...

**Wyoming – **Manufacturing-Works (formerly Wyoming MAMTC) is partnering with the Wyoming SBIR/STTR (WSSI) — a joint venture between the Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming — to assist small manufacturers in obtaining and taking advantage of Phase 0, Phase I, and Phase II SBIR/STTR awards.

## MEP and New Product Development – New York

- “Having Insyte Consulting assigned to this project was vital to meeting our timeline. Insyte provided the needed, dedicated resource that was not available in-house, and added a high energy level that energized the team of support groups. In addition, the attention to detail the TDC resource provided allowed us to do things right the first time and led to improvements in the equipment design and function.”
-   Randy Leising, Director R&D and Implementation

- Results:
- Costs held in line so that total equipment was 97% of budgeted expenditure request for all equipment defined in original proposal.
- R&D personnel now have ability to build and test new prototype designs on qualified equipment that is not shared with manufacturing.

- Wilson Greatbatch Technologies, Inc. is a leading developer of power sources and components used in implantable medical devices that wanted to better utilize its new R&D lab space and improve personnel capabilities.

## MEP and New Product Development – New York

- Curbell, Inc. is a manufacturer of electronicand electrical devices for hospitals, nursinghomes, assisted living facilities, and medicalequipment supply distributors that could barely support production demands brought on by increased sales. A project team was assembled of Western NY Technology Development Center (TDC) staff and Curbell personnel that selected core product families, developed labor and space consumption process maps, and developed an Operations Standards/Product Family matrix using existing production data.

- Results:
- Capital investment savings of 74%.
- Forecasting model that can be run in the future as production mix, volumes, and production standards change.

## MEP Success Story – Illinois

- "Our company was established in the automotive business.  We can continue to grow in automotive, but it’s competitive and expensive.  The Illinois Manufacturing Extension Center gave us exposure to resources we wouldn’t have had otherwise; we’re now well-positioned to diversify and grow our business long-term."
-   Kent Staley, Sales and Marketing Director

- Results:
- Identified approximately 150 qualified prospects.
- Actively pursuing 50 leads with an anticipated sales rate of 10 percent.
- Tapped several new markets independent of the automotive industry.
- Projecting $10 million in new annual sales.

- Molding Systems, Inc. of Olney, Illinois is a manufacturer of custom injection molded products that wanted to diversify to a wide range of industries, and decided to take proactive measures to become more “recession proof."

## MEP and New Product Development – Pennsylvania

- Kerotest Manufacturing Corp. produceshigh pressure valves. In business since1909, they have a history of producingnew products. Since the 1960s, foreigncompetition has been increasing its sharein this market, and now dominates some segments. Kerotest’s President saw that their success rate at new product development wasn’t as good as it used to be.
- Working with Catalyst Connection, Kerotest implemented a new, systematic product development process — ATOM-SMETM — that was intended for small and midsized companies. Using this process, Kerotest developed the PolyballTM polyethylene valve. They got it to market faster than they would have without the process. It has exceeded expectations for first year sales, and continues to make good penetration in market niches identified and targeted during the development process.