HOLLINGS MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP

ADVISORY BOARD REPORT 2012
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LETTER FROM THE MEP ADVISORY BOARD

PREFACE

About the Manufacturing Extension Program

About the Manufacturing Extension Advisory Board

Board Members

Advisory Board Activities in 2012

MEP PARTNERSHIPS AND ACTIVITIES HIGHLIGHTED IN FY2012

National Network for Manufacturing Initiatives

Center Operations Review and Evaluation

Continuing the MEP Focus on Innovation

MEP COMPETITIVE AWARDS

Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator

Building Construction Technology Extension Program

MEP ADVISORY BOARD 2012 RECOMMENDATIONS

LOOKING AHEAD

Table of Contents

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According to the Economic Policy Institute, manufacturing has played a leading role in the nation’s 

economic recovery, adding 504,000 jobs between February 2010, when manufacturing employment 

fell to its lowest point, and October 2012. These 504,000 jobs constituted 11.1 percent of the 4.5 million 

jobs created in that period. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Advisory Board recognizes 

the important role manufacturing plays in the U.S. economy and supports the work the MEP program 

continues to do to foster growth in the industry through engagement with other federal agencies, state 

stakeholders, MEP Centers and U.S. manufacturers.

In 2012, President Obama proposed the National Network of Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), 15 

regional centers aimed at closing the gap between research and development (R&D) activities and the 

deployment of technological innovations in domestic production of goods. From the outset, the MEP 

Advisory Board saw the MEP program as a crucial connector between the Institutes for Manufacturing 

Innovation (IMIs) and smaller U.S. manufacturers. The relationships and knowledge MEP has gained 

over the past 25 years can be integrated with the NNMI through interagency cooperation and the involvement of MEP Centers in the consortiums that make up the IMIs. Currently, MEP Centers in Ohio and 

Pennsylvania are members of the NNMI pilot institute, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation 

Institute. 

In 2012 we also saw the initiation of a national Manufacturing Day to highlight the importance of manufacturing to the U.S. economy and showcase the rewarding, highly skilled jobs available in manufacturing !elds. On October 5, 2012 more than 200 manufacturing companies opened their doors to the 

public to host open houses, public tours, career workshops and other events. With 60,000 un!lled manufacturing jobs in the U.S., the MEP Advisory Board is extremely supportive of this e"ort to communicate 

the importance of this sector to the U.S. economy and to illustrate and highlight the manufacturing jobs 

of today and the opportunities they provide. 

The Board continues to believe that the MEP model of public and private partnership, state and federal 

cooperation, industry and research collaboration and interagency manufacturing support is the most 

e"ective and productive use of federal funds. The Board encourages the MEP program to continue to 

explore partnerships and collaborations that work to support and increase the competitiveness of U.S. 

manufacturers.

Sincerely,

Letter From the MEP Advisory Board

Dennis Dotson, Chairman

Dotson Iron Castings

Mankato, Minnesota

James R. Bean, Vice Chair

Preco Electronics, Inc

Boise, Idaho

Eileen Guarino, President & CEO

Greno Industries

Scotia, New York

Edward W. HIll, Dean

Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban A"airs

Cleveland, Ohio
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James Jacobs, President

Macomb Community College

Warren, Michigan

Ken Priest, CEO

Kenway Corporation & Maritime Marine LLC

Augusta, Maine

Mark Rice, President

Maritime Applied Physics Corporation

Baltimore, Maryland

Ed Wolbert, President

Transaco Products, Inc

Chicago, Illinois

Vickie Wessel, President

Spirit Electronics, Inc.

Phoenix, Arizona
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Preface

About the Manufacturing Extension Partnership

The Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 created the Manufacturing Extension Partnership 

program (MEP) to improve the competitiveness of U.S-based manufacturing by making manufacturing technologies, processes and services available. During the past two decades, MEP has focused on 

bridging the manufacturing productivity gap, identifying opportunities for growth, and encouraging 

technology deployment. 

Growing from a pilot project of just three centers to a national network of 60 a#liated organizations, 

MEP works with manufacturers to help them create and retain jobs, increase pro!ts, and save time and 

money. The MEP nationwide network provides services and support ranging from innovation strategies 

to process improvements to green manufacturing. MEP also works with partners at the state and federal levels on programs that put manufacturers in position to develop new customers, expand into new 

markets and create new products.
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About the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board

In August 2007, Congress passed the America Competes Act (P.L. 110-69) establishing the 

Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board. The Board meets biannually to provide advice 

and recommendations on: 

t The programs, plans and policies of MEP; 

t The soundness of MEP’s plans and strategies; and 

t Current performance in relation to MEP program plans. 

The MEP Advisory Board consists of members broadly representing the interests and needs of the 

manufacturing sector. The MEP Advisory Board met twice in 2012 and performed its three chartered 

functions. In addition, individual Board members worked directly with the MEP sta" and attended 

relevant meetings to collect information on MEP program status and planning activities. 

This report highlights the Advisory Board observations, !ndings and recommendations. Detailed minutes for MEP Advisory Board meetings are available on the MEP website at: http://www.nist.gov/mep/

advisory-board.cfm.
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Board Members

James R. (Jim) Bean, Vice Chair

(Term expires: April 2013)

Jim Bean is the President and CEO of Preco Electronics, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Saber 

Holdings, Inc. Preco is recognized worldwide as an innovator, designer and manufacturer of vehicle 

communications systems. Prior to Preco, Jim had over 20 years of operational experience with 

Fortune 500 companies including National Semiconductor Corporation, Apple Computer, and Sun 

Microsystems. He held positions in both domestic and international manufacturing. While at Sun, 

Jim was part of the executive team responsible for taking the company public and its rapid growth 

as a market leader. In addition to his experience as an employee in the international economy, Jim 

has served on the Board of Directors for both public and private organizations. He currently serves as 

the chair on the advisory board for TechHelp, the MEP-affiliate center in Idaho. Jim holds a degree in 

Industrial Engineering from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Dennis Dotson, Chair

(Term expires: April 2016)

Dennis Dotson is a third generation foundryman serving as Chairman of Dotson Iron Castings 

in Mankato, Minnesota. The company is in the top tier of foundry suppliers and has been 

acknowledged by the industry’s society as the “Metalcaster of the Year” out of 2,000 North American 

facilities. Denny has been very active in the industry serving on various boards, past president of 

the Ductile Iron Society and is the current president of the American Foundry Society. He is also 

chairman of People Driven Performance, a startup company focused on internal communications. 

Dennis has a strong commitment to education and is a trustee emeritus of the Minnesota State 

Colleges and Universities, the governing board for the 35 post-secondary state institutions. He is a 

U.S. Navy veteran and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (1967 BBA) and the University of 

Chicago (1968 MBA). He currently serves on the board of Enterprise Minnesota (a NIST MEP affiliate). 

The constant in his career has been the involvement in many new community, educational and 

business startups. 

Eileen Guarino

(Term expires: May 2014)

Eileen Guarino is currently President and COO of Greno Industries located in Scotia, New York. Ms. 

Guarino attended the University of South Carolina. Early in her career, Ms. Guarino was a buyer 

for a clothing company which represented apparel in various resort locations throughout SC, 

Florida and Georgia. There she developed a woman’s clothing line that retailed in nine locations. 

Her responsibilities ranged from coordination of the annual buys to importing fabrics to be 

manufactured in the US. In 1988, Ms. Guarino relocated to upstate New York, where she lent her 

talents to her new career in the manufacturing parts business as what she calls “part of the Greno 

team”. Greno Industries is a family owned business, and is a recognized minority women owned 

business in New York State. Ms. Guarino has worked to expand the company’s clients to now 

include successful relationships in new markets throughout Europe and Asia, as well as leading 

the company’s strategic planning growth efforts of its 60,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility. As a 

result of her “Greno team” approach, she works to enhance the personal and professional growth 

of employees to be trained in Six Sigma and Lean Principles. One of her successes in her business 

career, of which she is most proud, was creating and implementing an in house high school MFG 

internship training program with local high school students. Ms. Guarino was the past President 

of the Tech Valley Global Business Network, and current Vice President of the Center of Executives 

Network of Manufacturing. She is also an active civic member in her chambers of commerce and the 

Women’s Business Enterprise Network Council. 
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Board Members

Edward W. (Ned) Hill

(Term expires: April 2014)

Edward W. (Ned) Hill is Dean, Professor, and Distinguished Scholar of Economic Development 

at Cleveland State University’s Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs. He is also a 

Nonresident Senior Fellow of the Metropolitan Policy Program at The Brookings Institution, a 

Nonresident Visiting Fellow of the Institute of Government at the University of California at Berkeley, 

and Adjunct Professor of Public Administration at South China University of Technology. He edited 

Economic Development Quarterly from 1994 to 2005. Hill is a member of the board of directors 

of MAGNET, the MEP affiliate organization in Northeast Ohio. Ohio Department of Development 

Director Christine Schmenk appointed Hill to Ohio’s Manufacturing Task Force in 2011 and he 

has been a member of Ohio’s Cooperative Education Advisory Council since 2009. Hill and his 

team completed a major study of advanced manufacturing for Pennsylvania’s Industrial Resource 

Network Program in 2010. In 2011 and 2012 they advised JobsOhio, Ohio’s economic development 

organization, and Northeast Ohio’s economic development network on development strategy in 

2011 and 2012. The Ohio Manufactures Association presented Hill with its Legacy Award in 2005.

James Jacobs

(Term expires: March 2013)

James Jacobs is the President of Macomb Community College in Michigan. Dr. Jacobs is a national 

expert on workforce development and community colleges with more than two decades’ 

experience working through community colleges to meet the training needs of manufacturers 

in multiple industries. At Macomb Community College, Dr. Jacobs initiated the Machinist Training 

Institute, a college program that trained entry level machinists for small and medium sized 

manufacturing firms. This program was the first NMCS (National Metalworking Standards Council)-

certified machining center at any community college in the nation. Dr. Jacobs was also responsible 

for the establishment of community college training programs between the Industrial Technology 

Institute and Michigan community colleges. He also coordinated the Mid-American Training Group, 

a group of 15 major community colleges in the mid-west that performed education and training 

activities with auto and steel manufacturers in their communities. He has also conducted major 

studies on the impact of new manufacturing technologies on skill requirements of firms both for the 

U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor.

Kenneth G. (Ken) Priest III

(Term expires: April 2013)

Ken Priest is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Kenway Corporation, Chief Executive Officer 

of Maritime Marine LLC and a member of Priest and Priest LLC. After working as Project Engineer and 

Engineering Manager of St Regis/Champion/International Paper Company Bucksport Me for over 

10 years, he acquired ownership in the family business Kenway Corporation. He has diversified the 

company from a manufacturer serving the composite needs of the Pulp and Paper Industry to a leader 

and innovator in composites for a variety of industries including Defense, Marine, Power Generation, 

Waste Water Treatment and Aquaculture. Ken serves on the Board of Directors, Maine Composites 

Alliance; MEP-affiliate center in Maine; Past Board of Directors, American Composites Manufacturing 

Association; Maine Technology Institute; Member of Compliance Advisory Panel Maine Department 

of Environmental Protection. He has a BS in Engineering from the University of Maine and is a licensed 

Professional Engineer in the State of Maine.
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Vickie Wessel

(Term expires: May 2014)

Vickie Wessel is the founder and President of Spirit Electronics, Inc. She has more than 30 years 

of experience in the electronics industry, including sales, marketing, procurement, operations, 

contracts, finance and quality systems management. Since its founding in 1979, Spirit has grown 

to support broad line electronic component distribution, supply chain solutions, and component 

value-added services. Her commitment to continuous improvement is evidenced by Spirit’s 

ISO9002 and AS9000 certifications and her on-going participation in lean manufacturing and 

process improvement activities. Vickie’s passion for improving the contracting environment for the 

benefit of small businesses throughout the nation has led to her active affiliation with the National 

Minority Supplier Development Council, the Grand Canyon Minority Supplier Development Council, 

the Aerospace Industries Association Supplier Management Council (SMC), the Arizona Minority 

Business Enterprise Center, and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. In 2005, she 

received AIA’s “Amelia Earhart Award”, recognizing women who achieve excellence in the aerospace 

and defense industry. 

Ed Wolbert

(Term expires: May 2014)

Ed Wolbert is the president of Transco Products Inc., a leading U.S. medium-sized manufacturer and 

contractor dedicated to nuclear power. Mr. Wolbert has been in the nuclear power industry for over 

30 years, has been with Transco for the last 28 years, and has served as its president for the last 16 

years. Mr. Wolbert oversees the daily strategic direction and tactical operations of the company, 

including direct guidance of its foreign activities. Mr. Wolbert is a member of the American Nuclear 

Society, and is also a member of ASTM (serving on the C16 committee). Mr. Wolbert continues in his 

service on the governing board of the Illinois Manufacturing Extension Center, the Illinois affiliate 

of the NIST MEP Program. Mr. Wolbert continues to serve on the Department of Commerce’s Civil 

Nuclear Trade Advisory Committee (CINTAC), after previously been both the committee’s vicechairman and chairman, and has been a vocal advocate and champion for small/medium size 

enterprises in the nuclear power market.

Mark Rice, Past Chair

(Term expires: March 2014)

Mark Rice is President of the Maritime Applied Physics Corporation. After working for several 

engineering firms and U.S. Government laboratories, he formed Maritime Applied Physics 

Corporation (MAPC) in 1986. MAPC has both R&D and production work with offices in Maryland, 

Virginia and Maine. MAPC currently designs and manufactures electro-mechanical systems that 

range from submarine and surface ship components to commercial motion control systems. The 

company has recently completed two unmanned surface vessels for the U.S. Navy along with 

prototype distributed power and water systems for use by individual families in Afghanistan. MAPC 

has had several export contracts supplying ship components to foreign shipbuilders. Mark is a 

member of the local District Export Council for the Department of Commerce. He has a BA in Physics 

from the University of Maine and is a licensed Professional Engineer.
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Advisory Board Activities in 2012

The Advisory Board held two meetings in 2012. The Spring meeting was held in conjunction with the 

Manufacturing Innovations 2012 Conference in Orlando, Florida. The second meeting was held in 

September 2012 in Gaithersburg, Maryland. During these two meetings, the Advisory Board received 

presentations and held discussions on a number of topics relevant to the future of the MEP program. 

These included: 

t Current state of manufacturing

t National MEP system trends

t How to revitalize U.S. manufacturing

t MEP’s Next-Generation strategies for workforce development

t NIST manufacturing initiatives

t National Network of Manufacturing Institutes (NNMI)

During the Spring 2012 meeting, the MEP Advisory Board had the opportunity to engage with experts 

focused on the current state of U.S. manufacturing as well as representatives from MEP Centers and 

Center boards. There were dedicated breakout sessions allowing the MEP Advisory Board members to 

meet in smaller groups with MEP Center Board representatives. This activity built on the e"orts started 

in 2011. The MEP Advisory Board !nds these engagements invaluable and support plans to continue 

additional engagements in 2013. There are two speci!c objectives for these exchanges: 

1. Enhance communication between local boards and the NIST MEP board regarding the strategic 

future of the MEP program with particular emphasis on gaining regional and sector-speci!c input 

from the local level; and

2. Provide the local board members with an opportunity to provide input into the activities and 

recommendations o"ered by the NIST MEP board.
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MEP Partnerships and Activities Highlighted in FY2012

National Network for Manufacturing Initiatives

On March 9, 2012, President Obama announced a new $1 billion proposal for a National Network 

for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) to catalyze manufacturing innovation institutes around the 

country. The NNMI will be 15 manufacturing innovation institutes focused heavily on public and 

private partnerships. The role of the NNMI is to help bridge the gap between basic research and 

industry with technologies that can be commercialized. The related report released by the Advanced 

Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) Steering Committee emphasized the importance of sustaining 

investments in advanced science and technology. Of the 16 recommendations, the Steering 

Committee called for the “establishment of a national network of Manufacturing Innovation Institutes 

(MIIs) to link the gaps between research conducted in universities and national laboratories, and 

production enterprises, with a focus on small and medium enterprises (SMEs).”

In considering the structure and implementation of the NNMIs, the MEP Advisory Board 

recognizes the role the MEP can play in connecting small- and medium- sized manufacturers to the 

NNMIs and transferring their innovations throughout the industry. MEP has experience in technology 

scouting, working to identify technologies needed by small- and medium- sized manufacturers, and 

!nding the resources available to address their needs. In addition, MEP’s supplier scouting services 

help to identify domestic manufacturing capabilities to support the needs of original equipment 

manufacturers and federal agencies. Using these tools and the MEP network, these services could be 

expanded to provide direct input to NNMI on manufacturers’ capabilities and technology needs that 

could be supported through a technology-speci!c NNMI. This could provide the NNMI with valuable 

market research on company needs and capabilities as well as technologies available in the research 

laboratories.

Center Operations Review and Evaluation

During 2012, MEP began implementing a new evaluation system to assess the work and impact 

of the Centers holistically. The Center Operations Review and Evaluation (CORE) system will utilize 

a balanced approach to performance evaluation with greater focus on growth through innovation 

and market penetration. Centers will be evaluated on a number of dimensions including: activities, 

outcomes, and impacts; quantitative and qualitative measures; short-term current performance and 

investment in longer-term initiatives; and lagging and leading performance measures. The evaluation 

will look at four broad categories of metrics:

1. Center Diagnostics. This section is based on feedback and information from NIST MEP related 

to the Center’s actions and activities. Speci!c metrics assessed are: Innovation Practice, Next 

Generation Strategy, Market Understanding, Business Model, Partnerships, and Financial 

Viability. 

2. Impact Metrics. This section is based on client feedback and information related to the services 

supplied by the Center and the relationship the Center maintained with the client. This 

information is aggregated across all completed client surveys. Speci!c metrics assessed are: 

New Sales, Retained Sales, New Jobs per Million Dollars in Federal Funding, New Investment, 

Cost Savings, Clients per Million Dollars in Federal Funding, and New Clients per Million Dollars 

in Federal Funding.
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MEP Partnerships and Activities Highlighted in FY2012

Center Operations Review and Evaluation continued

3. Opportunities and Challenges. This section allows for thoughtful benchmarking for Centers 

and provides additional context to stakeholders on both internal and external factors that may 

explain performance in the metrics discussed above. Additionally, this category allows the 

system to identify and transfer best practices e#ciently. To gather this information, some of the 

questions asked in this category include: What is the center doing well that others could learn 

from? What can the center learn from other centers? 

4. Panel Review. The most recent Panel review of the Center is an important document that informs 

the analysis of the metrics discussed in center diagnostics and impact metrics.

Using CORE, NIST MEP will focus on the health of their entire Center operation and allow for concerns 

to be addressed and areas of strengths to be shared across the system.

Continuing the MEP focus on Innovation

NIST MEP continues to position the MEP system to provide business leaders with a reliable 

process for faster commercialization of new products and expansion into new markets. MEP’s 

innovation services are designed to both teach manufacturing companies the concepts of innovation 

and to help these companies implement systems to support continuous innovation. In 2012 NIST MEP 

continued to make signi!cant investments in the professional development of MEP Center sta" and 

partners to support a nation-wide network of professionals able to deliver consistent and high-quality 

innovation services to the nation’s small and mid-sized manufacturing community. 

Innovation services that are rooted in a foundation of continuous improvement and innovation 

are critical to the success of American manufacturers. To stimulate a culture of continuous innovation 

within a manufacturing company the MEP Centers need to engage at the strategic level to both 

understand the overall direction of the company and provide an appropriate suite of solutions and 

services. 

As MEP continues to focus on innovation services, the MEP Advisory Board is interested in 

feedback from additional MEP Centers and clients on the e"ectiveness and impact of these o"erings.
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MEP Competitive Awards

Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator

The Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge was created to support 

initiatives that strengthen advanced manufacturing at the local level. These public-private partnerships 

consist of small and large businesses, colleges, nonpro!ts and other local stakeholders that “cluster” 

in a particular area. The funds will help the winning clusters support local e"orts to spur job creation 

through a variety of projects, including initiatives that connect innovative small suppliers with large 

companies, link research with the start-ups that can commercialize new ideas, and train workers with 

skills that !rms need to capitalize on business opportunities. 

The Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge is a partnership 

between the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration and the National 

Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the U.S. Department 

of Energy, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, the U.S. Small 

Business Administration, and the National Science Foundation.

The 10 winning initiatives – based in Arizona, California, Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, 

Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Washington– each received approximately $2 million to fund projects 

that are expected to train a total of 1,000 workers and help nearly 650 companies leverage a cluster’s 

resources in their regions and create jobs across the country. MEP Centers are involved in 9 of these 

initiatives, and the best practices and innovations of their work may be spread to other small- and 

medium- sized manufacturers through the MEP system.

Building Construction Technology Extension Program

This past year, NIST MEP partnered with the Department of Energy to launch the Building 

Construction Technology Extension Program (BCTEP) pilot program to address increasing energy 

e#ciency in commercial and industrial building operations. BCTEP focuses on “re-tuning,” which is a 

systematic semi-automated process of identifying operational problems in commercial and industrial 

buildings. Re-tuning leverages data collected from the building automation system to identify 

opportunities to improve the building operations and provides guidance on implementing corrections 

at no cost or very low cost, leading to reduction in the overall energy consumption.

This innovative services initiative assists small- and medium-sized manufacturers in: 

1. reducing their energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental waste to improve 

pro!tability; 

2. accelerating the domestic commercialization of new product technologies, including 

components for renewable energy and energy e#ciency systems; and

3. identi!cation of and diversi!cation to new markets, including support for transitioning to the 

production of components for renewable energy and energy e#ciency systems. 
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MEP Competitive Awards

Building Construction Technology Extension Program continued

The BCTEP program made 3 awards to MEP Centers: Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center 

(DVIRC, Philadelphia, PA), New York State Empire State Development (NY ESD, Albany, NY) and the 

Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence (Manex, San Ramon, CA), totaling over $1M.

Through these competitive award programs, NIST MEP continues to expand and strengthen 

partnerships with other federal agencies. These partnerships provide the opportunity to leverage 

federal resources and expand opportunities for manufacturers. The NIST MEP Advisory Board 

encourages the MEP program to continue to explore opportunities to partner with other programs 

that support the shared mission of a strong U.S. based manufacturing industry. 
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MEP Advisory Board 2012 Recommendations

1. Recommendation that MEP and the Centers consider all possible sources of funds (including 

state, local, other federal, outside grants and service fees), speci!cally those that are targeted to 

manufacturing. Additionally, the Advisory Board would like to see more return on investment 

!gures and analysis of MEP’s growth strategy in order to track success.

2. Recommendation on improving services provided to U.S. manufacturers including: 

development of a !nancial stability model for SMEs, and increasing focus on workforce 

development tools and services o"ered to SMEs. The Board stressed in their recommendations 

that in the federal-level and new initiatives, the existing MEP system of centers is considered 

and utilized rather than reinventing the infrastructure.

3. Recommendations to enhance communication throughout the system:

a. NIST MEP should consider rotating sta" through the individual Centers to maintain a sense 

and understanding of Center perspective.

b. Centers need to be engaged with the changes to the evaluation system and 

implementation of Center Operations Reporting Evaluation (CORE). There is still some 

trepidation from the Centers. The focus needs to be on the overall strategy and how to 

achieve it – not on the measures themselves.

c. Any National Manufacturing Strategy needs to be a single strategy with an understanding 

of the crucial role of small businesses clearly articulated.

d. Additional small- and medium- sized manufacturer input needs to be put into the 

planning of advanced manufacturing initiatives. The voice of the small- and mediumsized manufacturer needs to be more fully integrated into planning processes that may 

otherwise be dominated by large corporations and universities.
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Looking Ahead

The MEP Advisory Board priorities in FY 2013 will continue to focus on the areas most essential 

to U.S. manufacturing. To do this the Advisory Board will continue to review the progress on updating 

the NIST MEP strategic plan. The revision will clarify the growth framework and detail more speci!c 

steps to take. The Board also plans to strengthen the strategic alignment between NIST MEP and the 

Centers through increased communication about NIST MEP changes and plans.

In order for MEP to continue as an e"ective and e#cient program, the Advisory Board hopes to 

align the NIST MEP performance system with the realities of the program. With recent changes such 

as CORE and the focus on innovation, this realignment has begun. As FY 2013 progresses the Advisory 

Board will consider signi!cant programmatic changes that would assist in the revitalization of U.S. 

manufacturing. The Advisory Board looks forward to all interested parties collaborating together 

towards shared understanding, strategies, outcomes, and impact.

Finally, the Advisory Board will continue to support the national discussion of the importance 

and value of manufacturing. MEP is part of the front line in educating decision makers and the public, 

dispelling the perception of an antiquated, low-paying industry and instead promoting the advanced 

technology, high-skill and groundbreaking work many manufacturers engage in every day.