Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership Sponsors Volusia Manufacturers Association Upcoming Manufacturers Expo 2010

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The Volusia Manufacturers Association’s Member, Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership, becomes a platinum sponsor of the VMA’s upcoming Manufacturers Expo 2010.

Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) recently became a platinum sponsor for the upcoming Volusia Manufacturers Expo 2010. Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Florida MEP) is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership. The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is the #1 resource for U.S. manufacturers showing them how to use innovation to grow their prosperity as they compete for international customers. MEP’s nationwide network of field staff serves as trusted business advisors focused on solving manufacturers’ challenges and identifying opportunities for growth.

The MEP is a program of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology, offering manufacturers a wealth of unique and effective resources. As a result, MEP clients achieve higher profits, save time and money, invest in physical and human capital, and create and retain thousands of jobs. In addition to providing services to manufacturers focused on everything from process improvements, to strategies for growth, to green manufacturing; the MEP works with state and federal partners to implement ideas and strategies so that manufacturers are more efficient and innovative, resulting in overall economic growth and job creation. MEP strategies focus on five critical areas - technology acceleration, supplier development, sustainability, workforce as well as continuous improvement. MEP goals are to help manufacturers to develop new customers, expand into new markets and create new products with the end goal of increasing profitability and competitiveness.

The Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Florida MEP) is focused on Florida’s manufacturers and manufacturing economy and is able to leverage many public and private resources so that they are available for every manufacturing enterprise in Florida. The nationwide system of MEP centers is linked through the U.S. Department of Commerce - National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), with the common goal to strengthen the global competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers.

Florida MEP takes an active role in the manufacturers operations and offers unique solutions for enterprise transformation, operational improvements, and lean improvements, ISO certifications, Quality Management System (QMS), plant design improvements or additions. Florida MEP also offers affordable employee training programs ranging from individual employee skills such as supervisory training to effective lean training techniques (Time Wise Solutions®). Also, Florida MEP’s Time Wise Mobile Outreach Skills Training® (M.O.S.T.) has been extremely successful in training people with little or no manufacturing experience and allowing them to get the job offer; retain the training information up to 270 days post placement; and increase their annual salary significantly ($20,800 to $45,760). Time Wise M.O.S.T. training has provided opportunities for trainees to lift their families out of poverty and position them on career paths that offer long-term growth and higher earnings.

Florida MEP’s Upcoming Training events include such topics as Standard Work Skills Training, Value Stream Mapping, SupplyPoint® Proposal and Engineering Assistance, Profit Growth, Lean Manufacturing Principles and Supervisory Skills.
Florida MEP also assists manufacturers in supply chain management, working with manufacturing suppliers to develop an integrated, rapidly responding manufacturing supply chain. Florida MEP can assist in developing a “Demand Pull” system which identifies, addresses, and finds solutions for supply shortages and identifies surge requirements with adaptation to existing industry capacity. Florida MEP offers free registration in SupplyPoint®, a validated web-based database used to track technology and manufacturing capabilities of many upcoming, top notch CNC machine shops. Registration in SupplyPoint® allows manufacturers greater visibility to major supply chain opportunities, and the MEP will prepare the manufacturers to be ready to respond to such opportunities. The Center for Supply Chain and Risk Management in the Florida MEP, offers competitive, time-saving, advanced CNC programming and engineering services to assist smaller machine shops and manufacturers in preparing data files into 3D models, or programming for machines and controllers, including process maps, reverse engineering, first article testing, and rapid prototyping. This allows many smaller manufacturers to compete for large or defense contracts.

The Florida MEP Innovation Program helps business with identification and integration of new, innovative technologies, or assistance with transfer of technologies, and development of new product commercialization strategies. The Florida MEP provides the experience and the methodology that helps local manufacturers achieve the right focus and become globally competitive.

The Florida MEP has been actively involved with the Volusia Manufacturers Association for many years, providing local Volusia and Flagler county manufacturers training, support, education, and advice to assist local manufacturers in growing their businesses and becoming successful. VMA’s President/CEO, Jayne Fifer stated, “The Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership has been an actively committed member of the VMA for many years, supporting local manufacturing by providing outstanding training and guidance services, keeping the manufacturers up to date with changes in ISO manufacturing regulations and helping them to obtain certifications and offering training for manufacturing employees. The Florida MEP often speaks to the VMA group members educating them on new standards or new manufacturing techniques because they know that companies that are ISO certified or have employees who are trained are better equipped to thrive in today’s competitive global market.” The Florida MEP office is located at 1180 Celebration Circle in Celebration, FL, their website http://www.floridamep.org and can be reached at 321.939.4000.

The upcoming Volusia Manufacturers Expo 2010 will be held on September 23, 2010 from 3:00 – 7:00 P.M. at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center. Participating Manufacturers will have the opportunity to showcase their talents or products in support of the Manufacturers Expo theme, “Showing the Importance of Daytona Beach Manufacturers to the World”.

Volusia Manufacturers Association (VMA) is the only manufacturing trade association established by manufacturers uniting Volusia and Flagler County Manufacturers and Associates. The Volusia Manufacturers Association was founded in 1980 in Daytona Beach, Florida and currently has over 180 manufacturing and associate members in the Daytona Beach area. For more information about the Volusia Manufacturers Association, please contact Volusia Manufacturers Association or Jayne Fifer at 386.673.0505.

About Volusia Manufacturers Association:
The Volusia Manufacturers Association was founded in 1980 in Volusia County, Florida by manufacturers for manufacturers. Volusia Manufacturers Association provides information, education and networking opportunities to help manufacturers grow and succeed. VMA are made up of companies that range in size from one employee to over 500. If you are interested in joining the Volusia Manufacturers Association, please visit http://www.vmaonline.com.