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SSTI Conference Sponsor Profile: Manufacturing Extension Partnership
The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is a nationwide network of not-for-profit centers in more than 400 locations nationwide. Their sole purpose is to provide the 357,000 small and mid-sized manufacturers in the U.S. help to succeed in a global economy. MEP centers are linked together through the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology — making it possible for even the smallest firms to tap into the expertise of knowledgeable manufacturing and business specialists throughout the U.S.
MEP centers help manufacturers with such issues as process improvement; quality management systems; business management systems; human resource development; market development; materials engineering; plant layout; product development; energy audits; environmental studies; financial planning; CAD/CAM/CAE; and electronic commerce/EDI.
Starting in October 2002, MEP will roll out 360vu, a new brand of strategic management services designed exclusively for small and mid-sized manufacturers. 360vu services are delivered by manufacturing and management experts who work with the highest levels of company management to improve every aspect of their operations. Whether manufacturers are looking to transform their company or simply address some difficult issues, the 360vu business approach helps them see how one area of their company influences another and how the decisions they make today can have a huge impact on the way things work out tomorrow. Not only does 360vu help business leaders focus on the big picture, it provides them with a strategic roadmap for getting there — fresh perspectives on their operations, customized business strategies and practical help.
To that end, manufacturers are able to improve and integrate the systems that will drive them to become more efficient, productive and profitable. Or, as MEP likes to say, to move above, beyond and ahead.
MEP is a gold sponsor of SSTI's sixth annual conference, Building Tech-based Economies: From Policy to Practice, on October 2-3, 2002. To learn more about the partnership, visit its exhibit and attend its session at the conference. Until then, check out its website: http://www.mep.nist.gov/