June 2014 - In This Issue:
Kids Connection
Northern Colorado high school students tour Wolf Robotics 
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Spring National SBIR/STTR Conference
June 16-18
Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center at Washington DC National Harbor
SBIR/STTR programs are the nation's largest source of early stage / high risk R&D funding for small business. At this conference you'll learn how to participate and compete for funding and commercialize your technological innovations.
Inventory Management Webinar
June 20 @ 11-12
Manufacturer's Edge
Webinar
This course will explore tools and tactics for effectively managing and reducing inventory within a manufacturing operation.
Logistics & Supply Chain Management
July 22 @ 12-1
World Trade Center Denver
Educational Series
Webinar
This webinar will cover: What it's like to manage a global supply chain. Selecting and interfacing with a freight forwarder. The importance of understanding Incoterms. Tips and tricks for logistics


IN OTHER NEWS...


 
 
Manufacturer's Edge was honored to have been selected as one of three finalists for the 2014 Large Nonprofit Organization of the Year as part of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Business Awards program.
 
This year's recipients, A Precious Child, do amazing work for homeless teens. The third company nominated, Warren Village, assists low income single parent families. The Manufacturer's Edge team was honored and humbled to be recognized alongside them. Like we always say, we love what we do and it shows!
 
Kids Connection
Getting kids excited about manufacturing in Northern Colorado

Thanks to the Northern Colorado Manufacturing Partnership sub-committee, Manufacturing Rocks!, students from 5 different high schools in northern Colorado were recently given tours of 6 prominent local manufacturers. Avago, Advanced Energy, Wolf Robotics, Woodward, Fiberlok, and Manes Machines welcomed students into their facilities, introduced them to the products they produce, the machines used to produce them and allowed them to view the process from beginning to end. 

 

The response from the students following the tours was overwhelming. "Awesome!" "Cool demos!" More than half of the students reported being more interested in manufacturing after the tours than they had been previously. Getting the next generation excited about the future of manufacturing and inspiring the Edisons of tomorrow is what it's all about!
Engaged Workers
Excerpt from an article by Manufacturer's Edge Senior Affiliate, Art Bierschbach

 

Engaged workers are invaluable to any company. A recent Gallup report, "2013 State of the American Workplace" stated "Engaged workers are the lifeblood of their organizations. . .  [organizations] in the top 25% of Gallup's . . . database have significantly higher productivity, profitability, and customer ratings, less turnover and absenteeism and fewer safety incidents than those in the bottom 25%." On the other side of the coin, the same report notes that "active disengagement [is] costing the U.S. an estimated $450 billion to $550 billion annually."

 

Simple, then. Right? Just get your employees engaged. Easier said than done. As a business leader, what do you actually do? The report makes a strong connection between poor management and disengagement. If you have managers who are managing people, you probably have disengaged employees. Teach your people to be great leaders, accept nothing less, and you will have engaged employees.  

Grant Announcement from the Dept of Commerce
Up to $75k in grant funds are available through the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms

The Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAA for Firms) program is a federal grant program designed to help import-impacted U.S. firms develop and implement business recovery strategies to strengthen their competitiveness in the global marketplace.

  • Up to $75,000 in grant funds
  • 50/50 cost sharing for strategic projects
  • Exclusive program for small-to-medium sized U.S. firms
  • Objective assessment of business operations from experienced business professionals
  • Ongoing support and commitment for two to three years to help you navigate through change and manage the process to a successful outcome

Congress established the TAA for Firms program with the Trade Act of 1974, in an effort to assist U.S. firms negatively impacted from increases in foreign imports. TAA for Firms is a cost sharing federal grant program that pays a portion of professional consultant expenses or industry-specific expert services for projects that improve a firm's competitiveness, thereby increasing sales and creating U.S. jobs.


Get more information online or contact Tania Bahr-Torline at 303.499.8222 ext 3
Bikes, Boards, & Beers Recap
Second manufacturing and brewery tour even more fun than the first!

Bikes, Boards, & Beers was held on May 15th and was a huge success! We had a great turn out, saw how longboards and motorcycles are made, and sampled some amazing locally-brewed beers. 

A big thank you goes out to our friends at Kota Longboards, Ronin Motorworks, and Epic Brewery for being such great hosts!

This was our second manufacturing and brewery tour and it was even more fun than the first one. We are tentatively planning a third installment sometime around Manufacturing Day on October 3rd. Stay tuned for details! 
Eldon James
CompanyWeek and Manufacturer's Edge Innovative Manufacturer
 
Eldon James
by Chris Meehan on May 20, 2014, 04:25 pm MDT

Location: Denver

Site: www.eldonjames.com

Founded: 1987

Ownership: Private

Employees: 45


Maria Coulson consolidated operations to fuel innovation and international growth. Brand awareness here may follow.
 

With a new headquarters and state-of-the-art automated, 75,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Denver, as well as a new line of beverage-specific products Eldon James is on a prolific upswing with sales in more than 40 countries. 

 

Eldon James, named after President and Co-Founder Marcia Coulson's little brothers by her and her sister, isn't a household name but you've likely benefitted from its products. Its tubing and fittings are designed to meet the needs of a diverse set of industries-from automotive (including a line of products designed specifically for U.S.-made biofuels) to medical, food and beverage, and industrial sectors. 

 

Read the full article

 

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