VERMONT MANUFACTURING EXTENSION CENTER

Providing Systems and Solutions to help
Vermont Manufacturers Innovate, Plan, Perform and Grow
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VMEC E-NEWS BRIEFS - ISSUE 17 - OCTOBER 2015

Greetings! 

Thank you for your interest in our periodic E-News Briefs from VMEC. We cover a range of topics for manufacturers and other enterprises that desire to learn and implement systems and solutions to accelerate sustainable and profitable growth marked by performance excellence.  

To submit feedback, comments or suggest future content, e-mail [email protected]

Thank you!
BUSINESS OWNER/ CEO CORNER

Matching Funds Support to Close Skills Gaps  Vermont Technical College is continuing to demonstrate its stated commitment to positioning the college as a source of competitive advantage for the Vermont manufacturing industry.

Interested in Experiencing the World's Leading Trade Show, HANNOVER MESSE 2016?  If you're a Vermont company and want to learn more about attending HANNOVER MESSE 2016 to help grow new business opportunities in the sectors of industrial automation, energy, digital factory, industrial supply or research and technology, this is for you! The United States is the Partner Country for HANNOVER MESSE 2016, the world's leading trade fair for industrial technology. This means unmatched international exposure for U.S. companies and economic development organizations (EDOs) participating as exhibitors in the U.S. Pavilion.
 
If you have business opportunities across the sectors named above and are interested in learning more about US support at this global show which connects to 200,000 attendees from 70 countries, please contact Susan Murray at the US Commercial Service Vermont Office at (802) 828-4508 or susan.[email protected].

5 Ways to Inspire the Next Generation of Manufacturers  How can we get today's youth to see the value of a manufacturing career?  (Source: Media Planet Education and Career News)

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 

MFG DAY/ Month in Vermont Once again, Vermont manufacturers and other organizations stepped up to the plate and opened their doors for this year's MFG DAY event.  We would like to thank Andrew Pearce Bowls (Hartland)CMF Inc. (Shelburne)Maple Landmark Woodcraft (Middlebury)North Hartland Tool Corporation (Hartland), NSA Industries, LLC (St. Johnsbury), The River Valley Technical Center and Jamaica Cottage Shop (Londonderry), The River Valley WIB and Sonnax (Rockingham), The River Valley WIB and Vermed (Rockingham), The Vermont Teddy Bear Company (Shelburne), Twincraft Skincare (both Essex and Winooski facilities) and Vermont Technical College (Randolph) for holding the open houses, company tours and presentations - that we know of - at their facilities.  If you have photos or stories you wish to share from your event, please send them to Robynn Albert, VMEC Marketing and Training Manager at [email protected].  And don't forget...it's not too early to begin planning YOUR own MFG DAY 2016 event!  
 
Photo: Windsor, VT students touring North Hartland Tool. The focus was on learning about how their STEM classes connect to advanced manufacturing. 

Manufactured in Vermont Conference Delivered Results for Economic Growth and Cross-Border Trade Read here what Betsy Bishop, President of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, and John Burton, President of NPI, have to say about Vermont manufacturing trends in their second annual survey following the Manufactured in Vermont show in September. (Source: VT Digger)

INNOVATION, GROWTH AND TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATION 




As we announced in August, VMEC is pleased that our Center is one of the recipients of a Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI) grant opportunity.  In light of this, we are hosting a special 2-day "Innovation Engineering Experience" training event geared specifically towards working lands agriculture, food production, forest and wood products businesses.  Learn how to GROW your ideas into Profitable Products or Services.  This specialized training will help you go from defining your strategic mission to having a tested idea ready to pitch to new or existing customers. Plus you will have support and coaching before, during and after the event to help you complete your project.  Through the WLEI grant support, this event is just $250 per person for both days for Vermont working lands companies.  Need more information?  Contact Patricia Giavara ([email protected]/ (802) 279-6103) or Lisa Henderson ([email protected]/ (802) 299-1456); click here TODAY to read why this is a not-to-be missed event!  Non-working lands enterprises are welcome to participate as well; details and registration can be found at this link.

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This is THE ONLY national program that can assist you in developing an exporting plan with the opportunity to connect with world-class experts who specialize in the export industry.  This program will help you accelerate profitable export sales, save you many hours of work, and help avoid unnecessary costs and potential headaches. Read how this 
unique program can begin or accelerate your exporting goals.   

US. Department of Energy Small Business Voucher applications open until October 23, 2015 Launched by the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office (EERE), the Small Business Voucher (SBV) Pilot will match selected clean energy small businesses with experts from the national labs - and give the businesses vouchers valued at $50,000 to $300,000 that they can exchange for national lab technical assistance.  Questions?  Please click on this flyer link or contact Patricia Giavara, VMEC Assistant Director and Innovation Engineering Black Belt, at [email protected] or (802) 279-6103. 

An Executive's guide to the Internet of Things When physical assets equipped with sensors give an information system the ability to capture, communicate and process data - and even, in a sense, to collaborate - they present game changing opportunities: production efficiency, distribution, and innovation all stand to benefit immensely.  (Source: McKinsey Quarterly, August 2015)

WORKFORCE STRATEGIES AND TALENT DEVELOPMENT 

VMEC Fall training for you and your team Check out our variety of offerings for this final quarter of 2015. We hope to see you and others from your organization soon!

What's the value of Structured Problem Solving to your organization? Ken Walker, VMEC Professional Manufacturing and Business Growth Advisor, shares his insight on how to slow down a little bit at the front end to really get at the actual problem - and to make sure you've solved it - so you'll get closer to a solution the next time. (NOTE: VMEC is offering this public workshop on December 1; please click here for more details.) 

Summer Intro Series Thanks to all who attended our introductory series this summer.  We had a great turnout for all the sessions, starting with the ISO 9001:2015 Revision and Tech Scouting/ TDMI in August, followed by Six Sigma & Green Belt and Innovation Express in September. Do you have ideas for future topics? Let us know by sending a message to [email protected] with your areas of interest. 

RESOURCES FOR VERMONT MANUFACTURERS 

October 21, 9:00 am - 12 Noon, Green Mountain Technology and Career Center, Hyde Park - Attend this important session to learn how innovation is the life blood of all small business. If you want to survive you must innovate Presenter: Patricia Giavara, VMEC, Assistant Director and Innovation Engineering Black Belt 

October 22, 2:15 pm, North Troy - Tour the plant and learn about the rapid transformations that are occurring at this nearly four year old facility. 
About VMEC: Hosted by VT Technical College (VTC) since 1995, VMEC has operated as a not-for-profit with a primary mission, "To help improve and grow manufacturing in Vermont and strengthen the global competitiveness of the state's manufacturers." A local resource and trusted adviser to enterprises of all sizes, The VMEC Team brings world-class expertise in consulting, coaching, hands-on implementation support, training and education for leaders and workers.   

Through the VMEC PSG business unit established in 2006, on a selected basis VMEC also brings its process, strategy and innovation expertise to non-manufacturing business, non-profit, healthcare and government sectors in Vermont.

VMEC provides proven Systems and Solutions focused on Strategies, Processes, Products, Technologies and People.