RALEIGH, NC – NC State Industry Expansion Solutions (IES) today marks the 60th anniversary of its founding. To mark the occasion, IES is hosting an open house and celebration at its headquarters on the NC State Centennial Campus and at its satellite offices in Greensboro, Kannapolis and Wrightsville Beach, in honor of six decades of service and ongoing commitment to the prosperity of North Carolina businesses, industries and institutions.
Formerly named the “Industrial Extension Service,” IES recently adopted a new name and brand identity, one that more closely aligns with the growing breadth of services the organization offers its clients.
The history of IES can be seen as a succession of key milestones. When the organization was established in 1955, its mission was to promote the growth of industries statewide; its team of extension agents focused their efforts on helping manufacturers become more efficient and profitable.
Since then, IES has grown dramatically in size and scope. Today, the organization serves clients in healthcare, government and education in addition to manufacturing, and its vast portfolio of services addresses the concerns of the modern marketplace, delivering solutions to make its clients more technologically savvy, globally competitive and environmentally sustainable, as well as more successful and profitable.
IES Executive Director Dr. Terri Helmlinger Ratcliff says that in its 60th year, IES is more agile than ever.
“Our track record of helping clients positively impact their bottom-line results in business growth and profitability gives them the confidence needed to implement our proven high-performance solutions,” said Ratcliff. “Our world-leading experts and experienced industry specialists engineer solutions to increase productivity, promote growth, and enhance performance.”
IES has also grown stronger, serving the state with multiple regional offices, numerous public-private partnerships and long-standing university connections.
“IES manages the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership and has demonstrated a $2.9 billion impact on North Carolina manufacturing firms since 2000,” said Phil Mintz, Associate Director of IES and Director of the NC Manufacturing Extension Partnership, referring to the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s national manufacturing-focused program. “Our strength is demonstrated through the ongoing success of engaging, assessing, and improving the competitiveness of the state’s small- and mid-sized manufacturing facilities, in addition to applying leading-edge methods that help improve efficiency in healthcare systems and government programs.”
Additionally, IES is home to the NC Minerals Research Laboratory, a world leader in research, development and implementation of mineral processing techniques, as well as the NC State University Technology Incubator, a home base for tech-related start-ups and entrepreneurs. IES also manages the Southeastern OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center, Manufacturing Makes It Real Network and the Manufactured in North Carolina supply chain database.
ABOUT IES
Industry Expansion Solutions (IES) is the engineering-based, solutions-driven, client-focused unit of NC State University. Our broad portfolio of solutions and deep industry expertise help organizations grow, innovate and prosper. Our extensive partnerships with business, industry, education and government generate a unique culture of collaboration that provides access to cutting-edge expertise, research and technology.
Contact: IES Marketing Director Teresa Bradford at Teresa.Bradford@ncsu.edu or (919) 515-7885.
