December 2017

Manufacturing
Update

The Manufacturing Update is a bi-monthly electronic newsletter from Industry Expansion Solutions with up-to-date manufacturing news. Below you can view past issues.

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To Go Big, Go Small

IES Executive Director and NCMEP Director Phil Mintz appeared in an article focusing on the growth of small manufacturing businesses, in the November issue of Business North Carolina. “Smaller manufacturers are thriving,” says Mintz. “They’re more nimble, much more apt to be strong in their niche area, and they’re able to build on that a lot better.”

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Lead Stories

Mertek Solutions Named Small Business of the Year

Mertek Owner Jerry Pedley, both an IES and NCMEP advisory board member, is featured on the cover of Business North Carolina’s (BNC) December issue with the title “Mr. Robot,” a reference to his company’s work building robotic solutions. The company was named 2017 small business of the year by BNC, a statewide business advocacy magazine.

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Guerrilla RF Earns ISO Certification

Greensboro-based Guerrilla RF, a major supplier of high performance Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits (RFICs) and Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs) for consumer, commercial and military wireless product applications, was recently awarded ISO 9001:2015 certification. ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, develops standards that set specifications for products, services and systems, to ensure high levels of quality, safety and efficiency. Learn how Guerilla RF achieved zero nonconformances in its certification audit.

Performance Excellence News

It’s almost time to register for 2018 Examiner training! Examiner training teaches attendees how to use the Baldrige Excellence Framework, score applicant organizations, conduct examinations and prepare value-added feedback. This is a great opportunity to add to your skill set, and it can also benefit your own performance excellence efforts. Learn more →
In addition, we’d like to remind you that the 25th Anniversary Excellence in Tennessee Conference and Awards Banquet is scheduled for February 20–21, 2018, at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs.
Lastly—if you intend to apply for the NCAfE Award, the deadline to state your intent is April 15, 2018, and the NCAfE award application is due July 16, 2018.

NC State COE Leads in Mfg USA Institutes Collaboration

NC State is involved with half of the 14 Manufacturing USA institutes located throughout the US, more than any other university. The university leads PowerAmerica, and has taken the Southeast Lead in the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMI). IES has staff embedded in three of the initiatives, including PowerAmerica, CESMI and the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL).

Read about it in College of Engineering News »

Secretary Larry Hall Joins IES Advisory Board

IES is both honored and delighted to welcome Secretary Larry Hall to the IES Advisory Board. Hall currently serves as the Secretary for the North Carolina Department of Military & Veterans Affairs. As a decorated Marine Corps officer and community and legislative leader, Hall will bring a wealth of valuable experience to the advisory position.

Expand Your Visibility and Reach Potential Customers

Manufactured in North Carolina (MNC) offers NC manufacturers a FREE way to expand visibility and reach potential customers. MNC is a searchable directory designed to nationally and globally showcase the capabilities and innovations of businesses like yours. By adding yourself to the MNC directory, you are giving yourself an opportunity to be contacted when visitors search for their next manufacturing partner. Go ahead and give yourself that edge, and list your company today when you join for free.

Manufacture Defense Lab Technologies

Do you want to diversify your product lines? Here are 22 technologies invented in defense laboratories that are available to small businesses or startups that want to manufacture them.

Minerals Research Lab Wins Education & Outreach Award

The North Carolina State Minerals Research Laboratory (MRL) has been selected as the 2017 recipient of the Minerals Education Coalition (MEC) Partnership Appreciation Award. The MRL is being recognized for its longstanding efforts in familiarizing and educating students and the public about earth science and the mineral industry.

OSHA Course Catalog and Course Calendar Now Online

Industry Expansion Solutions (IES) and the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services have partnered to offer OSHA training throughout the states in Region IV since 2008. IES recently put the finishing touches on two new deliverables for Southeastern OTIEC. The Course Catalog and 2018 Course Calendar are designed help current and prospective learners find and schedule the instruction they need to stay safe in the workforce.

Pro Tip: To win green-minded customers, demonstrate credibility in your sustainability plan.

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We engineer success for manufacturing businesses one solution at a time by understanding our clients’ needs and then crafting meaningful and sustainable solutions to address their business requirements. Through our tailored programs and research-based, time-tested methodologies, we provide solutions to assist in strategic direction, improve performance and processes and address top line growth. We collaborate with clients to develop and implement comprehensive services and solutions across:

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Note: All our open enrollment courses listed below can be tailored for onsite training. This is the ideal choice for companies that need to train groups of employees. You get a maximum number of employees trained in a minimal amount of time for one flat fee, providing a great ROI.