It’s official! NCMEP’s fifth annual mfgCON will be held on November 5–6, 2019 at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem. The conference will feature a diverse set of high caliber sessions that relate to the modern day manufacturer. We intend to make this conference the most informative and interactive thus far. Take a look back at mfgCON 2018 and get a sneak peek for what’s coming in 2019. We hope to see you there.

More than a new name, it’s a new beginning. The North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP) announces a new program, MNC Network. MNC Network replaces what was formerly known as mfgNC Connections and promises to be greater than ever.

Join us for our kick-off event, titled Disaster Preparedness and Response. The event will be held at Brunswick Community College’s Leland Center on March 28 from 9:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Learn More or Register Today→

Are you a North Carolina DoD prime or sub-prime contractor? Has your organization experienced a decrease in sales, production or employment due to a reduction in defense contracts? If so, funds may be available for growth and resiliency improvement programs for your company.

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Trinity Manufacturing Inc. has successfully completed its ISO 9001:2015 certification for its manufacturing facility in Hamlet, North Carolina. ISO 9001:2015 focuses on quality management systems and performance and is the most updated standard of its kind.

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There’s a lot of buzz around ISO 45001, the first global standard for occupational health and safety. With that buzz comes a lot of questions. And we have answers. Many large companies are requiring their suppliers become ISO 14001 certified. This is especially true in the automotive and electronics sectors; many foreign-based companies are also requiring ISO 14001 certifications. Let us help coach you on the standard, including key requirements, business implications and the opportunities it presents for you to continuously improve workplace safety.

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“Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals.” LEAN 200 is a two day course that teaches the basic fundamentals of Lean manufacturing needed to get your organization headed in the right direction. The topics covered in this course include: Value Stream Mapping, 5S, Standard Work, A3 for Problem Solving and Kazien. This course is limited to only 30 attendees, so register soon.

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Have you completed Lean 200? Looking for more? Consider Lean 300,Facilitating Continuous Improvement Activities. This three day course is designed to prepare participants with the expertise and instruction needed to facilitate successful kaizen events. It utilizes team breakout sessions, exercises, and other hands-on activities designed to reinforce facilitation.

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Smart manufacturing uses data to improve processes—data that many companies are already collecting. Are you interested in making faster and more efficient business decisions? Are you ready to take your data to the next level and make it start working for you? We can provide your company with a smart manufacturing readiness assessment. It’s fast and free and provides you with a report with recommendations tailored to your company. Let us help you succeed.

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Kevin Grayson, Director of Business Growth and Innovation Services at NC State Industry Expansion Solutions (IES), was awarded the 2018 Erick James Making a Difference Award. The award is given to those that go above and beyond to help others in the Innovation Management community.

Get a chance to connect with the US Department of Defense, federal agency equipment buyers and requirements officials. Join IES at the 2019 Southeast Region Federal and Defense Textile Summit, April 23–24 at the Hickory Metro Convention Center in Hickory, NC. Summit activities include a site visit to the Manufacturing Solutions Center, a welcome social where you’ll get the chance to rub elbows with other textile manufacturing associates and specialists, informative workshops and a trade show. We hope to see you there.

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Staying up-to-date with what’s happening in your sector can help differentiate your organization from the competition. Applying these trends within your company can be even more rewarding. This is no different for manufacturing. With yearly changes in technology, workforce shifts and consumer demands, staying on trend is not just essential to the growth of your business but to the security of it as well.

Read about the top 10 manufacturing trends of 2019→

Remember the movie “Back To The Future II”? When Marty Mcfly and Doc traveled into the future to 2015 and they encountered futuristic technology that one could only imagine in 1985? (Of course, they got some things horribly wrong…like the fact that in 2019 we still don’t have flying cars…but I digress). They got one thing right—the fact that our surroundings, appliances and everyday gadgets have become codependent and interactive with one another. This phenomenon is called the Internet of Things (IoT) and it’s been advancing right under our noses. IoT is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines that connect, interact and exchange data without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. So what does IOT mean for manufacturing?

Learn how it is affecting the present and future of manufacturing→

The 31st Annual Quest for Excellence Conference is being held on April 7–10, 2019 at Gaylord Harbor in National Harbor, MD near Washington, DC. Come learn from former and current Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipients and gain invaluable knowledge on issues concerning leadership, strategy, customers, measurement, analysis and knowledge, workforce and operations. Prepare to take back solutions that may help your organization get to the next level. The Early Bird discount ends March 11, 2019.

Register for the conference→