Feds want to help manufacturers

When it comes to manufacturing, the federal government wants to help small to medium businesses. “We want to be the federal resource for you,” said Roger Kilmer, director of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership during today’s keynote address at WBF’s 15th Annual 2008 North American Conference in King of Prussia, Penn.
The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a subsidiary of the National Institute of Standards, is a national network with hundreds of specialists who work with manufacturers. MEP provides companies with services and access to public and private resources to enhance growth, improve productivity, and expand capacity.
The organization is not about creating an end product. “We are about the basic science and engineering that gets into products,” Kilmer said. “We are designed to support industry.”
MEP, started in 1988, is a nationwide network of resources helping smaller manufacturers compete on a global basis.
“Our big focus has been in lean manufacturing,” Kilmer said. “Not only have we helped reduce costs for manufacturers, but we have been also able to help increase sales.”
Increasing productivity has been the focus area for MEP, but they are looking to help manufacturers grow from there.
“We are expanding and looking at how to make companies more competitive, things like product development,” Kilmer said. “Then we are going to talk about how to bring new technology into it.”