Providing Systems and Solutions to help  Vermont Manufacturers  Innovate, Plan, Perform and Grow
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VMEC E-NEWS BRIEFS - ISSUE 24 - DECEMBER 2016


OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 

Over 2,800 companies nationwide, as well as Mexico and Canada, participated in the fifth annual MFG DAY on October 7th and throughout the month of October. Fifteen companies in VT opened their doors to host tours, presentations and more to showcase their products and services to the public. See listing here.There may have been more participating entities, but we're only aware of those who officially registered on the national MFG DAY event site.   We're grateful to everyone who volunteered their time and made a commitment to this important awareness-raising and educational annual event.    And it's not too early to begin considering and planning what you and your organization might do as part of next year's Vermont and National MFG DAY/Month scheduled next October 2017!

What are Manufacturers saying about working with an "MEP" National Network Center like VMEC?   View this short video where  MEP Center clients discuss the positive impacts of working with their local MEP Center - from growing revenue  and finding new markets to making their company more competitive and innovative.

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INNOVATION, GROWTH AND TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATION 


ExporTech 2017  Our 2017 public session dates are set - February 15, March 29 and May 10 in Colchester.  Will you be attending so you and your team may execute your International Sales Plan?  Wait no more! 

T hrough a working partnership between VMEC, the State of Vermont and Federal Agencies, to date  twenty Vermont companies have successfully completed the VT program.    ExporTech 2017 is filling fast with 5 of the 8 available company slots already reserved.   If you want to start exporting or increase your export sales, this program is for you.  

Read
here (scroll down to "ExporTech Success Stories") how five companies who completed this powerful program have achieved measured results and success growing their international export sales. 

The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently awarded Vermont a $286,439 grant through STEP, the State Trade Expansion Program with a portion of these funds earmarked for ExporTech 2017 eligible companies.    Please contact Lisa Henderson, VMEC Director of Client Services, at  [email protected]  or  (802) 299-1456 for information on the program or to let us know of your interest.

Vermont Teddy Bear Co. Officially Launches VTSTEAMspace  See how this Vermont icon is changing the face of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics for many school aged kids around the state. 

Actify Innovation   FREE Tips, Sparks & Simple Ideas for Acting on Innovation 
WORKFORCE STRATEGIES AND TALENT DEVELOPMENT 

Upcoming Training Lean Manufacturing, Lean Office, Value Stream Mapping, Structured Problem Solving....check them out!  H ighlights include: 
  • Lean Measures and Decision Making (aka Accounting for Lean)  March 28 and 29, 2017, Colchester This workshop is designed for both manufacturing leaders AND their financial counterparts to encourage a greater level of alignment between Lean operations and accounting. 
  • ISO 9001:2015 Implementation Collaborative Begins March 20 - August 14, 2017, Williston This program provides group training sessions, structured implementation assignments, and company-specific on-site consulting days to help companies develop ISO 9001 compliant quality management systems at an affordable cost. If you are considering or planning to implement ISO 9001 in 2017, contact Patricia Giavara, VMEC Assistant Director, at [email protected] or (802) 279-6103 for more information on this unique program designed for small and medium-sized companies.
Attracting Talent Manufacturers who've put some serious thought and effort into attracting better candidates share their best practices.

RESOURCES FOR VERMONT MANUFACTURERS 

Manufacturing Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow  
Last week celebrated the 225th anniversary of Alexander Hamilton's report on manufacturing to Congress. Wow, 225 years!  Read how we've come so far and learned from the roots of one of our forefathers  about the importance of manufacturing to our everyday lives. 

Global Cyber Attack "Success Rates" Higher Than You Might Think  
An Accenture PLC survey of 2,000 large enterprise security officers discovered one-third of targeted attempts to breach corporations' cyber defenses succeed. Accenture says their data shows organizations are facing more than a hundred focused and targeted breach attempts every year. This roughly translates to two to three successful attacks per month. (Source:  The York Group, Dec 2016)