December 2016
In this issue:
2016 Mfr Edge Holiday Gift Giving Guide
Colorado SBDC and Mfr Edge Join Forces
gifts2016 Manufacturer's Edge Holiday Gift Giving Guide
Some gift ideas to help you cross those last few names off your holiday shopping list. All produced by our manufacturing clients right here in Colorado!
This year's gift giving guide is brought to you by CO Active. Find out more about how CO Active is helping fuel the growth of Colorado companies who promote active lifestyles on their website.
InkMonstr Apparel
"Animal Kingdom" Coffee Mug ($15.95)

Using a technology called dye-sublimation, InkMonstr creates strikingly colorful, one-of-a-kind wearable and usable pieces of art. In addition to t-shirts and hoodies (with thumb cuffs!) for men, women, and children, InkMonstr also makes accessories like socks, pillow cases, stickers, neck gaiters, and coffee mugs. This "Animal Kingdom" coffee mug is sure to put a smile on anyone's face and maybe even make Monday mornings a bit more bearable...

Be sure to check out the rest of our 2016 Holiday Gift Giving Guide here! 

SBDCColorado SBDC and Manufacturer's Edge Join Forces For Small Manufacturer's AdvantEDGE Program
Excerpt from a press release from Governor Hickenlooper's Office
SBDC and Manufacturer's Edge sign a memorandum of understanding in support of Small Manufacturer's AdvantEDGE
The Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network announced today they are partnering with Manufacturer's Edge along with the Denver World Trade Center and the Colorado Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) to make the pilot program Small Manufacturer's AdvantEDGE official with the goal of strengthening and growing Colorado's manufacturing industry.
 
Carroll Thomas, director of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Kelly Manning, director of the SBDC Network and Tom Bugnitz, CEO of Manufacturer's Edge signed a memorandum of understanding making the Small Manufacturer's AdvantEDGE program official at the Economic Development Council of Colorado annual conference in October.
 
"We were seeing a gap in resources available to manufacturing companies, specifically small manufacturing companies not being able to access adequate resources to help them grow and succeed," said Manning. "Being able to bring them the resources offered by the MEP is extremely advantageous to the companies, local communities, and the state as a whole."
 
The Small Manufacturer's AdvantEDGE program leverages state and federal funding, along with a small contribution from the manufacturer, to provide industry experts for coaching, consultation, and/or training for small manufacturing companies, with fewer than 20 employees.
 
Participant companies receive up to 40-hours of support and education in the areas of business strategy, search-engine optimization, advanced marketing analysis, operational excellence, export gap assessment and compliance, quality systems and certifications. The program is customized to the needs of the individual manufacturer and can support a manufacturer from concept through maturity.
 
Since the pilot program was launched in March 2016, over 50 companies from across the state have applied and 34 are actively involved and receiving assistance from the program.
 
"I am excited to commemorate this partnership as Colorado is the first state to foster such a relationship. Our hope is that other states will see the value this brings to small manufacturing companies, local communities, and the state's economy and will follow this lead with innovative programs such as these," said Thomas.

Read the full press release here

ISOISO 9001:2015 Webinar
Manufacturer's Edge invites you to join us for a free online webinar hosted by Colin Gray on December 16, 2016 at noon
The new ISO 9001:2015 standard will create positive changes in your management system. Don't wait! The impacts are potentially huge and incredibly valuable. It demands what previous versions of ISO could only hope for. Now it's time for your organization to reap the benefits and solutions you always knew were there. Prepare for your ISO 9001:2015 certification now.

Our live webinar presentation will cover the changes that have occurred, why they are so good for organizations and why management is finally excited about ISO! 
 
Colin Gray is the President of Cavendish Scott and strategic partner of Manufacturer's Edge, who has been working with ISO for 30+ years and specializes in successful process management solutions that are meaningful to organizations.  Coincidentally he also guarantees successful ISO certification to illustrate the correct approach.
 
Colin is an IRCA and EG ISO Lead Auditor, a lecturer for the ISO 9001:2015 Lead Auditor training classes, and professionally undertakes internal and certification audits.  He has recently spoken at the international ISO 9001 conference and the St. Louis ASQ quality conference.

Find out more and register for this free ISO webinar here.
CO-madeJoin the Colorado Made Matters Movement
Janska brings the American Made Matters movement home to Colorado
Don Rongione, president of Bollman Hat Company in Pennsylvania, started the American Made Matters movement to bring awareness to the importance of American manufacturing. The organization has since grown to a membership base of over 350 companies in 45 states. After partnering with Rongione, the folks at Janska have decided to bring his message home to Colorado. Thanks to their tireless efforts, Governor Hickenlooper signed a proclamation last year officially designating November 19 as Colorado Made Matters Day. Now Janska is looking to expand the movement and is recruiting more Colorado manufacturers to participate.

Why this is effort is important:

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that every $1 spent on American-made goods invests an additional $1.32 in the U.S. economy. If Americans dedicated just a small portion of their holiday shopping budget to buying American-made goods, it could have a very positive impact on our economy. In fact, according to ABC News, if each American family spent just an extra $49.95 on American-made goods, the spending would generate 150,000 American jobs.

To find out how you can join the movement, visit the American Made Matters website or donate to the cause here. And be sure to follow Colorado Made Matters on Facebook.
MEPManufacturing Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
MEP Blog by Carroll Thomas on
On Monday, December 5, 1791, the Secretary of the United States Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, submitted his Report on Manufactures: Communication to the House of Representatives. Hamilton's report, commissioned by Congress, passionately and thoroughly laid out how the United States could gain specific economic advantages by encouraging the growth of manufacturing in the newly formed United States of America. Hamilton asserted that manufacturing would bring the added diversity of employment opportunities with increased productivity from using machinery and employment of technical skills. He saw manufacturing as a way of helping the country become "independent of foreign nations for military and other essential supplies." Hamilton specifically called out the need for government to nurture a fledgling manufacturing sector. He compellingly outlined how manufacturing alongside a strong agrarian economy would make the United States of America the greatest economy in the world! When you think that he was able to clearly see this 225 years ago, it is nothing short of astounding.

Fast forward to today, where last year alone the manufacturing sector contributed $2.2 trillion (about 12%) to the $18 trillion-dollar U.S. economy. Manufactured goods accounted for 89% of all U.S. exports and has grown at a faster rate than the rest of the economy since the 2008-2009 recession. For every $1 manufacturing contributes to the economy, it supports an additional $1.81 in economic activity, greater than any other sector. The average annual wage of manufacturing workers is $65,000, 21% higher than the overall average. This is more than twice the average for larger-employing sectors, such as retail, accommodations, and food services. All of this proof of Hamilton's vision of manufacturing and its importance to the U.S. economy.

Even with the fantastic news about how manufacturing greatly impacts our economy today, the industry still needs the attention of policymakers. (...)

Read the full article here.