February 2018
In this issue:
Upcoming Events
Jennifer Kurtz joins the Manufacturer's Edge team as our Cyber Program Director 
We are delighted to introduce Jennifer Kurtz as the most recent addition to the Manufacturer's Edge team. As the Cyber Program Director, Ms. Kurtz will lead our efforts to educate, inform, and assist Colorado manufacturers in navigating the ever-changing world of cybersecurity and compliance. Ms. Kurtz's professional experience is extensive and, in many ways, she has quite literally written the book on cybersecurity. In addition to many other positions and achievements, she has served as the IT manager for an international automotive manufacturer, project manager for the Indiana MEP, and graduate instructor at Regis University. She has also authored a number of books and manuals, including Hacking Wireless Access Points: Cracking, Tracking, and Signal Jacking (2016).

In her personal life, Jennifer is a proud mother and grandmother who, when pressed for fun trivia tidbits about her life, includes dancing onstage with Wilson Pickett in the 60s and also writing her first book when she was only in 4th grade. "Mary Goes to Baltimore was a 47-page mystery complete with a secret code (the cyber fascination is deep for me). I had never been to Baltimore (my family still lived in Ohio), but the white marble front steps described in biographies intrigued me--and I often insisted on playing Nancy Drew with my friends."

Please help us in welcoming Jennifer Kurtz to the Manufacturer's Edge family and be sure to check back our her new monthly column below called Simply Cyber!
A monthly article featuring tips and info from Manufacturer's Edge Cyber Program Director Jennifer Kurtz who will show you how to make sense of cyber -- simply! 
Remember the safe (and good) answer to the question: "How much do you love me?" It is "more than yesterday but not as much as tomorrow." The same answer applies to the question: "How secure is your business?"

As threats and attack surfaces proliferate (more discussion on these in the next Simply Cyber), choosing a strategy to make your business practices more secure can appear daunting, inconvenient, and inordinately expensive: an investment without assured returns. A good place to start is by stripping away the technical jargon and following a few of the common sense habits we learned as children:

Don't talk to strangers. Many of us use our cell phones for business. When I receive a call from a number I don't recognize, I let it go to voicemail. The Do Not Call registry cannot compete with pervasive robocaller technology, so just because you've registered your number, don't assume a caller who makes it through is legitimate. Just continue to pass on those $250K business loan offers that you've never applied for. If you suspect a call might be legitimate (but your voicemail is full), do an Internet search on the number. Reports of known scams will show up(...)

Read the full article on our website
Tribologix is our first superstar client to be highlighted in this exciting new video series.
Stay tuned for the next installment of videos coming soon! 

Manufacturers Edge Tribologix 1080p 23976 H264
Small Manufacturer's AdvantEDGE presents: Tribologix
reliusGetting Their Edge: Relius Medical LLC Sharpens Staff with Manufacturer's Edge Assistance
A Colorado Manufacturing Success Story
Photo courtesy of Mark Reis at the Gazette

"The training provided by Manufacturer's Edge helped Relius build a solid foundation of Lean knowledge among our employees. This has allowed for significant process improvement, which has in-turn paved the way for a bright future of on-going continual improvement. Not only are we proud of the progress made at Relius, our employees have gained tremendous knowledge that we hope will benefit the manufacturing community as a whole."

- Shaun Francel RELIUS | GENERAL MANAGER


Relius Medical LLC is a turnaround success story. Relius commenced operations in late 2014 with considerable size and strength following the purchase of previously held assets of another company. Relius retained many employees from the company, especially those who had already shown "their edge" and were working effectively. Those people included "some of the best machinists in the state who learned their craft the old school way," said Ryan Whitmore, Relius Production Manager. Ryan is one of the aforementioned machinists and, today, he is the leading force behind the ongoing development of new interns. Relius then quickly worked to sharpen and improve their staff by working with and receiving training from local Colorado community constituents including Manufacturer's Edge, Pikes Peak Community College, Pikes Peak Workforce Center, and Mount Carmel Veterans Service Center. Many beneficial results have come from those training efforts, including the fact that one of Relius's machinists serves as an adjunct professor at a local institution of higher education and is excited to pass down his "old school knowledge" coupled with updated skills and methodology.

Relius Medical is a woman-owned business, certified by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council, specializing in contract manufacturing of orthopedic medical devices. Relius customers have shown their commitment to a diverse-owned business partner. Notable customers include large OEMs like Johnson & Johnson who have shown their supplier diversity goals with their Relius business. In all product areas, Relius provides expert engineering services and support in product design for manufacturability and process development activities(...)

Read the full article on our website 
events Upcoming Events
Visit our website for a complete calendar of
manufacturing events taking place around Colorado
2018 ColoradoBiz Made in Colorado Mfg Awards & Forum
March 1 @ 11:30am-6pm
This event will showcase the achievements of the Made in CO 100 manufacturers and discuss solutions to issues challenging Colorado's manufacturing sector. 15 companies who have excelled over the past year will also be recognized.

Aerospace Day at the Colorado Capitol
March 19 @ 8:30am-6pm
Join us for a full day of networking and dialogue with our Colorado Legislators discussing how Colorado became one of the largest space economies per capita in our nation and how they can effectively support aerospace in our state.
2018 Colorado Manufacturing Awards
April 5 @ 5-8pm
Trade organizations and associations from across the wide spectrum of Colorado manufacturing industries will be recognized for their support and advocacy of manufacturing. Presented by Company Week and Manufacturer's Edge.
4th Annual NOCOM Manufacturing Trade Show
April 12 @ 9am-5pm
Featuring over 100 exhibitors, a kickoff breakfast with keynote speaker Jim Davidson, a speaker hall featuring industry leaders, presentations & workshops, and a B2B lounge.

World Trade Day 2018
May 15 @ 8am-6:30pm
World Trade Day is the premier international business conference in the Rocky Mountain Region. Join us for a day of key-note speakers, short talks by trade experts, peer-to-peer learning, and a networking reception. The event will feature an expo showcasing the region's top global businesses.
Save the Date:
Jeffco EDC's 3rd Annual Aerospace & Defense Small Business
Industry Day
Thursday, June 28
Sheraton Denver West Hotel
Details to follow.