November 2019

We are pleased to announce that our annual Holiday Gift Giving Guide will be arriving soon! Every year, we select a variety of Colorado-made gifts that have caught our eye, captured our imagination, and reaffirmed our pride in the amazing things being produced across the state. There are various items in food and beverage, outdoor, recreational, apparel, and even some super over-the-top dream gift ideas for people who have been extra good this year. For the 2019 Gift Guide, we picked out 50 unique products and will announce 10 new items each week - starting on Monday, November 25, just in time for Black Friday shopping - culminating with a master list published in our December newsletter on 12/19. The gifts will be featured on our website and via social media, so be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to see the awesome array of treasures we've come up with this year!
In this issue:
tomA Note from the CEO
Tom Bugnitz, CEO
Manufacturer's Edge
For a number of personal and professional reasons in the last few months I've been keenly aware of the irreplaceable role our friends and colleagues play in our lives. I've thought about the people who make me smile, just by walking into a meeting or any public event. (One of the great moments is when I see Jay Lindell, the Colorado Aerospace and Defense Industry Champion, walking up and we invariably exchange "GENERAL Lindell!!!!....MISTER Bugnitz!!!!" followed by a hearty laugh and a hug). There are other people that no matter what I'm doing when their name pops up on my phone, I want to talk to them because they always have something fun, or profound, or helpful to say, but mostly because they make me happy to hear their voices. Many of my friends and colleagues are professionally wise, and they have made me a better leader and manager and colleague just by the time they take to talk to me, or work with me, or point out my many foibles in a positive, constructive way. All of them always have time to talk, always have a kind word, and always make my day better just by being with them or talking to them.
 
These people are from all walks of life, some are friends, some are professional relations, some are family, one is the person I'll be lucky to spend the rest of my life with, some are children, some are very old. But they all share the common trait that knowing them has made me a better person, a MUCH better person, than I was, and would have been without them in my life.
 
I'm sure as you read this, some of those people in your life pop into your mind. So I ask you to do me, and yourself, one favor... get in the habit of telling them. Send an email, right now, to one of those people. Pick up the phone, right now, and let them know what they mean to you. Stop at the store today and buy a card and drop it into the nearest mailbox. Do SOMETHING so they know they mean something very important to you. And keep it up forever.
 
None of us did this alone. Let's let the rest of the people who made us who we are know that they mattered.
amberNew Addition to the Team
Get to know the latest addition to the Manufacturer's Edge team, Amber Parrish
Amber Parrish, Sales Process Coordinator, and her beautiful family 
 
We are excited to introduce you to the newest member of the Manufacturer's Edge team. Amber Parrish has officially signed on as an inside sales support member. Her role is to help ensure that our clients needs are being met in a timely and efficient manner. She is also helping us document our processes in order to pursue our ISO 9001 certification. Finally, she is contributing to our team culture by infusing fun and lots of laughs!
 
Question 1: What brought you to Manufacturer's Edge? I had only recently started looking for a job when I heard through a friend that Manufacturer's Edge was hiring. After meeting the staff and seeing how passionate everyone is about what they do, I was excited and honored to join the team. So, what brought me was sheer luck, what kept me was amazing people. 
 
Question 2: What do you love most about living and working in Colorado?
Anyone who has ever been to Colorado knows that it's one of the most beautiful places in the U.S. At almost any moment of the day, I can look out of my window and see the mountains in all their majesty. I realize that's corny, but I love living in a place where there's always something to do outside and where we're encompassed in utter beauty. As a photographer, I'm often blown away by what surrounds us every day of our lives.  
 
Question 3: What is one random fact about you that most people don't know? One random fact that people don't know is that I'm allergic to beer! 
ruralColorado OEDIT Hires State's First Location Neutral Employees
Press release from OEDIT announcing new partnership between the State and Manufacturer's Edge to better serve rural Colorado
 
Kat Papenbrock, Greg Thomasen, and Thomas Monaco 
 
The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced today that it has hired the state's first three location neutral employees to help expand rural prosperity.  
 
Location Neutral Employment is a new performance-based incentive program offered by OEDIT, designed to encourage companies to hire remote workers for its metro-based companies. The program provides a standard Job Growth Incentive Tax Credit for urban/rural job creation with an additional Strategic Fund cash incentive for each remote rural job created in an eligible rural county. The Location Neutral Employment incentive provides a state income tax credit and a per job cash grant to businesses undertaking job creation projects in the State.
"We've made progress on lowering the cost of health care in rural communities, working with our agriculture industry and increasing rural economic development but there's more we can do," said Governor Jared Polis. "The state should be meeting rural Coloradans where they are and help folks get ahead. That's why our administration is committed to expanding opportunity for our rural communities while ensuring they are prepared for the future.  This move will help get us closer to that goal."  
 
Katharina (Kat) Papenbrock will represent Western Colorado, Greg Thomason will represent Eastern Colorado and Thomas Monaco will represent Southern Colorado.  
 
"OEDIT wants to lead by example, showing how metro offices can benefit from the expertise and outreach of Colorado's remote workers," said Glenn Plagens, director of business support and rural prosperity for OEDIT. "By embedding our employees directly in the communities they serve, we can better support greater Colorado and help drive economic prosperity."  
 
The Rural Opportunity Representatives will represent OEDIT and be responsible for overseeing and executing multiple projects to advance Colorado's
rural communities. This work includes managing the Rural Technical Assistance Program (RTAP), coordinating rural strategy for their respective regions, working with other OEDIT offices including the Small Business Development Center, Minority Business Office and the Employee Ownership Network and representing OEDIT on Manufacturer's Edge. (...) 

cmaNominations for the
2020 Colorado Manufacturing Awards are Now Open!

Now in its 5th year, the 2020 Colorado Manufacturing Awards is America's top regional industrial awards and recognition program - the first to acknowledge manufacturers in a dozen distinct industries!

We are now accepting nominations in each of the 15 awards categories and invite you to participate. Manufacturers are encouraged to self-nominate. Companies can be also be nominated by peers, industry colleagues, or other parties.

Three finalists from each category will be selected. Finalists will participate in CMA activities, culminating in the CMA gala reception, where winners in each category will be announced. A panel of industry experts will select finalists and a winner.

See the categories and nominate an outstanding manufacturer on the CMA 2020 website.

And be sure to mark your calendars for the big event:

2020 CMA Program
April 2, 2020
The Cable Center, Denver, Colorado
karen Colorado Exports Drop Due to Trade War  
and Retaliatory Trade Barriers 
By Karen Gerwitz, President & CEO, World Trade Center Denver
Karen Gerwitz, President & CEO, World Trade Center Denver
Colorado exporters of goods are experiencing a five percent decrease in sales over last year at this time, which equates to nearly $300 million in lost revenue.  This compares to a national drop in exports of just one percent. Agriculture companies are hit hardest by the trade war, however the data shows that manufacturers are also affected. A five percent drop is significant overall, but when you dive into the data and look at the markets that experienced the deepest losses, you unfortunately see many of our largest trading partners among the mix.   

Largest Losses in Colorado Exports by Market

New Zealand 25%
Germany 14%
Saudi Arabia 24%
China 13%
Mexico 21%
France 12%
Philippines 21%
Japan 11%
Australia 20%


Manufactured Goods with Largest Decreases
 
Glassware ↓ 67%
Processed food ↓ 26%
Beverages ↓ 60%
Rubber ↓ 24%
Copper products ↓ 57%
Textiles ↓ 20%
Artwork ↓ 57%
Photography & Film ↓ 13%
Aluminum products ↓ 36%
Plastics ↓ 12%

Read the full article on our website
WTCCall for Speakers: World Trade Day 2020
Submit your proposal to be a speaker at World Trade Day 2020 today! This is a great opportunity to get in front of global leaders and share your expertise. World Trade Day 2020 is scheduled for May 1, 2020 at the Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel. Proposals are due by December 2, 2019.

simplycyberSimply Cyber (vol 21): Far From Home 
 
Jennifer Kurtz, Cyber Program Director, Manufacturer's Edge 
"With great power comes great responsibility." Any of us who grew up on Marvel Comics-or those who know any of the eight Spider-Man movies-recognize the Peter Parker Principle. Sadly, the principle is not commutative: The terms cannot be swapped out, one for the other. It would be comforting to find evidence that "with great responsibility comes great power." In pondering the issues surrounding cybersecurity/ethics/privacy for a panel discussion, however, I could only come up with evidence that the power of protective/preventive/detective mechanisms and policies is seriously limited. The "aha" moment helped me understand why NIST is so careful about not claiming cybersecurity certification power. There are no guarantees that implementing the 110 security requirements contained in NIST SP 800-171, for example, will prevent proprietary information from escaping into the wild for unobserved use by adversaries. Doubling the number of security requirements as proposed in the current (version .06) draft of the DoD's cybersecurity maturity model certification does not offer uncompromised delivery guarantees either. The "great responsibility" is broadly shared. And our "great power" is limited-and also shared.(...)
 
camaThe CAMA Conversation
by Mark Cordova, Chair-Elect
of the Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Association

Mark Cordova, Chair-Elect CAMA
Thanksgiving Greetings!  
 
One of the most important benefits that I receive through my involvement with trade associations is political advocacy. Trade associations, like the Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Association (CAMA) and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), are working hard to protect manufacturers. As a member of both CAMA and NAM, I have realized that the fortunes of my business depend on the fortunes of the industry as a whole.
 
Multiple issues are facing our industry today. At the federal level, the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, Immigration Policy, and Tax Policy are just a couple of issues impacting manufacturing.
 
In Colorado, we are facing minimum wage increases, paid family leave legislation, and, similar to the federal level, our policymakers are struggling to fund infrastructure improvements necessary to support our supply chain. 
 
In addition to my role as Chair-Elect of CAMA, I serve on the national Board of Directors and the Executive Committee for NAM. Collectively, we are standing up for manufacturing. 
 
Do you want your voice to be heard? I invite you to contact me directly at mcordova@centennialbolt.com or Dave Jeffrey at djeffrey@jpmprototype.com.
 
Mark Cordova
President, Centennial Bolt, Inc.  
Chair-Elect, CAMA 
agriKids Connection
Northeastern Colorado manufacturers opened their doors to hundreds of students earlier this month to celebrate Manufacturing Day 2019
 
 
Northeastern Colorado celebrated Manufacturing Day 2019 on November 8th by introducing students from Yuma and Wray to the abundant opportunities available throughout their local manufacturing communities. Our good friends at Agri-Inject, Inc did their part by showing off the facility where they make agricultural products in a sparkling clean environment where innovation and creativity reign. Not only are they helping dispel the myth of the "4 Ds" by demonstrating firsthand that manufactur ing is not Dumb, Dirty, Dangerous, nor on a Downturn, businesses like Agri-Inject are also inspiring community pride by showing students how their small towns contribute on a global level. Agri-Inject alone supplies products to farms, ranches, parks, and golf courses on 6 different continents!
 
If you are interested in opening your doors to the public, please let us know. We would be happy to help you plan and execute an open house or school tour. Contact us at info@manufacturersedge.com.
successSuccess Story: Mesa Laboratories, Inc.
Mesa Labs: 
Growing and Thriving Through Commitment to Continuous Learning and Ongoing Partnership with Manufacturer's Edge 
 
Mesa Laboratories, Inc. is a Denver-based company known for their high-quality monitoring instruments and consumables that cater to the needs of a wide variety of industries, including medical, industrial, pharmaceutical, and food processing. Their offerings include mail-in spore testing kits, DryCal Gas Flow Calibrators, products used for measuring and recording temperature, humidity, and pressure called the DataTrace Data Loggers, and a line of dialysate meters, including the best-selling pHoenix XL meter.
 
Established in 1982, Mesa Labs has an extensive track record of continuous learning and commitment to excellence. They have also partnered with Manufacturer's Edge on a number of occasions, most recently to help successfully launch the pHoenix XL meter in 2018. Since that time, they have also acquired a number of other medical supply companies and increased the size of their workforce. As the Vice President of Operations, Bryan Leo says "We are a continuously learning company and we push ourselves to grow in size and scope without sacrificing quality. The goal is to keep improving and pushing forward. You go from 85 to 90%. Okay, now how do you go from 90 to 93%?"
 

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