September 2018
Get to know Pueblo-based manufacturer GPS Source in the September edition of the Highlighting Colorado Manufacturers Video Series
In this issue:
Upcoming Events
MFGDAYHow Are You Going to Celebrate MFG Day 2018?
Join us for the Englewood MFG Day event on October 4th and let us know what your organization is doing to celebrate manufacturing in Colorado
 
Every October, manufacturers from across North America take time to celebrate MFG Day. Last year, Colorado had 96 events that served to highlight the strength of manufacturing in our great state. This year - we want to beat our record! Every event that we register goes on the official MFGDAY.com map and helps us show the world that Colorado is the state to get things MADE.
 
Step 1: Celebrate with us  
Join us for the Englewood MFG Day 2018 Celebration at Palmer DCS on Thursday, October 4 where we will have food and drinks and prize giveaways! Find out more and register today. 
 
Step 2: Plan your own event
It can be anything. An open house, a Q&A, a tour of your facilities, a coffee hour, a webinar, a workshop, a classroom demonstration, a mixer...you name it!
Still looking for ideas? Visit MFGDAY.com for more inspiration.
 
Step 3: Register your event at MFGDAY.com
It's quick, it's easy, and it gives your organization and your event more visibility.  
 
Step 4: Promote your event 
There are TONS of resources on MFGDAY.com to help you get the word out about your event, including this handy host toolkit.
 
Step 5: contact Manufacturer's Edge
 
We are happy to help and we can walk you through the process from start to finish. Does you organization have any needs that you would like to address? Perhaps you are looking to fill some staffing gaps and could host a job fair? Maybe you are looking for good interns and want to inspire the next generation through a school demonstration or facility tour? Regardless of your circumstances, Manufacturer's Edge can help you plan and register an event that would help your organization while helping us put Colorado manufacturing on the MFG DAY 2018 map!
 
Email us or contact Ali Recek at 720.353.7101 for more information 
simplycyber(Vol 8) Dirty Cyber Secrets: #HACKEDMETOO 
Do you have a dirty cyber secret?
 
I suspect most of us do. Not the kind of secret sin-of-commission-or-intention like Ashley Madison subscribers (what a mother lode for gossip columnists, divorce lawyers, and hopeful heirs!) but, rather, the secret sin-of-omission in our cyber security hygiene practices. These are just some of the omissions, the secrets, we don't talk about voluntarily:
  • Passwords reused for multiple accounts
  • Accepted-but-not-read user license agreements (ULAs)
  • Emergency use of a public WIFI router (Just this once!)
  • Lax data and system backup practices (Do you know where your backup files are? Are they readable?)
  • Unread security logs
  • Device-sharing with others
  • Suspected or actual information hacks, exploits, or compromises
Third-party performance of a gap analysis on organizational (or personal) cyber security practices can feel like an invasion of privacy: a hunt for what is not being done well rather than discovery of what is being done well. It's uncomfortable. If our peer companies are not experiencing issues, perhaps it's better not to look too deeply: plausible deniability. But is plausible deniability a defensible stance? Increasingly, it appears that being able to show evidence of reasonable security efforts will relieve organizations from severe liability for breakdowns in information protection. Developing and implementing a coherent plan is preferable to doing nothing-or procrastinating. (...)    
 
Congresswoman DeGette moderated a non-partisan discussion on environmental concerns and how they impact Colorado businesses 
On September 19, Manufacturer's Edge had the pleasure of presenting a panel discussion moderated by Congresswoman Diana DeGette. This event was co-presented with our friends at Colorado Business Roundtable and graciously hosted at Geotech Environmental Equipment. The purpose of the panel was to bring together members of the manufacturing and business community in a neutral, non-partisan setting in order to have a productive discussion around the impacts and challenges companies are facing as a result of various environmental factors.   
 
The panelists included representatives from New Belgium Brewing, Meier Skis, Organic India, and Manufacturer's Edge. Each participant spoke about their own unique experiences and environmental concerns. Topics ranged from ensuring that conditions within plants remain stable during power outages and storms to finding ways reduce water waste in the beer brewing process. Ted Eynon from Meier Skis talked about how they use pine beetle damaged wood and a non-oil-based epoxy on their skis in order to reduce their impact on the environment.
 
The discussion remained positive and apolitical throughout and concluded with a challenge to the business community to continue finding ways to make their processes lean and to keep an open line of communication between themselves and their state and local representatives. Rep. DeGette also talked about the large amount of unreported non-partisan work that is being done in Washington DC to explore these issues and stressed the importance of reaching out to your representatives, regardless of political affiliation, so that they can better represent you in those endeavors.   
 
Making sure that the manufacturing community is well represented is a core focus of our mission at Manufacturer's Edge. Contact us anytime to find out how we can serve as liaison and make sure that your voice is heard. As a neutral party, our only motive is to be part of the solution. Let's find a better way forward - together. 
RMTAAC is now accepting applications for qualified Colorado manufacturers 
 
The Rocky Mountain Trade Adjustment Assistance Center is a federal grant program that helps manufacturers pay for consulting and training services through organizations like Manufacturer's Edge. The program was established to help strengthen the competitiveness and recovery strategies for those in the manufacturing industry. RMTAAC works closely with the management team to build a customized plan to identify projects that will benefit most from the grant funding. Once identified, the program offers 50/50 cost sharing of projects where the funds are applied toward the cost of consulting in areas such as marketing, engineering, and financial management.
 
Qualifying industries include aerospace, agricultural products, textile, electronics, furniture, printing machinery, and much more.  

Other qualifications include being in business for at least two years and being a US-based manufacturer. To find out more about the program and see if you qualify, please contact the Manufacturer's Edge Regional Director in your area. A full staff listing can be found on our website
events Upcoming Events
Visit our website for a complete calendar of
manufacturing events taking place around Colorado
 
Manufacturing Excellence Workshop
Sep 26 @ 8:30am-12:30pm
Geotech, Denver
This 4-hour workshop provides a thorough exploration of the Manufacturing Excellence process that has been transforming companies across the state. Cost of the workshop includes a 40-question assessment and a private follow-up consulting session after the workshop to determine next steps.  
Find out more
Englewood MFG Day 18 Celebration 
Oct 4 @ 4:30-6:30pm
Palmer DCS, Englewood 
Pizza truck, beer & wine, music, and prize giveaways...
Join us to celebrate manufacturing and get connected to other manufacturers as well as local representatives and resources to help your business grow and thrive so that every day can be a Manufacturing Day.
Find out more

2018 Apparel & Outdoor Manufacturing Summit
Oct 18 @ 4:30-7:30pm
Cultivated Synergy, Denver
The 2018 AOI MFG Summit will showcase regional places, plans, and people leading initiatives to help with domestic production. The agenda includes local and national speakers from apparel and OI brands, presentations by business and civic leaders, production and education experts and stakeholders, and more. 

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