In their recent IndustryWeek webinar “The 7 Essential Traits of a Resilient Growth Strategy,” Chris Scafario and Sylvia Wower from the Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC, part of the Pennsylvania MEP) shared

Lions and Tigers and Bears — Oh My! Upon arrival in an unfamiliar landscape in The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy observed, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” Encounters with flying monkeys, organ-deficient compan

With the increasing power of digital technology, the vision of a connected manufacturing system that can sense, analyze and respond will soon be a reality. This vision – called “intelligent edge” – combines computing power

Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy and create two-thirds of net new jobs that drive U.S. innovation and competitiveness. In recent months, in order to help keep the general population healthy, many small

M&R Engineering, a woman-owned business, has over 40 years of experience in delivering high precision CNC machined parts and high-quality, screw-machined parts. The company employs more than 65 people and its team of s

As a kid I used to be confused by the so-called curse, “May you live in interesting times.” Wouldn’t interesting times be … good? Why would I not want to be interested? Then I got a little older, experienced a little more

As a proud son of the Midwest (yes, my family does exchange holiday cheese, and yes, it’s delicious, we have no regrets), I was particularly interested in the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing

Over the past few years, I have written more than a few blogs and papers looking at manufacturing productivity across the 50 states. I wanted to update some of these analyses to reflect more recent data, see what it tells

I think we’d all say that this year has been different than we thought it would be way back in January. Plans had to change; adaptations had to be made. Video meetings have become a larger part of life, both personally and

Digital applications in manufacturing are not only becoming increasingly accepted; they are expected. However, for smaller manufacturers, the process of making this switch can be daunting. Initial expenses, as well as the

Given the limitations with public gatherings and social distancing practices prompted by the current pandemic, it’s uncertain whether manufacturers will be hosting traditional on-site tours of their facilities on Manufactu

Collaborative robots are increasingly attractive to manufacturers who require flexible solutions for their growing product mix but may not have the scale of work or capital resources needed to justify larger investments in

Women make up about 29 percent of the manufacturing workforce despite filling 47 percent of the positions in the overall workforce, according to the Manufacturing Institute. While there have been periods of growth and decl

There were more than 300 food recalls and 17 multistate foodborne investigations in the United States in 2019. (ref: Food Safety magazine) The recall process in the food industry averages more than $10 million in associate

Dunn Paper – Natural Dam, Inc. located in Gouverneur, NY, produces white medical tissue and deep-dyed napkins. The mill employs 90 people and the company employs over 800 across the country. The company has seven plants in

Valley Popcorn produces bags of popcorn, popcorn seeds and oil, toppings, supplies and poppers. The company has about 30 full-time equivalent employees at its 25,000 square foot facility, which includes an office area as w

A survey from 2014 found that small and medium-sized manufacturers do not like to compromise on quality when it comes to communications devices, vehicles or tea (yes tea – the survey respondents were probably British) but

Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) has become a nationwide phenomenon. MFG Day is held annually on the first Friday in October. Many events continue throughout the entire month. The purpose of MFG Day is to show the reality of mo

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. It also happens to be (among other things) Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dental Hygiene Month, National Bullying Prevention Month and my personal favorite, National Pizz

The last couple of months have caused manufacturers and MEP Centers to think anew about many things — supplier, customer and workforce relationships; the economy; outsourcing, insourcing, and reshoring; lean; automation; a