Editorial · June 12, 2015
Manufacturing Extension Partnership: Help for Small Plants
The Manufacturing Extension Partnership, or MEP, is a federal program that helps small and mid-sized U.S. manufacturers through local centers. It is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a U.S. Department of Commerce agency. Centers are located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. NIST says every center is a partnership of the federal government and many kinds of public or private groups. They include state, university and nonprofit organizations. To find yours, search by ZIP code on the NIST MEP site.
What the Manufacturing Extension Partnership is
NIST says MEP works with small and mid-sized U.S. manufacturers to help them add and keep jobs, raise profits, and save time and money. It says small and mid-sized businesses make up nearly 99 percent of U.S. manufacturing firms.
NIST dates the program to 1988. It says U.S. manufacturing was losing ground to Japan in the 1980s. It says the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 was passed in response. The law set up centers to speed the use of appropriate manufacturing technology by smaller U.S. manufacturing firms. MEP began with centers in three states: South Carolina, Ohio and New York.
NIST counts more than 440 service locations and over 1,200 field staff across the network. You may also see the name Hollings MEP. It honors Ernest F. Hollings, the former South Carolina senator who introduced a bill that became part of the 1988 law. Federal law, at 15 U.S.C. 278k, names the program the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
What a center can do for a small plant
NIST's services page lists eight areas. Here are six, with some of what each covers:
- Lean and continuous improvement. NIST describes lean manufacturing as a model that strives to eliminate activities that add no value. Centers offer coaching and training in lean-related areas such as quick changeover and setup reduction.
- Supply chain. Supplier scouting connects manufacturers with the supply chain needs of government agencies and of companies NIST calls OEMs and Tier 1s. These are buyers a small plant may sell to. In supplier improvement, MEP partners with OEMs and large Tier 1s to work with their small and mid-sized suppliers on process and quality upgrades.
- Growth and innovation. Centers help move new products into production and out to the market. NIST also lists help finding a technology solution.
- Export. ExporTech is a three-session program that helps a company build an export plan. It combines individual coaching with learning in groups of four to eight companies.
- Workforce. Centers help with workforce issues, including worker training at both the company and community level.
- Sustainability. Centers help companies reduce environmental costs and impact.
The other two areas are technology acceleration and Make it in America. The first links manufacturers to the technology opportunities and solutions they need to grow and compete. The second encourages manufacturers to keep their operations in the U.S. or bring them back.
NIST also calls centers hubs that connect manufacturers with government agencies, trade associations, universities and other resources. It says centers partner with 2,800 service providers for extra support.
One tool is free to download: MEP's business continuity planning suite. It can help a plant create, improve or update a plan for unexpected events such as natural disasters or technology failures. NIST says local centers can also help build a custom plan.
Who pays for the centers
NIST says MEP was designed from the start as a cost-share program. It puts the federal share at one-third. For each center, the rest comes from state or local governments, private groups or both, plus client fees. Client fees are part of the funding, so ask what a service costs before you agree to it.
Do not expect a grant. A Congressional Research Service report from November 2013 says no direct financial support is available for companies through a center. The help is technical and managerial.
NIST also reports a return on the public money. It says MEP clients generate nearly $19 in new sales for every dollar of federal investment, based on clients served in fiscal year 2014. These are NIST's own numbers, not a promise for any one plant. Ask any center for examples from plants like yours.
How to find your local center
Use the finder on NIST's MEP site:
- Go to nist.gov/mep.
- Choose "Find Your Local MEP."
- Type your plant's ZIP code into the box labeled "Search by zip code," then click "Search." The page also links to a list of centers as a PDF.
If the search does not help, NIST's MEP office in Gaithersburg, Maryland lists a general information line at 301-975-5020.
What to ask on your first call
Our editors suggest keeping the first call simple. Say what hurts in a sentence or two, such as late orders, wasted material or a customer who wants proof of quality. Then ask, and write down the answers:
- Which of your services fit my problem, and which do you not offer?
- What would a first project cost, and what do I get for it?
- Can I talk to a plant my size that used you?
- Which outside service providers would you bring in?