Wisconsin Manufacturers Continue to See Growth with WMEP’s Assistance
March 15 2012 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
State manufacturers assisted by the Wisconsin Manufacturing
Extension Partnership (WMEP) continue to report growth and ongoing
continuous improvement in their operations this past quarter,
according to a recent independent survey.
Last quarter, WMEP‐assisted companies reported:
- 102 jobs retained with an additional 82
new jobs created
- $47 million in increased/retained
sales
- $3 million in cost savings
- $6 million in increased investment
towards plant/equipment, information systems, and workforce
practices
The quarterly survey results show a steady increase in economic
impact and jobs created by manufacturers for 2011.
“Wisconsin manufacturers are definitely leading the economic
recovery,” notes Buckley Brinkman, executive director of
WMEP. “The survey results clearly indicate that
forward-looking Next Generation Manufacturing strategies drive
profitability for Wisconsin manufacturers.”
WMEP enhances the success of the state’s small to midsize
manufacturers by providing expert and accessible services in the
areas of growth and innovation, continuous improvement, training,
export assistance, supply chain management and profitable
sustainability. Since 1996, WMEP has provided assistance to
more than 4,000 small and midsize manufacturers to help them
improve their productivity and profitability. Since 1998, WMEP
has helped generate over $1.8 billion in economic impact and create
or retain more than 13,000 state manufacturing jobs, according to
results documented by customers.
Prolitec Inc., is a recent example of a manufacturer who
reported increased growth while working with WMEP’s ExporTech™
program. Since their involvement in 2011, Prolitec has seen their
year over year international sales increase by 90 percent and their
export plan grow by 30 percent. Roger Bensinger, Prolitec’s
executive vice president of marketing and business development,
expressed his satisfaction with the program and noted that “Every
partner and speaker took extreme care to present strong value to
the group and much needed solutions. The peer-to-peer success
stories really helped us relate to their real-world experiences and
gave us great ideas.”
Survey results also show that manufacturers continue to face
challenges in continuous improvement and cost reduction strategies.
In response to these needs, WMEP’s upcoming annual conference will
provide much-needed tools and tactics to deal with these challenges
head-on. The Manufacturing Matters! Conference offers two channels
this year – one focused on executives, and the other designed for
operations staff, providing benefit for the entire manufacturing
organization. Sessions focus on talent management, innovation,
online marketing, business growth, profitable sustainability, and
continuous improvement. Manufacturers will also learn about
exporting to international markets, including focusing on the right
markets and finding the right partners.
About WMEP: WMEP is a private, nonprofit organization
committed to the growth and success of Wisconsin manufacturers.
WMEP receives financial support from the Wisconsin Economic
Development Corporation and the NIST Hollings Manufacturing
Extension Partnership. WMEP also partners with many public and
private organizations to serve Wisconsin manufacturers. For more
information, call 1-877-856-8588. To know more about Manufacturing
Matters!, visit: www.manufacturingmatters.org.