Join Global Midwest Alliance, San Diego CONNECT and sponsor, Bank of America, for the first program in the Alliance’s 2013 Innovation, Growth and Globalization Industry-Focused Series: Innovations and Opportunities for Manufacturers, Additive Manufacturers, and Global Producers

Why attend? Program attendees will have the opportunity to network with executives from the manufacturing, development, international and finance communities, and learn about specific initiatives to bring manufacturing and industrial projects to developing nations through consulting, project bidding and funding, and private partnerships.

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program  applications are now available through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Do you have new ideas, potential new products and services, or opportunities to connect with technology partners related to some of the following research topics? When applying for this unique opportunity, businesses have a chance to submit proposals for innovative ideas. Research topics for this year’s program include:

Fundamental new relationship with Department of Housing and Economic Development to Focus on Strengthening the State of Manufacturing in Chicago

Chicago’s City Council approved a new ordinance formalizing a new relationship with the Illinois Manufacturing Extension Center (IMEC), the Illinois center for the U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology, Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST-MEP). The ordinance aligns IMEC staff with the Department of Housing and Economic Development to assist in implementing the Chicago Sustainable Industries effort which coordinates the economic, social and environmental aspects of Chicago’s manufacturing sector.

Join Us Thursday May 24, 2012 for the National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security Meeting

On behalf of the Cross-Sector Supply Chain Workgroup:

With the release of the President’s National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security (the Strategy) in January 2012, the Department of Homeland Security and the Cross-Sector Supply Chain Workgroup (CSSCWG) are reaching out to state and local governments, and industry, on a regional level to conduct meetings to discuss the Strategy and a path forward for its implementation.  These outreach meetings seek to bring together parties to gather thoughts, comments, and concerns on how best to implement the Strategy.

Specifically, we hope to gain input on the following:

I talk to manufacturers who have many great ideas on to grow their businesses. They often include things such as entering new markets, introducing new products, adopting new sales and marketing strategies and acquiring new businesses. However, in smaller manufacturing companies, there is rarely one individual responsible for prioritizing, planning and leading the team through these growth strategies. As a result, many of those activities never reach their full potential.

Consider the risks, in a small company, with sharing the responsibility for growth strategies among several people in the company:

The Sycamore-based manufacturer of metal fastening and joining components cut inventory costs, reduced machine set-ups, and saved on tooling with help from a team of specialists from IMEC and Kishwaukee College.

Ameren’s ActOnEnergy® helps manufacturers use less…save more

The Ameren Illinois ActOnEnergy® program offers a variety of cash incentives and resources to help your manufacturing business invest in smart energy solutions.  Manufacturing operations are among the most energy-intensive businesses, so there’s great potential to improve efficiency.  Energy-efficient upgrades can lower your energy bills and maintenance costs by thousands of dollars each year.  No matter the size of your business, we’re focused on helping you save more and boost your bottom line.

Cash incentives are available for a variety of manufacturing and industrial facility projects, including:

• No-cost/low-cost energy efficiency improvements
• Compressed air leak survey and repair
• Steam trap survey and replacement
• Variable frequency drive (VFD) installs
• Lighting upgrades
• HVAC and water heater replacements
• Custom projects

For more information or to get started, visit ActOnEnergy.com/Business or call 1.866.800.0747

Real Customers – Real Results

• Continental Tire in Mount Vernon received over $235,000 in cash incentives to repair compressed air leaks in their facility – they now save $200,000 annually on their energy bills!
• With the help of more than $40,000 in cash incentives, a central Illinois manufacturer installed VFDs on three pump motors and lowered their annual energy bills by $65,000!
• A small manufacturing company in west-central Illinois used over $2,000 in cash incentives to replace three boilers – saving them more than $1,000 per year!

Want more Real Results?  Download case studies at ActOnEnergy.com/RealResults.

WTTW Chicago reports on central Illinois manufacturer Excel Foundry’s methods to fill high skilled, high-tech jobs. The video also explores why other advanced-manufacturing companies are facing similar problems as parents and students shun manufacturing jobs over perceived stigmas and concerns about the long-term viability of the industry in America.

Watch Illinois Company Looks to Bridge Workers’ ‘Skills Gap’ on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

It’s time to get serious about marketing and sales.

The impact of the recession seems to have served as a wake-up call for manufacturing leaders who for so long have deployed the few-company/limited-industry approach to growing their businesses.   They tell me that they are actually thinking about what it will take to diversify and spread the risk among more than just one key customer.    

Diversifying – truly diversifying – is not something that will come without some measure of initial pain.  At a minimum, the surge in diversifying companies floods markets with new competitors who have capabilities, services and approaches to relationship management that have often been neglected by the market leaders.

So, what do you, as an industry leader, need to consider as your competitive landscape grows? Here are a few considerations: