What: U.S. Manufacturing in the 21st Century - A Playbook for Competing Globally For a copy of the agenda, click here.

When: Thursday, August 28, 2008, 7:45am - 3:30pm

Cost: $85     To register click here.

Where: Crowne Plaza Hotel, 33 East Fifth Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402 For directions click here.

Who Should Attend:  Senior level management, international sales staff, management and staff responsible for product development and production and business development.

Why You Should Attend: This conference will provide a forum for U.S. manufacturers to understand the challenges and opportunities in international business. It will also help SMMs develop a strategy to effectively position their companies and products to be competitive in new markets.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Foreign Trade Division, U.S. exports in 2006 totaled over $1,445 billion. Of this total, two-thirds were manufactured goods.

America’s heartland is known for manufacturing superiority. Between 2000 and 2005, Ohio ranked only behind Michigan in suffering the largest manufacturing job losses in the U.S. Yet in 2005, Ohio manufacturers still exported $33.6 billion of the $34.8 billion in total goods, or 94% of exports from the state. Top exports for Ohio include machinery, fabricated metals and plastics and rubber. In 2006, Ohio ranked third in manufacturing employment nationally, with 6.1% of manufacturing jobs nationwide.

With the depreciation of the U.S. dollar against the Euro, many small and medium-sized manufacturers or SMMs (according to definitions set by U.S. Small Business Administration – small, 500 employees or less, medium, 1,000 – 501) are beginning to explore opportunities to increase market share outside of the U.S. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, 97 percent of all exporting manufacturers have fewer than 500 employees.

This makes it more important than ever to give SMMs the tools and information they need to be competitive in a global marketplace.

With special thanks to our marketing partners.