Manufacturers

The simple truth: manufacturing matters in the U.S. It creates wealth in the form of economic growth, increased jobs, and robust trade in world markets. Manufacturing productivity between 1992 and 2004 grew at nearly double the rate of the entire economy. Manufacturing jobs are high skilled and high-wage, providing employees 36% more per hour than retail employees.

How does MEP help?

MEP’s mission is to support, strengthen, and grow U.S. manufacturing. To do this, it provides customized and direct assistance to manufacturers through its nationwide network of MEP centers, with nearly 443 locations across the country, and more than 800 field staff working every day with companies in their plants and offices.

MEP center specialists provide an array of services to companies, from initial assessments prioritizing opportunities for improvement, to implementation projects guiding companies through process improvements, productivity increases, and growth. Centers provide companies with access to training resources as well as specific project assistance. Some engagements are short-term classes or basic projects. Other companies engage in multiple projects with their local field specialist---as one improvement project often leads to several others.

Centers provide services directly through their field staff, and also engage the resources of local or national third-party specialists. In those cases, the center provides a critical marketing service by reaching out to companies and educating them about services available that they may not yet be aware.

In 2006, MEP served nearly 25,000 manufacturers. Our clients tell us what works. To measure the results and effectiveness of the center’s assistance with companies, projects are evaluated through a follow-up survey of clients after the project is completed. In the most recent survey of clients, they report that as a result of MEP services, they achieved the following:

  - Read the full report of MEP client impacts, "Making a Difference for America´s Manufacturers"