Published in Utah Business on December 6, 2016
More than 125,000 Utahns work for manufacturers in the state, and their mission is to keep working even if the economy takes a hit. But they can only do so if manufacturing companies here stay productive and find efficient ways to operate.
That’s where the University of Utah’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Center comes in.
Started by two mechanical engineering professors from the U’s College of Engineering, the new MEP Center is designed to deliver services to small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies by providing expertise in technology, worker education, and on how to make connections with investors. The Utah center is part of a national MEP network that assists America’s smaller manufacturers. Managed by the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the network consists of MEP centers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Carroll A. Thomas, director of NIST’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership, helped kick off Utah’s center during an open house Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the Rio Tinto Mechanical Engineering Building on the University of Utah campus.
“I am thrilled about our new partnership with the University of Utah. This new center will help Utah’s small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies compete on a global scale through services related to growth, operational excellence, or new technologies like digital, nano and additive manufacturing,” said Thomas. “A major challenge and opportunity ahead of manufacturers today is positioning for ‘Manufacturing 4.0’ where the pace of change and technology solutions moves with astounding speed. The Utah center is uniquely poised to guide manufacturers through this change and deliver results with economic impact.”
