The Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership will offer no-charge or reduced-cost consultation and employee development training to the state’s small to mid-size manufacturers.
The services are made possible through a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology, which has issued more than $50 million in emergency funding to support U.S. manufacturers in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses can apply for services here.
“COVID-19 has dramatically impacted the business landscape for Nebraska manufacturing,” said Matt Allmand, director of the Nebraska MEP. “Companies have unique challenges right now, from setting and implementing the right strategy to supply chain gaps, from lack of financial expertise to cybersecurity. It’s all coming fast and simultaneously. We offer experience, a national network and trusted third-party expertise to get manufacturing through the rough spots.”
Small- to mid-sized Nebraska manufacturers are encouraged to apply to the Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership for a service that meets their particular need. Applications will be considered for single-service offerings on a first-come, first-served basis and be awarded through a selection committee.
Specific service areas offered to manufacturers through the grant include:
- Cyber-security assessments;
- Online selling portal management of complex selling processes for high-ticket, highly configurable products;
- Initial consultation for Entrepreneurial Operating System implementation;
- Accounting/finance assessment from fractional CFO.
Other general partnership offerings include:
- Supervisor development to retain and develop current staff;
- ISO certification to expand a company’s customer base;
- Strategy development and deployment to provide direction and maximize a company’s potential;
- Other quality-management programs to minimize waste, refine processes and increase productivity and profitability.
The Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership program. Residing within the U.S. Department of Commerce, the partnership was created in 1988 with the intent of enhancing the productivity and technological performance of U.S. manufacturers. Today, the program consists of 51 centers in every state and Puerto Rico, with more than 400 service locations and 1,300 technical experts working together to advance and strengthen U.S. manufacturing. Locally, the Nebraska partnership is jointly housed and operated through the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Sciences and has served more than 140 manufacturers statewide.
