Small manufacturers looking for coaching have a friend in the
Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a network of private,
nonprofit business assistance centers throughout the United States.
Funded through fees, private grants and state and federal dollars,
MEP centers offer coaching to small manufacturers producing
anything from ice cream to rocket engines.
Field engineers will come to your site and put your business
through a fairly comprehensive diagnostic check, either for free or
at a very modest cost. "We provide a diagnosis, see where
you're strong and weak, then reach a consensus with you on what
needs to be done," says Douglas Koop, MEP director for New
York State's Hudson Valley. "And it's not just
wizardry on machines-we look at the whole business, suggest
training where it's necessary and also recommend consulting
services."
George Thomas, president of industrial manufacturer Contemporary
Control Systems in Downers Grove, Illinois, found coaching through
the Chicago Manufacturing Center, the MEP in Chicago. "They
did a bench mark study-kind of like a tuneup-for $300," he
says. "At that price, if you get one idea, it's worth
it." After brainstorming with his coaches, Thomas decided he
could use some follow-up consulting services. No problem: The MEP
identified consultants for him and even hired them-at 25 percent to
40 percent below their regular rate.
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For more information about MEP, call (800) MEP-4MFG.
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