Category: Uncategorized

Working with VMEC and the NIST MEP Third Party Survey

“According to estimates reported by Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Center manufacturing clients, the MEP National Network helped manufacturers achieve $15 billion in new and retained sales, $5 billion in new client investments, $2.6 billion in cost savings and over 108,000 jobs created or retained in fiscal year 2024.”  All the manufacturing companies that work with […]

Written by on May 20, 2025

Compounding and Manufacturing Supplier Connections

What do you get when you cross Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, a compostable hemp bioplastic spoon and a VT Future Fest?  Answer – Vilhemp USA, of course!  Janet Currie and Amy Quinn Dacey, Co-Founders of QCC Limited, LLC dba Vilhemp USA, crossed paths with VMEC at the summer 2024 Future Fest in Burlington, Vermont.  […]

Written by on March 19, 2025

Choose the Right Machining Equipment with The Vermont Manufacturing Collaborative

VMEC’s partner, The Manufacturing Collaborative (Vermont’s own Advanced Manufacturing Center) in Randolph Center, VT, is performing machining operations for Vermont manufacturers. We have recently completed additional training on our DMG Mori 5-Axis machining center and have full-time machinists on staff. The Collaborative’s mission is to help Vermont manufacturers understand the technology, demonstrate the equipment, or […]

Written by on September 16, 2024

Safeguarding Small Business Saturday: Cybersecurity Tips for Vermont Small Businesses and Manufacturers

November 25 is Small Business Saturday! It’s more than just a day; it’s an opportunity for communities to rally behind the local entrepreneurs and artisans that define their culture.  This is particularly true in Vermont, where Yankee ingenuity meets creativity to produce unparalleled products. Vermont’s small and mid-sized manufacturers continue to be the craftspeople at […]

Written by on November 17, 2023

No Available People to Hire? Affecting Your Ability to Operate?

We often hear from our small and medium manufacturing (SMM) clients that a lack of qualified people, or simply people, are hampering their ability to fulfill their current orders and negatively affecting their ability to grow. While that is true, there may be ways to mitigate or eliminate the issue through a combination of approaches. […]

Written by on November 2, 2023

10 Ways TWI Supports Employee Engagement and Retention

Workforce challenges these days are never-ending, not just for manufacturers but across the business spectrum. You have to be on top of your game to be successful building a talent pipeline, recruiting and hiring, onboarding and training, creating an engaging workplace culture, and promoting career development. Leadership skills in manufacturing are paramount, as is the […]

Written by on October 26, 2023

Performance Management Approach That Supports Performance

Have you ever been in a company that had a yearly performance management review, perhaps a set of numbers to rate your performance based on a set of five or so objectives?  Did that system help you perform better and motivate you based on the feedback?  Did your yearly number help with your development? Research […]

Written by on May 18, 2023

A Better Way to Manage Inventory Risk and Cost

Manufacturers for many years dealt with an 80/20 split of reliable sourcing versus uncertainty and variability. Now the dynamic has flipped – closer to 80 percent of inventory has long lead times and higher variability. The supply chain has broken faster than it can be fixed, which means many manufacturers have lower confidence in managing […]

Written by on February 9, 2023