Manufacturing Partnership - The DL Season 2 Episode 12
The DL - Season 2, Episode 12 - “Manufacturing Partnership” is now available on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud and YouTube.
In the latest episode of The DL, Diesel Laptops Founder and CEO, Tyler Robertson, is joined by Andy Carr, Senior Vice President, South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP) to talk more about resources that are out there to help your business.
From Edinburgh to SC
Andy is from a small town outside Edinburgh, Scotland. The town was home to a Royal Navy Shipyard. According to Carr, “you either worked there or in the coal mine.” His father worked in the shipyard and wanted better for Andy.
Andy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and landed a job at a company called Lucas, which manufactured diesel injectors and electrical components. When the company opened a plant in Greenville, SC, they sent Andy on a six-month assignment. He then fell in love with South Carolina and has been here for 32 years. He has worked for SCMEP for the last twenty-two years.
What is the SCMEP?
The South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP) is a private, non-profit group. They are the franchise holder in South Carolina for the MEP system. The MEP is a national system, represented in all fifty states as well as Puerto Rico.
“Regardless what state you are in the u.s you are served by an MEP center” - Andy Carr
While each MEP Center across the country varies from state to state in terms of how they are funded, according to Carr each center has a common mission to support the country's small and medium-sized manufacturers.
What does an MEP do?
The services they provide are tailored to benefit manufacturers with 500 or fewer employees, however, they do work with some larger manufacturers as well.
“The services that we provide are focused on [smaller manufacturers] because they don't have the internal resources the larger companies typically do. So, yeah, small and medium-sized manufacturing... keeping them healthy, keeping them globally competitive, that's the mission of the MEP system.” - Andy Carr
Services offered by the MEP include consulting and training in Lean Six Sigma, Leadership Development, Executive Training, Risk Management, Supplier Strategy, Strategic Growth Acceleration, Sales and Marketing, and many more.
For a full list of services, be sure to visit their official website, linked below.
Connect with South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP)
Connect with Andy Carr
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