Released on: April 11, 2008, 6:03 am

Press Release Author: Thomas R. Cutler

Industry: Marketing

Press Release Summary: Manufacturing Extension Partnership: Value Questioned by
Journalist TR Cutler

Press Release Body: Manufacturing journalist, Thomas R. Cutler, recently profiled
the Manufacturing Extension Partnership in the March 2008 issue of Business
Excellence magazine. Cutler suggests the MEP can deliver lasting value to a small
manufacturing organization, but all MEP Centers are not equal.
According to Cutler, "The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is a nationwide
network of resources intended to transform manufacturers to compete globally,
supporting greater supply chain integration, and providing access to technology for
improved productivity. While economic impacts from this program are undeniable,
there are remarkable inconsistencies between one MEP Center and another. For an
organization that teaches lean principles and continued process improvement, the
disparity between these centers is disappointing."
This network of not-for-profit centers is in nearly 350 locations nationwide, and
has a single stated purpose: provide small and medium sized manufacturers with the
help they need to succeed. The centers, serving all 50 states and Puerto Rico, are
linked together through the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST). Centers are funded by federal, state, local and private
resources to serve manufacturers.
It is possible for even the smallest firms to tap into the expertise of
knowledgeable manufacturing and business specialists all over the United States;
these specialists are people who have had experience on manufacturing floors and in
plant operations.
Each center works directly with area manufacturers in an effort to provide expertise
and services tailored to the most critical needs, ranging from process improvements
and worker training to business practices and applications of information
technology. Solutions are offered through a combination of direct assistance from
center staff and outside consultants. Since the beginning of MEP, more than 150,000
manufacturing enterprises have been served with results that run the gamut from
spectacular to dismal.
About TR Cutler, Inc.:
TR Cutler, Inc. (www.trcutlerinc.com) was founded by Thomas R. Cutler almost a
decade ago. Cutler maintains extraordinary relationships with clients, journalists,
editors, trendsetters, and key business leaders worldwide and has become a key
resource for those writing about the manufacturing sector. Cutler established a
Manufacturing Marketing Research division dedicated to measuring the pulse of the
manufacturing sector, particularly manufacturing firms which are privately held and
rarely accounted for when gauging the industry sentiment.

Cutler founded the Manufacturing Media Consortium in the 90\'s. This extraordinary
group of more than 3200 journalists worldwide is writing about trends, data, case
studies, profiles, and features in the manufacturing and industrial sector. Cutler
has worked with thousands of media outlets to expand manufacturing media coverage.
Cutler has authored more than 2,000 articles for a wide range of manufacturing
periodicals, industrial publications, and business journals including most of the
leading monthly trade publications.
Thomas R. Cutler is the most frequently published manufacturing journalist and
serves as contributed contributing editor more than three hundred publications
annual. The scope of publications ranges from Automation.com to Quality Digest. A
sample of Cutler's feature articles, including the Business Excellence feature, can
be located on the TR Cutler, Inc. website.

TR Cutler, Inc.
www.trcutlerinc.com
Thomas Cutler
trcutler@trcutlerinc.com
888-902-0300


Web Site: http://www.trcutlerinc.com

Contact Details: TR Cutler, Inc.
3032 S. Oakland Forest Dr.
Suite 2803
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl 33309
888-902-0300