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Update your Hiring Practices To Stay Competitive
Many studies have cited the skills shortage as a reason manufacturers can’t find or keep workers. While there is no denying that the traded sectors are having difficulty attracting and finding talent compared to other industries, consider that old-school recruiting...
Business Oregon Export Promotion Grant
Oregon manufacturers should be aware of a new grant available through Business Oregon's Export Promotion Program. If you are currently exporting products internationally, or if you are interested in doing so, don't miss this opportunity. The State Trade Expansion...
PCC OMIC Training Center – Mechatronics Program
PCC OMIC Training Center is developing a Mechatronics program to be delivered in the Fall. This training will be a non-credit program aimed at upskilling your technician workforce. As they are finalizing this program over the next few weeks, they are looking for your...
New Tax Credit to Fully Offset the Cost for Small Businesses Who Provide Paid Leave for Employees to Get Vaccinated
FROM THE MEP NATIONAL NETWORK: The White House is making a special request to the MEP National Network because of our unique relationship and access to the nation’s small and medium-sized manufacturers. The Network can make a difference in helping to get the country...
New Tax Credit to Fully Offset the Cost for Small Businesses Who Provide Paid Leave for Employees to Get Vaccinated
FROM THE MEP NATIONAL NETWORK: The White House is making a special request to the MEP National Network because of our unique relationship and access to the nation’s small and medium-sized manufacturers. The Network can make a difference in helping to get the country...
The Lean Business Model is for Everyone: How To Avoid Undoing Continuous Improvement Progress
Managing a company using the Lean approach requires everybody at every level of the organization to think about time all the time. Lean enthusiasts think about ‘lead-time, ‘wait-time, ‘through-put time’, ‘on-time delivery’, ‘takt-time’, ‘set-up time’, ‘down-time’,...
How the Process of Change Can Bring Manufacturers Growth
Results matter Just ask any olympic athlete about the importance of results .025 seconds can mean the difference between a bronze medal or none at all. What do you do as a business when you're not getting the results you want? What if you're not profitable enough?...
Workforce Opportunity Tax Credit
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) has been extended through 2025. This is an incentive for employers to broaden their job applicant pools and hire from certain groups of people who may need assistance finding jobs such as: Unemployed or disabled military veterans...
How to Calculate the Financial Impact of Continuous Improvement Projects
From my early days working in a precision sheet metal shop and through my career as a lean consultant, I frequently have found it challenging to convince finance teams to allocate funds for continuous improvement projects. They understandably want to see, if not an...
Prioritized PPP Loan Applications for Businesses with 20 or Fewer Employees
The Biden Administration announced that it is opening a special two-week period for businesses with less than 20 employees to apply for PPP assistance before the March 31 deadline. The SBA has established a 14-day, exclusive PPP loan application period for businesses...