Manufacturing Innovation Blog

3 Lessons Manufacturers Can Learn From NASCAR Racing

November 29, 2022

“In motor sports, you get your quarterly report every weekend.” —Roger Penske The NASCAR pit stop – it’s exciting, intense, and can mean the difference between

Father and kids enjoying coding and electronics at home

STEM Appreciation Day – Celebrate With Four STEM-Inspired Toys and Activities

November 21, 2022

Andrew Peterson

November 8 was STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Appreciation Day – subjects that we believe should be emphasized year round. This

Grain to Glass: Distillery Showcases Everything Great About West Virginia

November 16, 2022

Andrew Nobleman

With MEP Centers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico dedicated to serving small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs), the MEP National Network™ has published more

Technical Industrial Engineer controling robotics with monitoring system software

Demands for Increased Visibility Are Impacting Cybersecurity Preparedness

November 9, 2022

Nathan Sable

Digitization and connectivity are having a huge impact on more than just your manufacturing operations and ability to monetize data. Your vulnerabilities also

Carpentry workers shaking hands in woodworking studio

How to Improve Your New Hire Retention

November 2, 2022

Lisa Pustelak

There is an occurrence so commonplace among manufacturers that there’s a name for it: “runners.” Runners are the new hires for entry-level jobs, often in their

A Story of Student-Run Manufacturing Enterprises

October 31, 2022

Robert Zaruta

National Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) provides students, parents and communities a glimpse of modern manufacturing. It’s held on the first Friday of October and

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks.

See Yourself in Cyber

October 28, 2022

Katie Rapp

Your company is too small to be targeted for a cyberattack, right? That’s what Cincinnati Crane and Hoist (CCH) thought too. Like many small and medium-sized

Manufacturers – Stop Pushing the “Easy Button” on Your Workforce

October 25, 2022

Matt Fieldman

I get it, we all love the “easy” button. Whether it’s ordering groceries for delivery today, household items for delivery tomorrow, or a ride to the airport via

The MEP National Network Responds to Urgent Need for Medical Supplies in Wake of Hurricane Ian

October 19, 2022

Micah “Doc” Daugherty and Mike Aller

FloridaMakes, part of the MEP National NetworkTM, received an urgent request in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which hit Florida as a Category 4 hurricane on

Manufacturers Identify Top Challenges They Expect to Face

October 14, 2022

Megean Blum and Nico Thomas

When Nico asked me if I wanted to collaborate on this year’s challenges blog, my second thought after agreeing to the idea was a scene from the 2007 film “Music

african american worker in a manufacturing facility

Manufacturing Day Gives Manufacturers the Opportunity to Shine – And Develop Their Future Workforce

October 7, 2022

Katie Rapp

For years, U.S. manufacturers have struggled to find and keep good workers. The pandemic brought this to crisis level, and the difficult labor market has led