If you were asked to name a state with a strong manufacturing sector, Montana might not be the first to come to mind. Historically, however, the state has built and maintained a foundation of successful manufacturing enterprises, dating back to the large mineral and resource extraction companies of the 19th century. Over time, the sector has grown to more than 5000 businesses producing highly diversified goods, including recreational gear, specialty food and beverages, and advanced technologies like rapidly growing photonics and quantum clusters.
With the entrepreneurial spirit alive and well in Big Sky country, many small and medium manufacturers are working hard to start, grow, or improve their businesses. When they face challenges along the way, the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center offers expertise and assistance to keep their enterprises moving forward.
A 40-year Collaboration of University, Federal, and State Partners
MMEC grew from a tiny University Technical Assistance Program in Montana State University’s College of Engineering in the mid-1980s. “UTAP started with one Engineering Professor who served as Director, one administrative assistant, and four part-time graduate students who went out to manufacturing companies to assist with short-term engineering, operations, and management projects,” said MMEC Director Paddy Fleming; “But the basic concept worked and remains the same–bringing on-site technical assistance and expertise to manufacturers who might not otherwise have access to it.”
In 1996, the UTAP program received a U.S. Department of Commerce grant to create the larger Montana Manufacturing Extension Center and join the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network. The MEP Network is sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which designates and funds one Center in each state to empower manufacturers and grow the economy. To maximize its impact, MMEC also continues to collaborate with the university while seeking out partnership opportunities with other federal, state, and non-profit partners.
“MMEC remains based at Montana State University, and our strong relationship with the College of Engineering allows us to leverage knowledge, labs, and other resources to help our manufacturing clients,” said Fleming; “all of our partners help us extend our reach and broaden the kinds of assistance we can provide.”
A Regional Approach Combined with Key Areas of Focus
Geographically, Montana is the 4th largest state in the U.S., so MMEC’s service approach is based on regions to facilitate access for manufacturers. An experienced, full-time Business Advisor is based in each of seven cities around the state: Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Great Falls, Kalispell, Butte, and Sidney. “One of the unique challenges of doing business in Montana is that it’s not unusual for companies to be located 3, 4 or 5 hours from a town large enough to offer technical assistance,” said Fleming; “we want to make it easier for manufacturing experts to come to them by having at least one in each region.”
All of the Business Advisors have years of private-sector manufacturing experience and can assist with a wide range of operational, management, planning, technical, and other issues. In addition, they offer deep expertise in several key areas, including operational excellence, growth, innovation, workforce development, supply chain, technology, and strategic/transition planning solutions.
“Lean manufacturing principles can help manufacturers of all sizes identify and find solutions to operational wastes and inefficiencies, and they are also a great example of training that many small manufacturers are not aware of or can’t access,” said Fleming. “MMEC has been at the forefront of introducing Operational Excellence principles to Montana, and over the last decade, more than 200 course participants have attained Lean Bronze certification under the guidance of MMEC instructors. We’ve recently added Lean Silver training to our offerings.”
Emerging Industries and Challenges
In addition to core consulting services and training programs, MMEC’s newer offerings reflect some of the state’s fastest-growing industries and emerging challenges. The Center recently added a full-time Food and Process Specialist to assist the large number of new value-added agriculture businesses and food and beverage manufacturers. (Another surprising Montana manufacturing achievement — did you know that the state now has more than 100 breweries – the second highest number per capita in the country?)
MMEC’s new Supply Chain Manager serves as a statewide resource for supplier scouting and supply chain optimization. The role connects Montana’s manufacturers with a nationwide network to develop and strengthen domestic supply chains. The Center also added an Automation Expert who will help introduce manufacturers to technologies that facilitate production and even ease workforce gaps. He is creating a mobile technology unit that he will soon be taking on the road to showcase advanced manufacturing technologies, including collaborative robots (cobots), 3-D printing, and other innovations.
“We listen closely to our client feedback as well as the manufacturers on our Advisory Board so that we truly understand what they’re facing now and what might be heading their way next,” said Fleming; “it helps keep our services relevant and applicable to as many manufacturers as possible.”
MMEC’s Impact is both quantifiable and meaningful
Compared to MEP Centers in states with larger populations and manufacturing sectors, MMEC is one of the smallest Centers in the country, with a team of only 13 people statewide. Nonetheless, the Center documents impressive economic impact numbers every year. According to surveys completed by its manufacturing clients, over the last 24 years, MMEC’s work has helped manufacturing companies support more than 7,000 new and retained jobs and achieve more than $1.6 billion in new and retained sales. It’s an important contribution to Montana’s robust manufacturing sector, which is currently outpacing national average growth rates for manufacturing jobs and salaries.
The Center staff, however, prefer to talk about impact in terms of the connections and relationships they’ve nurtured within the manufacturing community. “MMEC has helped manufacturers in 54 of the 56 counties in our state, and we have a few companies that we’ve worked with continually for 28 years,” said Fleming; “we appreciate their trust, and we thrive on opportunities to offer support at every stage of their business journey.”
