The Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership is a private, nonprofit consulting organization committed to the growth and success of Wisconsin manufacturers, and executive director Mike Klonsinski says the good news is they continue to see manufacturers move out of survival mode into growth mode. “There’s no magic bullets, but a lot of the work that people have invested in is paying off,” says Klonsinski. He says companies that have made long term commitments to improve are coming through the recession and well positioned to grow. “Our assitence has generated about $164 million worth of beneficial impact to them,” Klonsinski, including $102 million in retained sales and $30 million in cost savings. Not only that, but 973 jobs were created and retained during the past fiscal year, according to annual economic impact data compiled for WMEP.
Also this week, Senator Herb Kohl announced the announced the Senate’s version of the Fiscal Year 2011 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Bill provides $129.7 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership nationally.Kohl introduced legislation last month to reauthorize funding for the MEP program through Fiscal Year 2015. For the past 20 years, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program has helped save and create good-paying manufacturing jobs in Wisconsin and across the nation,” Kohl said. “At a time when unemployment is high, we need a strong manufacturing sector to contribute to job growth and sustained support for the MEP continues to be a smart use of federal funding.”