News - Page 3 of 16 - New Mexico MEP

Jul 15

Solving Critical Technical Issues for Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturers

MEP clients who need help resolving issues with products and processes in areas such as but not limited to additive manufacturing, robotics, biosciences, calibrations, and laboratory accreditations can leverage the MEP-Assisted Technology and Technical Resource (MATTR) program. The program offers access to wide-ranging, world-class technical expertise available at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) research labs,…

Jun 16

Maker's Memo

Finding the linchpin

Valley Mills has been in LaPlata, New Mexico since the owner purchased the packager of corn products from a vendor distributor in 2006. The company has been roasting yellow, white and blue corn products and delivering them ground and whole to customers via distributor. Owner Teresa Lackey later added two more distributors and expanded into…

May 17

Industry News

Mezel Mods, New Mexico Manufacturer of the Year

A behind-the-scenes look at pinball mod manufacturer Mezel Mods and their successful collaboration with New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

Mar 10

Industry News

Fighting for NMSBA

Enormous thanks to the dozens of business owners who demonstrated their support of the NMSBA program by providing public comment encouraging passage of House Bill 526. While the bill doesn’t increase total funding for the NMSBA program, it allows qualifying businesses to obtain additional or follow-on help: Up to $20,000 of assistance for businesses located…

Mar 10

Maker's Memo

Opportunity in Automation — for Businesses and Workers

Albuquerque’s Build With Robots LLC (BWR) sees automation and human labor existing side by side, even in small and medium-sized businesses. The New Mexico company works with manufacturers and other businesses to enhance their productivity and competitive advantage by incorporating “collaborative robots,” or CoBots, into the labor force to perform the more monotonous tasks so…

Feb 13

Industry News

New OSHA requirement for New Mexico Manufacturers

As New Mexico MEP’s Jeff Abrams travels about New Mexico meeting with clients to plan the year’s goals and objectives, he is learning that New Mexico manufacturers are not aware of a new requirement initiated by OSHA: All manufacturers employing more than 20 employees must electronically submit the OSHA form 300A Summary of Work Related…

Feb 13

Maker's Memo

Albuquerque’s Theta Plate pursues tailored guidance

A second generation family-owned Albuquerque company specializing in precious metal plating, Theta Plate Inc. serves customers from all over the world. In order to access higher margin business and DoD markets, the company obtained ITAR registration and later, at the prompting of company president C. Aaron Velasquez, decided to further its defense qualifications, to include…

Jan 14

Maker's Memo

PESCO’s growth story

PESCO has been producing natural gas and oil production equipment in Farmington, New Mexico since 1970. In December, 2018, the manufacturer announced that it will expand its main facility by 20,000 square feet and create up to 180 new jobs. Over the years, the company has been steadily building a reputation for quality and service,…

Nov 08

Maker's Memo

Advanced Manufacturing Summit

New Mexico MEP’s annual summit is a networking and think-tank opportunity for manufacturers, economic developers and thought leaders to discuss current issues affecting manufacturers in New Mexico. Typically held the last week of October, the event serves as the celebratory culmination of Manufacturing Day activities that take place throughout the month. Advanced Manufacturing Summit 2019…

Oct 14

Maker's Memo

Innovation and tradition coexist for small-batch producer

By Jason Gibbs, Finance New Mexico With a history of agricultural experimentation dating back to the 1930s and a storied tradition reaching into the depths of New Mexico’s territorial history, Los Poblanos has bridged the centuries and now, with the assistance of New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NM MEP), continues to preserve the past and…

Oct 08

Industry News

Table of Experts: Manufacturing

From left: Sinsabaugh, Allison, Beeke and Mayberry discuss the future of manufacturing in New Mexico. Albuquerque Business First and New Mexico MEP sat down with two New Mexico companies and explored future opportunities for manufacturing in New Mexico.

Sep 17

Maker's Memo

New Mexico spotlights diverse manufacturing sector

More than a third of young people studying for vocational and technical careers have no contact with potential future employers before they graduate, and only 12 percent have seen the inside of a manufacturing facility. That conclusion, from a 2016 study by the Manufacturing Institute, lends urgency to Manufacturing Day, an annual event designed to…

Aug 27

Industry News

The Fourth Industrial Revolution

What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution? Industry 4.0 involves a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital, and biological worlds.

Aug 15

Maker's Memo

Onsite consultations help implement worker health & safety

To encourage small businesses with 250 or fewer employees to take a proactive approach to workplace safety, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides 90 percent of the funds necessary to run the free and confidential New Mexico State Occupational Health and Safety Bureau Consultation Program. The point is to help employers find workable…

Aug 02

Industry News

Let’s Build the Next Generation of Modern Manufacturers

Mfg Day 2017 students touring Old Wood in Las Vegas, New Mexico According to a recent report by the Manufacturing Institute, 35 percent of students engaged in career and technical education (CTE) have no contact with potential future employers. And only 12 percent have had the opportunity to walk through a manufacturing facility. Manufacturing Day aims…

Jul 23

Maker's Memo

Cooper Fire Reduces Unscheduled Job Site Deliveries

Cooper Fire Protection Services (CFPS) is a 40-year old company serving the Four Corners area from its base in Farmington. The company, which employs about 40 workers, designs, fabricates, installs and maintains fire protection systems in New Mexico and Colorado. Owners Ireke and Shantel Cooper — and Ireke’s parents, who previously owned the company —…

Jun 11

Maker's Memo

Diving into the resource pool

Pamela Gathings has several businesses: Tethering Ideas, which provides consulting, prototyping, and research and development (R&D); Quick Carriers dba Hauling Accessories, which develops and produces items to expand vehicle storage; and Solar Lights, which provides solar power to the arts industries. Gathings’ businesses fit a niche and solve a community challenge by creating employer diversification…

May 25

Maker's Memo

New team member: Julia Wise, Technology Transfer ID

A scientist with experience in education, healthcare, and technology transfer, Julia Wise joins our team to create, support, and lead programs that further technology-based economic and community development. She has an undergraduate degree in biology and chemistry, and a master’s and doctorate in geology. Prior to moving back to Santa Fe, she worked for The…

Apr 27

Maker's Memo

Getting an upgrade: ATA’s customized ISO transition

Applied Technology Associates (ATA) is a precision measurement, sensing, and controls company that furnishes services and products to government and commercial customers. As a privately held small business, ATA has demonstrated a remarkable ability to transition technology to operational use and commercial products by leveraging internal and government-funded research and development. ATA’s products and services…

Apr 04

Maker's Memo

New Mexico Innovation Expo: A resource universe for businesses

Businesses that partner with our organization tend to also connect with other economic development resources such as a Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the New Mexico Economic Development Department (NMEDD) — and the New Mexico Small Business Assistance Program (NMSBA). New Mexico entrepreneurs can explore this resource universe at the New Mexico Innovation Expo on April 19 in…

Mar 28

Maker's Memo

Getting to know you: The benefits of CoBot automation

As part of our mission to strengthen and grow New Mexico’s manufacturing and give our state’s manufacturers a competitive advantage through advanced automation, we are partnering with Build With Robots, LLC, to offer collaborative robot (CoBot) seminars and hands-on CoBot application demos. Founded in 2017 by serial entrepreneurs Chris Ziomek & Randy Krall, Build With Robots is a regional authorized…

Mar 13

Maker's Memo

Increasing New Mexico manufacturers’ competitiveness

As we work to help New Mexico manufacturers become more competitive, we also measure the resulting impacts of our work. Here is a sampling of those impacts to illustrate how a small portion of the companies we have partnered with have become more competitive. Continental Machining Co, Inc. – Albuquerque, NM New Mexico MEP supported Continental Machining’s efforts to implement a…

Mar 06

Maker's Memo

Craft brewery infographic

> Complete infographic here (New Mexico made the spotlight — see Page 2) Courtesy of NIST

Feb 20

Maker's Memo

Impacts

New Mexico MEP Fiscal Year 2019 Economic Impacts New Mexico MEP is part of a national network of: 375 field locations Over 1,400 MEP experts More than 2,100 partners SUCCESS STORIES Navajo Spirit Southwestern Wear is building on deep roots An exercise in Value Stream Mapping generated ideas for new products made from the remnants…

Feb 19

Maker's Memo

New Mexico MEP paves road with good startup resources

Trotting On Innovations LLC invents products primarily for the supplemental oxygen community. The small Bloomfield, New Mexico, company was formed by inventor Middy McFarland, whose background in respiratory therapy and supplemental oxygen use led her to pursue taking ideas to market. Looking for a viable way to develop products for this expanding market, McFarland attended…

Jan 12

Maker's Memo

Midtown Metal’s MEP-guided roadmap to greater capacity

Though Albuquerque’s Midtown Metal was known primarily as a metal fabricator of roofing materials, they had the capacity to produce metal products for all architectural and building needs with quick turnaround, and in a variety of colors and finishes. By 2016, the company saw an opportunity to grow their product line to better include all…

Dec 05

Maker's Memo

A bundle of transformation tools saves a bundle of money

Serving multibillion-dollar organizations, scientific equipment makers and art distributors, Albuquerque’s Certified Packing & Crating Inc. (CP&C) has been in the business of packing, crating and customized product handling for 17 years. When the current owners, a husband and wife team formerly employed at Intel, purchased the company in 2012, they knew they needed help. Having…

Oct 13

Maker's Memo

Partnering in the pursuit of continual improvement

PESCO has been manufacturing natural gas and oil production equipment in Farmington, New Mexico since 1970. Despite fluctuating gas prices, business has grown steadily, and so has PESCO’s reputation. This is demonstrated through well-respected products in the industry, a great reputation for quality and service, loyal employees and customers, and a solid financial footing. Kyle…

Sep 22

Industry News

5th Annual Manufacturing Day preview

Marpac Custom – one of many tours this year! See a variety of textile products being cut and sewn with a state-of-the art computer fabric-cutting machine, computerized sewing machines, as well as industrial hand-operated sewing.

Sep 19

Maker's Memo

Enlisting word of mouth and local connections

2016 Mfg Day tour at Glass-Rite; photo Jane Phillips Photography By Damon Scott for Finance New Mexico This October will mark the third year that Albuquerque glass manufacturer Glass-Rite is participating in Manufacturing Day. Steve Hoberg, Glass-Rite’s vice president of sales and public relations, recently spoke about why it’s important. Finance New Mexico: How would…

Aug 09

New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Lean Laser Focus: OptiSource

Located in Albuquerque, in New Mexico’s rustic North Valley, OptiSource, LLC is well into its second decade of providing a wide range of optical components for some of the most exacting requirements in the photonics industry. Since opening in 1997 and concentrating on providing crystal quartz waveplates and polarization rotators for the industry, OptiSource has…

Jul 17

Making Manufacturers: Events Aim to Inspire Next-Generation Workers

By Sandy Nelson for Finance New Mexico Young people can be hard to impress, but students from Albuquerque’s Academy of Trades and Technology (ATTHS) charter school were visibly stoked by a tour of Rader Awning during 2016 Manufacturing Day events. Before-and-after shots of the 15 ATTHS students who visited the factory where Rader manufactures awnings,…

Jun 13

Environmental Value Stream Mapping

Environmental Value Stream Mapping (EVSM) analyzes your process inputs and outputs to determine locations of waste in your process and to propose solutions to eliminate or reduce the waste. Not only does this make your company greener, it also increases profits by reducing costs. New Mexico MEP (NM MEP) requires the following records to complete…

Jun 12

Required safety plans

If OSHA came to your door, what’s one of the first things the inspector might ask to see? The answer is … your Hazard Communication Plan. Is your written plan up for that kind of scrutiny? How about your other safety and health plans? Are you sure you have all the required written plans you…

Jun 12

Opening New Doors on Process Improvement

La Puerta Originals is a family-owned and -operated company located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The business evolved out of founder Scott Coleman’s combined love of art, architecture and world travel. As Scott began collecting discarded doors, columns, beautifully carved wood, ironwork and other building materials, word spread about the unique architectural elements of La…

May 19

Industry News

Path to increased production

Sisneros Bros. Manufacturing was doing a great job filling orders for the custom duct work that goes in large commercial buildings and Navy ships. But when the next generation of family members joined the leadership team, they asked New Mexico MEP to help them plan for the future. MEP helped the company perform Value Stream…

May 17

New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Growing San Juan Closet Works is a Team Effort

San Juan Closet Works is a custom closet company specializing in storage and organization solutions for residential and business settings. They specialize in working closely with their customers to develop creative, customized solutions for all of their organizational needs including closets, home offices, pantries, garages, craft rooms, laundry rooms, multi-function rooms and Murphy wall beds.…

Apr 14

New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Continuous Improvement Helps Belen Manufacturer Go Global

Sisneros Brothers’ founder Avenicio, left, CEO Martin, and grandson and sales manager Andres; photo by Jane Phillips Sisneros Brothers Manufacturing embodies the entrepreneurial notion that finding the right niche can transform talent into business success. Avenicio Sisneros, founder of the Belen company, began as a cabinetmaker in the 1950s but shifted to making and installing…

Mar 17

New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership

On fire: Old Wood ramps up operations

Old Wood, LLC began in 1999 as a small family-owned sawmill that manufactured wood flooring using fire-reclaimed and tribally sourced woods. In 2008, the company expanded its product line to include end-grain flooring: durable, commercial-grade flooring made of small-diameter and lower-grade woods. This has had a significant impact on the sustainability and proper utilization of…

Feb 28

New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Past Impacts

New Mexico MEP Economic Impacts New Mexico MEP is part of a national network of: 588 field locations Over 1,200 MEP experts More than 2,300 partners SUCCESS STORIES Mezel Mods: Competitive Niche Manufacturing in New Mexico Through visual management, lean and line-balancing techniques, New Mexico MEP helped the firm improve its lead time, production volume,…

Feb 20

Press Release: NIST Renews Commitment to New Mexico’s Manufacturers

Result of competitive funding process demonstrates NIST’s confidence in New Mexico MEP and the state’s manufacturers February 20, 2017 ALBUQUERQUE, NM — The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has renewed funding for New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership (New Mexico MEP), expressing confidence in the high-quality services delivered and results obtained by the nonprofit organization’s…

Jan 27

New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Mezel Mods: Competitive Niche Manufacturing in New Mexico

Visual management at work; courtesy Mezel Mods Facebook page Mezel Mods, a family -owned and -operated company in Rio Rancho, NM, has been in business for three years. The company, which consists of two founders and one employee manufactures individual creative additions (aftermarket) and replacement parts for pinball machinery, which they sell online directly to…

Dec 16

New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Request for Information from NIST

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is preparing to publish one or more Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in fiscal year 2017. The intent of the NOFO is to add capabilities to the MEP system to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the MEP national network which will help solve new and emerging manufacturing problems and capture new…