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This Week in Manufacturing

You should never judge a book by its cover or a state by its reputation; especially Montana. Big Sky Country has been making big moves off the ranch and into manufacturing with the help of this week’s feature company. Let’s saddle up!

Our feature company is Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) out of Bozeman, Montana. Grown out of Montana State University’s College of Engineering, the MMEC is now supporting thousands of small businesses across the U.S.’s fourth-largest state. 

This week’s first podcast, from The Manufacturing Executive, shares the MMEC’s enthusiasm for our growing industry. The second podcast, from Advanced Manufacturing Now, balances out some of the speed bumps all organizations have to confront.

Our headlines this week range from advances in carbon fiber manufacturing, to AI innovations, food manufacturing, and more! Plenty to interest the diverse clients of the MMEC.

This week’s Fun Fact and Social Video each highlight output from the great state of Montana: whether in home goods or simple profit.

Thanks for joining us!

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⚙ Manufacturing Headlines

• Redefining Carbon Fiber Manufacturing [TechBullion]

• Supply Chain & Logistics News Round-Up [Logistics Viewpoints]

• Montana engineering support stretches statewide [CompanyWeek]

• Food manufacturers harness AI to improve on innovation [Meat + Poultry]

• 3D Printing Predictions for 2025: Desktop 3D Printing [3D Print.com]

• Canon’s new chip-making system competes on cost, energy, and precision [IEEE Spectrum]

SUPPLY CHAIN

♨️ MMEC

If you were asked to name a state with a strong manufacturing sector, Montana might not be the first to come to mind.

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. The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) is there to help. MMEC grew from a tiny University Technical Assistance Program in Montana State University’s College of Engineering in the mid-1980s.

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.

Upshot: “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.”

FROM THE FEED

📱Pouring some blade wax

 🤨 Did You Know?

Manufacturing accounts for 17% of Montana’s base industry earnings totaling about

$12.3B

^{Source: Montana State University}

🎧 Podcasts Worth A Listen

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