Glen Raven
Burlington
May 16, 2012 1:30 - 4:30 pm
Daimler Trucks
Mount Holly
June 26, 2012
1:30 - 4:30 pm
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"We enjoyed the affair and were surprised at the diversity of the manufacturers from across the state.Since the first meeting, we are now doing business with Flextronics' in Charlotte, NC. This is the start of a good thing."
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RALEIGH (May 6, 2011) - The next stop for the Manufacturing Makes It Real Network will be June 7 at the largest North Carolina employer east of Interstate 95, the Fleet Readiness Center East in Cherry Point. The Network, hosted by the Industrial Extension Service at North Carolina State University, celebrates manufacturing in North Carolina with a series of public events throughout the state.
FRC East, "the vertical lift center of excellence," provides world-class maintenance, engineering and logistics support for Navy and Marine Corps aviation. Most of the 3,500 employees are civilians living in nearby communities. On June 7, they will provide a tour of the massive facility.
At this and all Network stops, local manufacturers are encouraged to attend and talk about what they make. There will be plenty of time for networking and making business connections.
The Network grew out of the demand from manufacturers to tell their stories to an enthusiastic audience - about the wide variety of products they make and the jobs they create -- as experienced during the statewide Manufacturing Makes It Real tour, hosted by the IES during the week of September 27 - October 1, 2010
While the events are free and open to the public, the spotlight is on manufacturers. The Network is supported by manufacturers who join and receive promotional benefits and easy access to IES services.
At the previous Network event at Flextronics in Morrisville, 15 manufacturers told an audience of about 140 people about the products they make and their hopes to grow their businesses - and the state's economy at the same time.
"We need manufacturing to pull us solidly out of this recession, and the Network provides that support as well as an opportunity to celebrate what is made in North Carolina," said Terri Helmlinger Ratcliff, IES executive director and assistant vice chancellor for extension and engagement.
"We saw manufacturers at each stop on the tour meeting each other for the first time, even though their facilities are in the same zip code. We saw business being conducted. We knew we were onto a good thing. So, the Network was created."
The June 7 event is scheduled for 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. All manufacturers will be encouraged to tell their story and bring a product to display. Tours of the facility will be conducted while networking takes place. While the event is free and open to public, anyone interested in attending is asked to register online. You must register to attend and registration closes June 2 for security reasons.
"Everyone is finally waking up to how important manufacturing really is," said Ratcliff. "It powers the state's economy and drives innovation. The Network exists to make sure that story is told over and over. Our future prosperity depends on it."
The Network works to promote the image of manufacturing, but not as a lobbying force, Ratcliff said. That responsibility belongs to other state organizations.
The Manufacturing Makes It Real Network is a project of the Industrial Extension Service at North Carolina State University for the purpose of promoting Made in North Carolina products. IES has worked since 1955 to advance manufacturing in North Carolina. Since 2006, IES services provided more than $1 billion of value to the state's manufacturers, and created or retained more than 5,000 jobs.
The Manufacturing Makes It Real Network charter members:
Silver
Bronze
Associate
NC State University Industrial Extension Service
Phone 1-800-227-0264
