Promoting Georgia Manufacturing

GaMEP serves as a voice to and for manufacturing and the manufacturing support communities. Through plant tours, public relations campaigns, and local and statewide advocacy, GaMEP tells your stories about the impact of Georgia manufacturing to communities, policy makers, stakeholders, and industry.

Every year, GaMEP works with more than 1,000 manufacturers across the state. We work in all industries across manufacturing and in manufacturing companies ranging from the smallest to the largest in Georgia. GaMEP promotes manufacturing through programs and outreach such as:

• Faces of Manufacturing: Through this campaign, GaMEP has shared the stories of 50 hard-working, dedicated people who work in Georgia manufacturing. Their stories showcase manufacturing’s impact in Georgia, endorse different career paths in industry, and promote manufacturing as a thriving industry within the state. Read the Faces of Manufacturing stories.
• Manufacturing Connect: Through our monthly newsletter, GaMEP provides tips and tools to manufacturers, shares industry successes, promotes new and expanding plants, and reports on important topics such as workforce and technology in manufacturing. Sign-up to receive your local version of Manufacturing Connect.
• Presentations at Local Community Events: GaMEP team members give talks on industry topics at Rotary meetings, chamber events, and to manufacturer groups. If you are interested in having one of our team members speak at one of your events, contact your local region manager.
• Success Stories: GaMEP writes stories on our clients successes and promotes these stories through local media outlets, social media, and trade publications to highlight the significant impact manufacturers are making across Georgia. Read GaMEP client success stories.

As part of Georgia Tech, GaMEP has a unique responsibility to bridge the gaps among manufacturers, our students and researchers, and the community. To do this, we promote the impact manufacturing makes on the state through:

• Workforce Development: GaMEP supports the development of apprenticeship programs throughout the state. One example is our facilitation of GACATT, a Germany-based apprenticeship program, which covers six counties in South Metro Atlanta. If your company is interested in learning more about the program or other apprenticeship programs in the state, contact Larry Alford at larry.alford@innovate.gatech.edu.
• Partnerships: Through GaMEP’s affiliation with other entities in the state that work with manufacturing, GaMEP is able to expand its reach and impact in the state. GaMEP works closely with groups such as:
  • Next Generation Manufacturing
  • The Georgia Association of Manufacturers
  • Georgia Department of Economic Development – Centers of Innovation
  • Georgia Tech schools, colleges, programs, and labs
• Manufacturing Appreciation Week Annual Luncheon: GaMEP is a sponsor of this event, hosted by the Technical College System of Georgia.
• President Peterson’s Annual Summer Tour: Each summer, Georgia Tech’s President, G.P. “Bud” Peterson and his team visit a different area of the state to meet with stakeholders. Through the past eight tours, the group has covered more than 6,000 miles and visited numerous manufacturers along the way.

As part of the 51-center NIST MEP National Network, GaMEP shares your successes with other MEP centers, federal legislators, and policymakers. Likewise, issues relevant to a specific industry sector or supply chain can be addressed in national forums. GaMEP champions manufacturing on a national scale through:

• National Manufacturing Day: Supported by the National MEP Network, National Manufacturing Day occurs the first Friday in October each year and addresses common misconceptions about manufacturing by hosting manufacturing tours for community leaders, schools, and other interested public entities. These tours help manufacturers address the skilled-labor shortage, connect with future generations, take charge of the public image of manufacturing, and ensure the ongoing prosperity of the whole industry. To host an event this October, visit www.mfgday.com or connect with your local region manager.
• Manufacturing USA Institutes:Comprised of multiple linked Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, each institute has a unique technology concentration, but is also designed to accelerate U.S. advanced manufacturing as a whole. GaMEP promotes the needs and current state of SME’s in Georgia to these institutes and can promote this resource to Georgia manufacturers.