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. Maine Manufacturers Extension Partnership
AVCOG, in partnership with the Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership
(MMEP), provides assistance to small and medium-sized manufacturing firms in
the tri-county area. Started in 1989, and sponsored by the U.S. Department of
Commerce, MaineMEP offers a national network of programs and services that
provide assistance to small manufacturers interested in becoming globally
competitive. The first MEP Center opened in Maine in April of 1995. Since then
more than 300 Maine companies have been served by MEP.
A Field Representative from the MaineMEP is located at AVCOG and can provide
technical assistance to companies to help improve their competitiveness. The
assistance may be furnished directly by MaineMEP or through a qualified
consultant with the project managed by MaineMEP. Assistance is provided in the
following areas:
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Quality Management/ISO 9000
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Facility Planning/Plant Layout
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Manufacturing-Cost-Control-Systems
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Training
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Process Improvement
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OSHA/Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing
For more information please contact:
Wayne Messer, MEP Field
Representative
. Department of Economic and Community
Development
DECD has partnered with AVCOG by providing two outreach positions in Western
Maine. The two business development specialists filling those positions
maintain offices AVCOG in Auburn and one in Farmington. The two specialists
work directly with businesses by providing information on available resources.
Over the course of the year, the specialists have worked extensively with over
300 businesses on both a proactive and an active ongoing basis.
Programs made available by DECD can be broken down into four major categories:
State and Federal Financing Programs, Training Programs, Tax Credit Programs
and Tax Exemption Programs. Perhaps, the most popular of all programs is the
Governor's Training Initiative. This program provides partial reimbursement for
non-routine training costs. During 2001, DECD funded training reimbursements to
28 companies in the tri-county area that received over $1,300,000 in assistance
through this program.
For more information please contact:
Ron McKinnon,
Androscoggin & Oxford Counties
Brian Hodges,
Franklin County
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