Episode 47: Celebrating American Manufacturing at 250 with MEP Leaders from New England!

Happy Fourth of July week! This is the first of a three-episode special edition of Manufacturing an American Century, produced in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence that went on to form this nation. Across the three episodes, we interview manufacturing leaders from the original American states of 1776 about the role manufacturing played in their state’s past, and how that role has evolved into new opportunities for the future!

We’re doing this with the leaders of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP); the long-running, federally supported program designed to help manufacturers in every state. Administered by the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology and operating since 1988, the MEP is a public-private network with a Center in all 50 states and Puerto Rico and over 1,400 trusted advisors on the ground. Those advisors work hands-on with the small and mid-sized manufacturers that make up the backbone of American industry, helping them adopt new technology, strengthen supply chains, and develop their workforce. 

Now, be warned that, while none of us are formal historians of manufacturing during our nation’s founding years, it’s still fascinating to learn a few bits of each state’s manufacturing history. And, as you’ll hear, there’s often a through line connecting the importance of public-private partnership then to its importance now.

This first episode covers the New England states of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. In these short interviews, you’ll hear from an MEP leader from each state on a bit of that history and on what their state makes today:

• Christian Cowan — Executive Director, 401k Tech Bridge, Polaris MEP (Rhode Island)
• Kathie Mahoney — President & CEO, MassMEP (Massachusetts)
• Beatriz Gutierrez — President & CEO, CONNSTEP (Connecticut)
• Tony Fernandez — President & CEO, NH MEP (New Hampshire)

A big thank-you to Christian, Kathie, Beatriz, and Tony for joining the pod! And, a special thanks to North Carolina’s KeAnne Hoeg, who suggested this idea and set up the interviews.

AMCC’s podcast is made possible in part by the expertise of Mike McAllen, founder of Podcasting4Associations. Are you part of an association also looking to produce a podcast? Let us get you in touch with Mike.

Thank you to the Economic Development Administration for their partnership in producing this podcast. This podcast was prepared in part using Federal funds under award 3070145 from the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.