SCMEP Forms Alliance with USC-Salkehatchie to Help Manufacturers

The South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP) and the University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie Leadership Institute have formed a partnership to enhance profit-building potential among small and mid-sized manufacturers in the five-county area of Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Colleton, and Hampton counties. The organizations are concentrating efforts to help manufacturers implement lean manufacturing initiatives in their plants that will:

* Reduce inventory
* Reduce cycle time
* Reduce work-in-process
* Reduce costs
* Increase capacity
* Improve lead times
* Increase sales
* Increase productivity
* Improve quality
* Increase profits.

"The Leadership Institute's Center for Business Development has small business development as its main focus, but we realized we needed to have some component to interact with industry," says Anne Rice, director of the Center. "[Working with SCMEP] gives us trained personnel on the ground that provides needed services."

SCMEP also will provide low-cost services such as U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan packaging assistance, Competitiveness Reviews' of manufacturing facilities, business plan assistance, and technical services such as environmental and permitting counseling.

The partnership is made possible through a grant awarded to USC-Salkehatchie Leadership Institute from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. SCMEP will be using grant funds to implement initiatives in small manufacturers' facilities. So far, SCMEP has assisted a company relocating to Barnwell County and is currently working with several manufacturers in Colleton County. Staff has conducted one lean manufacturing workshop in Colleton County and plans to do another one this fall in Allendale.