Menomonie, Wisconsin (October 20, 2009) - The Northwest Wisconsin Manufacturing Outreach Center (NWMOC) at the University of Wisconsin-Stout has helped small to mid-sized Wisconsin manufacturers create or save a total of 320 jobs during the last two survey quarters, according to an independent, third-party survey firm. NWMOC clients also reported $7,776,000 in increased sales and $3,969,999 in retained sales for a total sales impact of $11,745,000. These same clients reported plant investments of $96,073,570; information systems investments of $205,400; and workforce investments of $792,171. Their average customer satisfaction rating of the NWMOC was 8.885 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest possible rating.

This same survey identified the following reasons why clients chose to work with UW-Stout’s Manufacturing Outreach Center: Center Staff Expertise (73%), Cost/Price of Services (45%), Fair and Unbiased Advice (33%), and Knowledge of the Industry (35%).

The manufacturers who participated in the survey also reported these challenges:

Ongoing continuous improvement/cost reduction strategies (90%)

Sustainability in products and processes (43%)

Identifying growth opportunities (42%)

Product innovation/development (41%)

These surveys help the NWMOC “fine tune” their services to address the needs of the manufacturers in their service area. The NWMOC is currently able to address all of these challenges.

The NWMOC provides services to small and mid-sized manufacturers in 33 counties in northern and western Wisconsin to help them compete in a global economy. The NWMOC is a member of the National Institute of Standards and Technology/Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST/MEP), a national network that comprises 59 MEP centers in the United States and Puerto Rico. The NWMOC, in partnership with CVTC, NTC, NATC, UW-Stout, WTC, and WITC, delivers the technical assistance needed to improve and grow manufacturing businesses.

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