Florida MEP: Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 11, 2007

For more information please contact:
Gene Lussier
Board Chair, Florida MEP
321-939-4000

Aero Metals Awarded a NASA Agreement
Improvement plan allows small business to aggressively pursue government contracts
TITUSVILLE, FL - Aero Metals, a Titusville-based, privately held and woman-owned, small business supplying custom metal shapes, recently received a five-year Blanket Purchase Agreement from the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) -- one of the most significant accomplishments in the company’s history, and one that was made possible through valuable guidance provided by the Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).

Prior to submitting a quote for the NASA solicitation, Aero Metals sent employees to Supply Chain Acquisition Response Training, an interactive workshop hosted by the Florida MEP that guides participants through the process of doing business with the government.

"While the workshop helped vastly improve our government contracting skills, our muddled office practices significantly limited the amount of time our staff had to devote to actively seeking new business opportunities and government solicitations," said Nancy Simmons, president of Aero Metals. "We wanted to expand our business, but we needed the tools and employee 'buy-in' to do so. Florida MEP helped us in all of these areas with specific training tailor-made for our company."

Value Stream Mapping is a team-based approach that allows everyone involved to visualize the current state of the target processes and allows for planning toward a future state that eliminates the waste in those processes. The workshop resulted in a six-month Continuous Improvement Plan of Action, which steadily enabled Aero Metals to begin acquiring the resources and carving out the time to actively seek government contracts.

“We found the NASA solicitation using the techniques we learned from Florida MEP, but we were initially overwhelmed by the packaging and transportation specification,” said Simmons. “However, in the Supply Chain workshop, it was suggested that we partner with organizations to supplement gaps, so we submitted a joint quote with an Orlando firm that would handle packaging and logistics. It worked.”

It is through partnerships like that of the EDC and the Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership in which we can work together to stimulate new opportunities for manufacturers in our area, said Lynda Weatherman, president and CEO of the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast, “As Brevard County continues to hold the distinction of having the highest number of manufacturing companies registered in the SupplyPoint database, I would highly encourage those companies who have not yet become involved with this program to seek more information.”

Florida MEP is a non-profit service available to every manufacturer in the state to help them compete more effectively in the global marketplace. Improved efficiency, elimination of waste, international certifications, integration into global supply chains and connecting Florida businesses to the resources they need to become more profitable are among the benefits of working with the Florida MEP. In fact, in a recent survey, Florida MEP clients reported $96.2 million in increased and retained sales and 1,596 jobs created or retained as a direct result of guidance received by the program. Part of a nationwide network of MEP centers in all 50 states, and linked together through the Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Florida MEP enables even the smallest firms in Florida to have easy access to more than 2,000 manufacturing, technical and business specialists, along with the latest technology and industry best practices.

To learn more about the Florida MEP program call 321-939-4000 or visit www.floridamep.org.

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