Silicon Valley Manufacturing and Technology Summit to Address Creating … – EON: Enhanced Online News (press release)

SAN RAMON, Calif.–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–Competing globally while manufacturing in California to create good,
well-paying jobs will be the main topic of discussion at the Silicon
Valley Manufacturing Summit on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at the Santa
Clara Convention Center. The event is presented by The Corporation for
Manufacturing Excellence (Manex), www.manexconsulting.com,
University of California Davis, Hood & Strong LLP, Mission College, The
Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce, San Jose Chamber of Commerce and NOVA
Workforce Investment Board.

“We need the manufacturing sector to be the foundation for the future,
as its strength or weakness has tremendous impact on job creation and
the health of the overall economy”

“We need the manufacturing sector to be the foundation for the future,
as its strength or weakness has tremendous impact on job creation and
the health of the overall economy,” says Hank Holzapfel, President of
Manex. “Our goal is to do everything we can to help manufacturers
compete globally while continuing to do business in California and
employ highly-skilled workers in good paying jobs.”

In his keynote address at the summit, Harry Moser, Founder of the
Reshoring Initiative, will describe the Initiative’s tools designed to
help companies recognize the advantages of bringing manufacturing jobs
back to the U.S. “World macro-economic trends, such as rapidly rising
wages in China, suggest that U.S. manufacturers are or soon will be
competitive for most products sold in the U.S. market,” says Mr. Moser.

Also presenting will be Bill Browne of Manex, who will reveal the latest
resources for manufacturers and discuss why Lean Six Sigma and
data-based decision making are no longer an option, and best practices
are now a requirement. The morning session will also feature a panel
discussion to include various local leaders and Northern California
manufacturers, including Todd Rinella of CORWIL Technology Corp, Kris
Stadelman of the NOVA Workforce Investment Board, Doug Hoffner,
Undersecretary for the California Labor and Workforce Development
Agency, and Paul Witkay of the Alliance of Chief Executives, who will
address California’s top manufacturing issues.

The afternoon sessions include an inside look at Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory’s additive manufacturing process, and a panel
discussion, “Transition to Innovative New Processes and Products” and
will feature local South Bay leaders, including Dr. J. Laurel Jones of
Mission College, Don Sanders of Nexus Partners LLC, and Marc Lowe of UC
Davis and Praxis Ventures. The Summit will conclude with a presentation
on “Sustainability and the Future of Manufacturing” by Dr. Barbara Linke
of UC Berkeley’s Laboratory for Manufacturing and Sustainability, and a
session by Dr. Kevin O’Brien with Energy Commercialization on what
companies need to do to assess their current status.

The event costs $120 per person and includes breakfast, lunch and
concludes with a networking reception at 3:30pm. Morning or afternoon
session passes are available for $75 per person. For more information
and to register, go to: http://www.manexconsulting.com/events/silicon-valley-manufacturing-and-technology-summit

ABOUT THE CORPORATION FOR MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE (MANEX)

Manex is a San Francisco Bay Area firm that helps manufacturers and
distributors to gain a competitive edge. It provides high-value
consulting and business advisory services to help manufacturers
significantly increase growth, productivity, quality and profitability.

Founded in 1995, Manex has helped hundreds of Northern California
manufacturers improve their performance in a variety of manufacturing
industry sectors including aerospace, biotech, construction, high-tech,
food and beverage, machining and medical devices.

Manex is a member of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program. For more
information, go to http://www.manexconsulting.com,
or call: 1-877-33-MANEX.