Beaver State News

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced on July 7 that the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Program (OMEP) was awarded $2,217,708 to provide public-private partnerships to small- and medium-sized manufacturers in Oregon. The funding comes from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

“If we don’t make things in America, we won’t have a middle class in America, and when Oregon’s manufacturing industry does well, all Oregonians benefit,” said Senator Merkley. “This funding is investing in growing the middle class by giving OMEP the support they need to provide small- and medium-sized manufacturers with the opportunity to grow, accelerate their growth, and make Oregon competitive in the global marketplace.”

“I am gratified to see funding go to a program supporting Oregon’s job-creating businesses to become an even stronger heartbeat at the center of U.S. manufacturing,” said Wyden, who fought to pass the CHIPS and Science Act to increase domestic semiconductor manufacturing. “I am excited to work with OMEP to support domestic manufacturing growth here in Oregon that continues to generate good-paying jobs for working families.”

“OMEP helps over 400 manufactures each year to improve their operational execution, gain understanding of their business financials and strategies, identify growth opportunities and address their work force challenges.  This public/private partnership funding is a critical component to reaching manufacturers across the entire state of Oregon” said Aaron Fox, President, OMEP

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership at NIST works through collaborations at the federal, state and local level, and with manufacturers to develop new products and customers, expand and diversify markets, adopt new technology, and enhance value within supply chains. 

Original source can be found here.