SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- California Manufacturing Technology Consulting® (CMTC) and The Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence (MANEX) announced today a special complimentary one-day forum to connect rail industry OEMs with U.S. suppliers in the manufacturing sector. The “Next Generation Supply Chain Connectivity Forum” will be held on February 8, 2012 at the Woodlake Hotel (formerly the Radisson) in Sacramento, CA. The Northern and Southern California Manufacturing Extension Partnership Centers, Manex and CMTC, are joining with the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Rail Administration, the U.S. Department of Commerce and CALTRANS to reach out and help facilitate connections for manufacturers in the State. The Forum is for manufacturers who are interested in growing their business by considering opportunities in the rail industry supply chain.
The Next Generation Rail Supply Chain Forum allows manufacturers the opportunity for one-on-one discussions with OEMs and to learn more about entering the rail industry supply chain in panel discussions. The forum concludes with a networking reception.
This Forum is the result of a partnership between the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) to leverage agency capabilities to ensure the development of a domestic supply base to support intermodal transportation in the United States. The Forum is designed to attract U.S. manufacturers to the supply base for next generation rail equipment being procured in the U.S. The Forum represents an opportunity for manufacturers with capabilities that are potentially relevant to next generation rail to grow and diversify into this market.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has awarded two grants to CALTRANS for a total of $168M (matched by $42M in State funds) for the purchase of 42 passenger cars and 6 locomotives. The new bi-level railcars will incorporate numerous design improvements and innovations, making the States’ rail passenger service more efficient, cost-effective and attractive to passengers. The CALTRANS RFI can be accessed from CMTC’s website.
“In this economy, it is vitally important for manufacturers to diversify their business into new areas to support growth in the State,” stated Jim Watson, President and CEO of CMTC. “Manufacturing plays an important economic role in the State’s economy since California has the largest concentration of manufacturers in the nation,” added Hank Holzapfel, President and CEO of Manex.
CMTC and Manex are private, nonprofit organizations that are part of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) and are affiliates under the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
ABOUT CMTC
A private, nonprofit corporation established in 1992, CMTC is the Southern California affiliate of NIST MEP, under the Federal Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, a network of more than 60 centers across the country that provides assistance to small, medium and large manufacturers. CMTC serves Fresno to San Diego/Imperial County. For more information, visit www.cmtc.com.
ABOUT MANEX
Founded in 1995, The Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence (Manex) provides a broad array of proven advisory and implementation solutions exclusively to manufacturers, distributors and their supply chains, enabling them to increase growth, productivity, quality and profitability. Manex delivers high-impact solutions in four key areas: strategy, people, process and performance. Manex is the Northern California affiliate of the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership. For more information, visit www.manexconsulting.com.
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