The Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence (Manex) Engaged by Alameda County Workforce Investment Board to Assist Local NUMMI Suppliers

SAN RAMON, CA—December 17, 2009 — The Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence (Manex) has been identified by federal, state and local agencies as a key strategic partner to assist NUMMI suppliers. The Alameda County Workforce Investment Board has spearheaded the effort by engaging Manex to conduct assessments and provide recommendations for immediate business performance improvement and continued business viability for manufacturing suppliers in Alameda County. 

Due to an imminent shutdown of NUMMI in early 2010, dozens of Northern California suppliers will be adversely affected by the auto plant’s closure. These businesses will be eligible for assessment and recommendation activities designed to help suppliers identify core competencies and possible sources of income to replace lost revenue due to the NUMMI shutdown. 

Manex is a nationally recognized consulting firm that has focused exclusively on Northern California manufacturers, distributors, and their supply chains since 1995. An affiliate of the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Manex has expertise in strategy and operations consulting, and has helped hundreds of manufacturing clients trim costs, increase revenues and become more profitable. Manex consultants will be providing in-depth assessments and associated recommendations for performance improvement for NUMMI suppliers, beginning with those in Alameda County (the largest concentration of such suppliers in California). Other workforce investment boards statewide have been provided with the opportunity to add their local suppliers to the master contract agreement with Manex.

Brent Meyers, Manex President and CEO, stated that, “Our work with hundreds of Northern California manufacturers has proven that our consulting services yield significant, measurable results. We’ve custom-designed a rapidly deployable Assess-and-Recommend solution specifically for NUMMI suppliers to assist them with improving their operations and transitioning to other sources of revenue.” The business assessments are intended as the first phase of support that Manex intends to deploy in partnership with other local, state and federal agencies.

Roy Bertuccelli with the Alameda County Workforce Investment Board commented that “Manex Consulting is the ideal firm to handle these business assessments. They have a fantastic track-record of working with local manufacturers, and their work will allow us to take the first step toward ensuring continued business viability and averting layoffs.”

“Many NUMMI Suppliers may be eligible for Trade Adjustment Act assistance,” Mr. Bertuccelli added. “For further information, they should contact Tony Castillo with the Alameda County WIB.”

The Alameda County Workforce Investment Board, East Bay EDA, California Workforce Investment Board, California Business Investment Services and several other local, state and federal agencies - including the US Department of Commerce, US Department of Labor, and NIST|MEP - are currently exploring supplementary sources of funding to deploy additional consulting resources following this initial business assessment stage. NUMMI suppliers participating in this first stage will receive priority for additional assistance, should such funding become available.

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. Meaningful, rapid impact and ROI are achieved through a modular-yet-holistic approach encompassing corporate strategy and planning, marketing strategy, training and development, Lean manufacturing, supply chain and logistics, Six Sigma, ISO and performance management systems. Manex is the Northern California affiliate of the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership. For more information, visit www.manexconsulting.com.