SCMEP Announces Economic Impact Figures for SC Manufacturers
February 27, 2009COLUMBIA, SC – February 27, 2009 – Despite the continued economic downturn in 2008, SCMEP reported that state manufacturers realized $152 million in new and retained sales with 1,360 jobs created and/or retained during this same time period. The organization also reported a cost savings of $49.9 million for the manufacturers it served last year.
Capital investment in SCMEP’s client manufacturing facilities in 2008 totaled $36.2 million, including investments in plant equipment and information systems.
In 2008, SCMEP assisted ZF Commercial Suspension Systems (Lancaster, SC) in implementing Lean principles, resulting in significant savings and improved efficiency throughout ZF’s manufacturing processes.
SCMEP has been an integral part of the successful implementation of Lean in our organization. We have significantly increased output and improved quality. Through these results, we were able to redirect $1 million in approved capital funds to other needed areas of our plant, says Greg Henderson, ZF’s general manager.
Likewise, SCMEP assisted Syn Strand, Inc. (Summerville, SC) in improving its competitive position by instituting continuous improvement processes in capacity and quality. Syn Strand realized lead time reductions and increased throughput, resulting in reduced set-up time, more than $30,000 in cost savings and a sales increase of more than $500,000.
SCMEP’s impact at our facility has been to solidify our continuous improvement program and provide the structure necessary to keep it on track. Thanks to SCMEP, Syn Strand is committed and ready to deliver leading technologies and value to our customers, says Bart Burford, Syn Strand’s operations manager.
A complete copy of the 2008 SCMEP Annual Impact Report, containing these financial statements and more, can be obtained by contacting Dana Todd at [email protected].
About SCMEP
The South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP), headquartered in Columbia, SC, is a private not-for-profit organization that helps manufacturers throughout the state solve business and supply chain process problems. Supported by the state legislature and an affiliate of the National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST), SCMEP offers business and technology assessments, engineering expertise, lean manufacturing solutions, and innovation & business development services to South Carolina manufacturers through its suite of services. SCMEP provides this business and technology support to manufacturers through onsite consultations, partnerships with state technical colleges, research universities, and the S.C. Department of Commerce to provide educational programs, online assessment, and other business tools. Using SCMEP’s services enables manufacturers to see business benefits at a faster rate and enhances economic development in South Carolina. To learn more about SCMEP, call 803.252.6976 or visit the web at www.scmep.org.