Davids Announces $2 Million in Funding to Support Manufacturing in Kansas
Today, Representative Sharice Davids announced the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded $2,163,187 in renewed funding to Kansas Manufacturing Solutions (KMS) to provide services and support to local manufacturers. Based in Lenexa, KMS is the only federally supported Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program Center in Kansas. Last year, Davids announced an award of over $30,000 to Kansas Manufacturing Solutions used to invest in special projects focused on supply chain, global competitiveness, technology acceleration, workforce development, and process improvement.
Davids and KMS CEO Tiffany Stovall visit Ronawk, a local biomanufacturer, and highlights investment in supply chains, innovation, and American manufacturing.
"With the help of Kansas Manufacturing Solutions, we are making more here at home and creating good-paying jobs, all while addressing issues I have heard a lot about from our community – inflation, supply chain, and more," said Davids. "Through this funding, KMS will be able to work towards meeting the technological, operational, and workforce needs of Kansas business owners. I'm excited for what's to come and am thankful local manufactures have such a strong partner in KMS."
"Kansas Manufacturing Solutions is pleased to continue as the Manufacturing Extension Partnership for Kansas," said Tiffany Stovall, Chief Executive Officer of Kansas Manufacturing Solutions. "This investment by NIST MEP helps us to provide crucial support to the manufacturers of our state and allows us to continue to develop and deliver programs in alignment with the needs of the companies in Kansas."
Rep. Davids pictured with Tiffany Stovall and Dave Stein of Kansas Manufacturing Solutions.
Davids has been a strong advocate for small and medium-sized manufacturers. Earlier this month, after meeting with President Biden, she wrote to Congressional leadership urging them to prioritize small businesses and American-made medical supplies. To highlight current manufacturing and supply chain issues, like the semiconductor chip shortage, Davids also visited several local businesses, including the Fairfax General Motors plant that went idle for months last year and local medical device suppliers who have been struggling to serve patients.
Background:
Kansas Manufacturing Solutions, formerly MAMTC, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and one of the first seven Manufacturing Technology Centers in the United States. This federal funding will allow them to continue providing manufacturing extension services to small and medium-sized manufacturers in Kansas. That includes services related to supply chain, manufacturing career awareness, technology acceleration and automation, process improvement, and business and leadership development.
To receive this renewed funding, Kansas Manufacturing Solutions must remain in good standing with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) MEP and the US Dept of Commerce. They earned a perfect 100 on their most recent scorecard – a feat only a small number of state Centers achieved.
The MEP National Network consists of 51 MEP Centers, located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. It has over 1,400 trusted advisors and experts at more than 385 MEP service locations, providing U.S. manufacturers with access to resources they need to succeed. Manufacturers who have utilized MEP Centers, such as Kansas Manufacturing Solutions, have on average experienced a return on investment of 14:1.