FALL 1999
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In this issue • Value-added agriculture builds hope for rural Iowa • Clinton listens to producer concerns • Cooperative study offers model - and savings - for Iowa • School food production and service: Half a century of training • Iowa manufacturers take note: Changes at IMTC • Youth catch BOOMERANG! -- Build character and life skills
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Iowa manufacturers
take note: The Iowa Manufacturing Technology Center has changed its name to the Iowa Manufacturing Extension Partnership (IMEP). The new name describes the cooperative partnership of Iowa State University Extension, other Iowa institutions serving business and industry, and Iowa's small and mid-sized manufacturers, said director Willem Bakker. IMEP will continue to work with clients throughout the state, identify areas for improvement and provide links to resources that companies can use to increase their productivity and competitiveness &emdash; adding to the growth of Iowa manufacturing. IMEP will work with the Iowa Energy Center to lead the statewide adoption and introduction of a comprehensive new audit methodology called Total Assessment Audit (TAA), Bakker said. TAA brings together the public sector resources of IMEP, Iowa State University and the community colleges as well as industry specialists from the private sector. These teams will work with senior management of companies to collectively seek opportunities for improvement. According to Bakker, "TAA evaluates nontraditional audit objectives that influence profitability and competitiveness, such as business management practices, employee training and human resource issues." With a new $350,000 state appropriation through the Iowa Department of Economic Development, IMEP will expand its field staff, Bakker continued. To help accommodate the needs of more than 6,000 small and medium sized manufacturing companies in Iowa, five new account managers will be hired for the Indian Hills, Iowa Central, Iowa Valley, Iowa Western and Western Iowa Tech community college districts.
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