Executives from Automated Engineering Corp., a small electronics design and manufacturing firm in Florida, knew that to land lucrative subcontracting opportunities, the company needed to implement established quality methods, but couldn’t afford the necessary training. That’s where the Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership came in. The agency helped AEC get grant funding for ISO 9001 training, and now it’s registered to the standard and has signed several new contracts. AEC and the Florida MEP have new continuous improvement projects scheduled, including Six Sigma and lean training. AEC plans to use Six Sigma and statistical process control to reduce process variation, reduce waste and inventories, clear shop floors and streamline production processes.

“Our relationship with the Florida MEP group has been extremely positive, and they’re they key to the growth we have accomplished,” says David Bailey, AEC president. “All of the personnel at MEP have real-life experience and know the problems associated with manufacturing processes.”

The collaborative effort has already produced positive results to AEC, including a 28-percent increase in sales growth in the past year. The company expects to expand and hire additional employees, officials say.

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