Diverse and growing audiences are drawn to the State of Manufacturing®    

Enterprise Minnesota's State of Manufacturing annual poll of manufacturers is drawing interest from a wide and diverse coalition of groups. Enterprise Minnesota President and CEO Bob Kill has personally presented the results to 12 different groups across Minnesota. Over the past two weeks, Kill spoke to the Litchfield Chamber of Commerce and Central Lakes College in Brainerd. Most recently, more than 130 people filled an Association for Corporate Growth event in downtown Minneapolis Tuesday to hear his presentation.

This year's poll discovered the cost of health care again to be the number-one concern among manufacturing executives in their businesses for the fourth consecutive year. And though 82 percent of manufacturing executives express confidence about the future of their firms, the poll also revealed that anxiety over attracting qualified workers has more than doubled in the past year, with 31 percent of Minnesota manufacturing executives saying it is a concern, up from 14 percent in 2011.

Kill believes continued momentum surrounding the 2012 poll information is partly due to the variety of audiences it brings together, from manufacturers and educators to economic development professionals and chamber groups. Now in its fourth year, the poll "sets some key trends that all kinds of people are interested in," Kill explains.

He hopes the mixing of diverse audiences will give Minnesotans a better appreciation for the value of manufacturing to our economy and help promote public/private partnerships that can respond to the qualified worker shortage, which has been the prevailing topic in discussions following poll presentations across the state.
 
"It's a great coalescing of groups of people who I don't think would otherwise come together. It has also brought visibility to the value of manufacturing to our communities, to our state and even to the U.S.," Kill says.

To read full State of Manufacturing® 2012 poll results, go to www.stateofmanufacturing.com.

Marketing for Manufacturers
Creating value for your business through strategic marketing

Webinar
Date: June 4, 2012
Time: 7:30am-8:30am
Registration: Free of charge
or call Enterprise Minnesota's events line
at 612-455-4239
 
What to Expect?

           •    Can you define the value of marketing for your                  business?
           •    Is marketing a part of your business strategy?
           •    How can a strategic marketing program                            contribute to your revenue, profit and growth                 goals?

Smart manufacturers understand the true definition and purpose of marketing and are proactive in leveraging the right strategies to:

           •    Grow business with current customers   
           •    Develop new business leads
           •    Identify potential new markets
           •    Differentiate themselves from the competition    

Deb Bly, Enterprise Minnesota Business Growth Advisor, will define true marketing and demonstrate how a focused, strategic marketng plan can drive your business growth and profitability.

Deb brings a solid background in strategic marketing, product marketing, branding, pricing and channel management. She has more than 20 years of experience in identifying new opportunities to grow revenue through new products and markets with in-depth analysis and interpretation of market segments. Prior to joining Enterprise Minnesota, Deb served as senior marketing manager of new business corporate for Bloomington-based The Toro Company, where she also served in positions as director of marketing for commercial products. Previously, Deb worked for Fridley-based Cummins Power Generation as director/general manager of the mobile business group and as director of marketing for the consumer products division.  

To register for "Best Approaches to Marketing in Manufacturing" Business Event on June 27, 2012
go here