Standing Still Is Falling Behind
Whether you’re manufacturing candles, cup cakes, or car parts, there will always be someone nipping at your heels.
- Are you up to date on your certifications?
- Have you invested in R&D?
- Are you hiring enough?
- Can you afford to hire the best?
- Are you cyber secure?
The questions that keep you up at night are also motivating your competitors to push the envelope.
Polaris MEP can help you take an holistic look at your organization’s position in the market. You may be surprised at where you stand. With objective, outside perspective from our seasoned manufacturing experts, you can position your company for continued success.
The Polaris MEP Manufacturing Innovation Challenge was an exceptional opportunity to look at our business from industry experts. It led to an internal discussion to clarify who our customer is, and to create processes to help end users pull products through the distributor channel—this is creating a lift in business.
Michael Black
President, National Marker
Solutions To Your Challenges
Technology Acceleration
Facility Layout
Lean Manufacturing
How We Help
STRATEGIC ASSESSMENTS
Polaris MEP can match your company with subject matter experts with deep industry knowledge to conduct a strategic review of your business.
Working with your leadership, the process brings greater visibility to strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. Insights and related recommendations empower you to refocus resources strategically.
PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
A staggeringly large percentage of daily job activity does not deliver value to end customers. Polaris MEP will aid you in pursuit of a lean enterprise, increasing value to customers and reducing waste within your internal processes. The results?
- Increased quality,
- Lower costs,
- Imprved delivery times,
- Improved safety,
- Improved customer and worker satisfaction, and
- A more competitive organization.
R&D RESOURCES
No matter what size your company, R&D can make the difference between dominating your industry and getting left behind.
Polaris MEP assists the small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies in our state in creating strategic R&D plans that minimize risk.
We leverage the URI Research Foundation “family” as well as the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network to connect Rhode Island manufacturers to government equipment, programs, incentives and expertise.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
You may have the better product, but in order to be successful, you’ll need to compete in the business development arena.
Polaris MEP has you covered!
Whether you need marketing or sales augmentation, Polaris MEP can help. We’ve got a host of resources to upgrade your business and turn it into a business development powerhouse.
Compete & Win
- Get an objective determination of your competitiveness through the Manufacturing Innovation Challenge
- Minimize waste, improve process efficiency, and deliver safer, higher quality products to your clients faster
- Tell your story better with new marketing and sales techniques that close more business
Related
Checkup Time! How Measurement Science Keeps You Healthy
Checkup Time! How Measurement Science Keeps You Healthy The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows how measurement science underpins many of the health checks we rely on, from routine blood tests to advanced medical imaging. In the “Taking...
Listening Without Ears: How A Technology Startup Is Helping NOAA Unlock the Sounds of the Sea
“Listening to the ocean” has a deeply poetic ring to it. And at NOAA, that poetry has become reality thanks to a public-private partnership that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and cutting-edge technology to turn deep-sea sounds into real-time, actionable...
Polaris Tech Bridge Highlights Regional Collaboration at Blue Innovation Symposium
Polaris Tech Bridge was proud to sponsor and support the Blue Innovation Symposium, hosted by Blue Venture Forum at the Wyndham Newport Hotel in Middletown, RI, from February 9 to February 12, 2026. In its 11th year, this annual event brings over 400 maritime...
As a small business owner, you can’t do marketing yourself, if you truly want to grow. And you can’t afford a large team in-house. Spend the money on someone who understands it. Working with Polaris MEP and Sidewalk Branding seemed seamless. Now, we are seeing benefits we would never have imagined.
Roger Hultquist
CEO, Co-Owner, Orbetron LLC
Category: Market Competitiveness
“Voice of Manufacturers” Survey Launched To Provide Updated Data on Rhode Island Manufacturing Sector
Rhode Island non-profit consulting group Polaris MEP is looking for responses to its 2024 “Voice of Manufacturers” survey.
Measuring Customer Satisfaction for Manufacturing Competitiveness
In this video, find out WHY and HOW measuring customer satisfaction helps smaller manufacturers meet quality standards & be more competitive.
Lean Principles Help Ceramic Lighting Maker Hwang Bishop Design a Brighter Future
Lean principles training delivered by Rhode Island’s nonprofit manufacturing consultancy help ceramic lighting maker Hwang Bishop succeed.
Polaris MEP’s Fast Track to Manufacturing Program Welcomes its 20th Cohort!
We’re in mid-training for the 19-week course through Polaris MEP & CCRI’s partnership. Thus far, the students have already toured multiple Rhode Island manufacturing facilities of prospective future employers.
Start Your Market Scouting by Reviewing Your Value Proposition
In this NIST MEP blog post, learn about the Technology-Driven Market Intelligence Lite model and its focus on value propositions.
With Gratitude
Polaris MEP team members share their gratitude for those in our manufacturing community and in our personal lives. Happy Thanksgiving, 2023!
2023 Manufacturing Day Recap Video
In this video, you’ll get a first hand look into Polaris MEP’s second annual MFGDay 2023 event – an interactive, immersive career event that connects students directly to employers, training resources and job placement services. Polaris MEP’s goal with MFGDay is to introduce the next generation of workers to well-paying, purpose-filled careers in the industry.
American Tool Company Enjoys Benefits of ISO + Lean with Help From Polaris MEP
Lincoln, RI machining company enjoys benefits of ISO certification coaching and LEAN manufacturing training from Rhode Island’s MEP center.
Integrating Cybersecurity with Industry 4.0 – New Infographic from the MEP National Network
Integrating Cybersecurity with Industry 4.0 – gain insights and tips from a new MEP National Network infographic, shared by RI’s MEP Center.
Senator Jack Reed on Manufacturing Careers for #MFGDay23
Senator Jack Reed shares his thoughts on manufacturing careers in this video produced for students attending #MFGDay23 – RI’s Manufacturing Day career exploration.



