NJMEP Announces Super Storm Emergency Program
Morris Plains, N.J. – The New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program, Inc. (NJMEP) announces a new “Super Storm Emergency Program” to assist manufacturers impacted by the hurricane. The program will provide an expedited way for companies to recover from the storm and prepare for future possible disasters.
“The manufacturing community was hit hard by the hurricane. It is imperative that we help them recover as quickly and effectively as possible,” says John W. Kennedy, Ph.D., NJMEP’s Chief Operating Officer.
Immediately after the hurricane, NJMEP reached out to over 6,900 New Jersey manufacturers via e-mail and corresponded with more than 1,000 companies. NJMEP found that 22 percent of those organizations were ‘severely damaged’ by the storm, or lost two or more weeks of production. Nearly 100 percent of the engaged companies lost at least one to five days of production. Losing this much production time significantly hurts revenues for manufacturers.
New Jersey has approximately 11,000 manufacturers, so NJMEP estimates that 2,400 manufacturers were severely damaged by the storm and greatly need assistance. After assessing the impact of Sandy, NJMEP reached out to its government contacts and network of resources, resulting in the program’s creation.
The Super Storm Emergency Program will include 15 days of training workshops and support. The program will provide immediate aid for manufacturers in key areas to help them quickly recover from the storm, promote growth and prepare for future disasters.
The training includes workshops such as “Disaster Recovery,” “Data Recovery and Retention,” “Contingency Plan Protocol” and “Top-Line Growth and Innovation Engineering.” The program can be revised to fit a company’s requirements. A full listing of workshops can be found here. There is a possibility that some funding for the program may be provided for qualified companies in accordance with the New Jersey Department of Labor’s Recovery4Jersey training grants.
In addition to the Super Storm Emergency Program, NJMEP is providing ongoing recovery relief efforts for manufacturers. The organization is offering a “Hurricane Sandy trial version” of its Pro-Action Network Program, a retainer-based program designed to maximize the impact of NJMEP’s services to their manufacturing clients. The trial will help manufacturers recover from the storm and will include in-depth risk evaluations, special executive-oriented workshop events and no-charge consultations, among other services.
NJMEP is also providing updated information for manufacturers on its social media platforms including LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
“This program will help our state’s manufacturers recover from the storm and prepare for the future. Applying now is critical.” adds Kennedy.
For more information about the Super Storm Emergency Program or the Pro-Action Network Program, manufacturers should contact John W. Kennedy at jkennedy@njmep.org or 973-998-9801. For more information about NJMEP, visit www.njmep.org.
About NJMEP
NJMEP is a member of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a network of centers throughout the U.S. The centers are part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The MEPs were created to help small and mid-sized companies improve their competitive position in the market by focusing on five critical profitable growth areas: continuous improvement, technology acceleration, supplier development, sustainability and workforce development. To learn more about NJMEP visit njmep.org.