{"594888":{"#nid":"594888","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership launches outreach initiative for food processing manufacturers","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia is a one of the nation\u0026rsquo;s leading agriculture states, with the industry contributing about $74.9 billion to the state economy each year.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA related sector \u0026mdash; food processing \u0026mdash; is a strong and growing component of the Georgia economy, and accounts for $11 billion to $12 billion each year of the state\u0026rsquo;s gross domestic product. Food processing also employs 69,000 across the state, with 10,000 of those jobs being created since 2010, according to Georgia Power\u0026rsquo;s 2016 Food Processing Industry Report.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0026rsquo;s that strength in food processing, which comprises the largest segment of Georgia\u0026rsquo;s manufacturing sector, that led to the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership\u0026rsquo;s (GaMEP) new initiative focused on those manufacturers\u0026rsquo; unique needs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGaMEP, a federally funded economic development program at the Georgia Institute of Technology\u0026rsquo;s Enterprise Innovation Institute, works with manufacturers across Georgia to help them remain viable and economically competitive.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Food processing comprises many different products and sizes of manufacturers and it is important to assure their viability and growth,\u0026rdquo; said GaMEP Director Karen Fite. \u0026ldquo;This effort is in recognition of where the growth is occurring in the manufacturing sector and we want to make sure we\u0026rsquo;re applying our resources and expertise, as well as cutting edge research coming out of Georgia Tech, that can help our manufacturers.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDamon C. Nix, GaMEP\u0026rsquo;s senior project manager, is leading the food manufacturing programming, which includes coaching, analysis, and consulting in:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFood Safety\u003C\/strong\u003E\r\n\r\n\t\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\t\u003Cli\u003ECompliance with the Food and Drug Administration\u0026rsquo;s (FDA) new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\t\u003Cli\u003EManagement system implementation and audit team support.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy Management\u003C\/strong\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\t\u003Cli\u003EEnergy assessments to identify cost reduction and performance improvement opportunities.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\t\u003Cli\u003ECompanies with fewer than 500 employees at a plant site may qualify for a free energy assessment through Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Industrial Assessment Center program.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnvironmental Services\u003C\/strong\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\t\u003Cli\u003EEnvironmental compliance services and management system (ISO 14001) support.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\t\u003Cli\u003EEnvironmental Protection Agency P2 grant-funded projects that support pollution prevention through reduced greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and hazardous materials generation.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWorker Safety and Health\u003C\/strong\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\t\u003Cli\u003EImplement lean\/process improvement approaches to safety problem solving.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\t\u003Cli\u003EPartner with the Georgia Tech Research Institute\u0026rsquo;s Food Processing Technology Division to support Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules compliance, applied research, and technology solutions.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWorkforce Development\u003C\/strong\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\t\u003Cli\u003EOperational Leader and Frontline Supervisor Training.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Georgia\u0026rsquo;s food processing GDP ranks it sixth in the country and we rank sixth in employment,\u0026rdquo; Nix said, noting the state has roughly 680 food processing manufacturers, including the 127 that either relocated to Georgia or built new facilities here since 2010.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The GaMEP has created significant results serving manufacturers overall,\u0026rdquo; Nix said. \u0026ldquo;We want to continue that momentum in food processing. Georgia\u0026rsquo;s manufacturing industry remains competitive and continues to grow because the food processing industry is expanding. We want food processors to know that the GaMEP is a resource to support their continued growth.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP):\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) is an economic development program of the Enterprise Innovation Institute at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The GaMEP is a member of the National MEP network supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. With offices in nine regions across the state, the GaMEP has been serving Georgia manufacturers since 1960. It offers a solution-based approach to manufacturers through coaching and education designed to increase top line growth and reduce bottom line cost.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Food-related focus to support Georgia\u0027s $12 billion food processing industry."}],"uid":"28137","created_gmt":"2017-08-23 22:10:57","changed_gmt":"2017-08-29 13:24:55","author":"P\u00e9ralte Paul","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-08-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-08-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"594889":{"id":"594889","type":"image","title":"Damon Nix","body":null,"created":"1503526608","gmt_created":"2017-08-23 22:16:48","changed":"1503526608","gmt_changed":"2017-08-23 22:16:48","alt":"Damon Nix headshot","file":{"fid":"226718","name":"DAMON NIX DSC_2868.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DAMON%20NIX%20DSC_2868.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DAMON%20NIX%20DSC_2868.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":242575,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/DAMON%20NIX%20DSC_2868.jpg?itok=4RsxSK1Y"}},"595050":{"id":"595050","type":"image","title":"Terrapin Brewery","body":null,"created":"1503676951","gmt_created":"2017-08-25 16:02:31","changed":"1504013037","gmt_changed":"2017-08-29 13:23:57","alt":"Damon Nix at Terrapin Brewery","file":{"fid":"226769","name":"DSC_0397[1].JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DSC_0397%5B1%5D.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DSC_0397%5B1%5D.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":588818,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/DSC_0397%5B1%5D.JPG?itok=pILi9IKh"}}},"media_ids":["594889","595050"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/gamep.org","title":"Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"}],"keywords":[{"id":"57811","name":"food processing"},{"id":"669","name":"agriculture"},{"id":"815","name":"economic development"},{"id":"16331","name":"GaMEP"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor media inquiries, contact:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELaura Diamond\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E404.894.6016\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor information about GaMEP, contact:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKatie Takacs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E404.385.0542\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:katie.takacs@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekatie.takacs@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["peralte.paul@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}