Tag: Atlanta MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Center

Atlanta MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Center to Host Minority Business Enterprises at Fourth Annual National MBE Manufacturers Summit August 11-13

Summit’s 2019 focus: Technologies driving “Intelligent Manufacturing Reality.”

 

Attendees of the 2018 National MBE Manufacturers Summit learn how the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute’s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility allows teams to incorporate academic, industrial and/or government expertise to develop, scale, and deploy next-generation technologies.

Robotics, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality drive today’s advanced manufacturing businesses.

 

How can minority business enterprises (MBEs) in the manufacturing sector harness these technologies to grow, attract customers, and become more efficient?

 

Find out Aug. 11-13, 2019 at the Atlanta MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Center’s fourth annual National MBE Manufacturers Summit 2019, the only event of its kind that caters to minority manufacturers. (REGISTER HERE)

 

The Summit gives leading MBE manufacturers the opportunity to assemble, build connections, and create new business opportunities. More than 600 attendees from 28 states, Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and Canada have experienced the impact of participating in this national gathering of the manufacturing community.

 

Josh Ghaim, Johnson & Johnson’s CTO, is the Summit’s lunch keynote speaker.
Amir A. Ghannad, leadership development specialist and culture transformation catalyst of the Ghannad Group, will open the conference with a morning keynote.

Launched in 2016, the Summit offers educational workshops, one-on-one meetings with large corporations, showcases innovation, and brings visibility to MBE manufacturers.

 

This year’s theme, “Creating the NEXT: Intelligent Manufacturing Reality,” centers on robotics, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and other systems that drive manufacturing.

 

“The National MBE Manufacturers Summit has grown tremendously these past three years as we strive to help minority business enterprises to scale and present the latest technologies,” said Donna Ennis, Atlanta MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Center director.

 

“As the must-attend event of the year for MBEs, the Summit is the opportunity for them to fully have an immersive experience in technology and innovation, network to expand, learn, and to do business with international conglomerates.”

 

Among this year’s event highlights:

  • Morning Keynote: Amir A. Ghannad, leadership development specialist and culture transformation catalyst of the Ghannad Group, will open the conference with a captivating discussion on transformative leadership and the use of innovation to transform and improve daily company processes.
  • Lunch Keynote: Josh Ghaim, Johnson & Johnson’s CTO, will give a thought-provoking conversation on innovation and how technology drives business.
  • TAG Innovation Pod Showcase:Powered by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), the Showcase consists of 16 to 20 companies highlighting leading technologies designed to transform manufacturing processes and improve production.
  • Summit Fast Pitch 1-on-1: Ingersoll Rand, Siemens, BMW Group, WestRock, Coca-Cola Co., and other large corporations return for one-on-one meetings where MBEs give a15-minute pitch on how they can help these multinational firms solve corporate challenges.
  • Technology Innovation Experience: See the latest technologies in manufacturing at the Plant Manufacturing Technology Tour of Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia.

 

The opportunities afforded to attendees have been invaluable,” said Joe Lewis, CEO of Flentek Solutions, an Atlanta MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Center client and past Summit participant. “All these people in one place, one meeting, I am able to build connections with all of them at one time.”

 

James Thornton, Siemens Mobility’s’ head of procurement, echoed those sentiments. “The Summit’s fast pitch one-on-one meetings allow Siemens Mobility to meet with potential suppliers, attendees, subject matter experts and discover their capabilities,” he said. “We get to share our culture and pain points while building future partnerships.”

 

About the Atlanta MBDA Centers

As part of a national network of 42 centers, the Atlanta MBDA Centers help minority business enterprises (MBEs) access capital, increase profitability, scale and grow their businesses. Funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Atlanta MBDA Business Center and Advanced Manufacturing Center are part of Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute, the nation’s largest and most comprehensive university-based program of business and industry assistance, technology commercialization, and economic development. To learn more, please visit mbdabusinesscenter-atlanta.org.

MBDA Centers at Georgia Tech win Century Awards

Staff Award Photo
The staff of the Atlanta Minority Business Development Agency Business Center accepts its MBDA Century Club Awards.

The Atlanta Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center and the Atlanta MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Center — two programs at the Georgia Institute of Technology — were both given Century Club Awards at the MBDA’s National Training Conference held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Aug. 20-23.

The MBDA, a program of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is charged with promoting the growth of minority-owned business through public and private sector programs, policy, and research. More than 40 such centers exist across the country, including the two that are part of Georgia Tech’s economic development arm, the Enterprise Innovation Institute.

The Century Club Awards recognize those MBDA centers across the country that exceed the federally program’s success metrics — scoring above 100 — in a number of areas including job creation or retention, access to financing and capital, and clients served.

The Atlanta MBDA Business Center and Atlanta Advanced Manufacturing Center received scores of 120 and 106, respectively.

In Fiscal Year 2018, the two centers reported more than $550.4 million in the value of new contracts, increased sales, bonding and financing to assisted firms, 893 jobs, and served more than 332 minority entrepreneurs served.

“Our goal is to expand business opportunities for our clients, connect them with capital to sustain and fuel their growth and help them increase their bottom-line profitability,” said Donna Ennis, who serves as director of both centers at Tech.

“These awards are a recognition that we are one of the top performing centers in the country and that we’re really focused on strengthening and growing our minority-owned businesses and making a difference.”