Inland AM*EXPO 14
 

Inland AM*Expo 2014

Advanced Manufacturing, Materials & Aerospace Expo


A diverse group of local manufacturers produced the Advanced Manufacturing, Materials and Aerospace Expo in September 2014 to shed light on opportunities for local manufacturers in the area to connect with suppliers and customers to grow their businesses.

 Many industries start with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) such as Boeing, Airbus, and Lockheed-Martin developing plans and specifications for their products. They then contract out different parts that they cannot efficiently manufacture themselves to outside companies. Some of these companies then contract out further to small manufacturers who have the certifications and capacity to efficiently build smaller portions of the parts needed.

With these manufacturers located all over the country, this process can result in parts being shipped and sent all over the country to fulfill an order by an OEM. This is where the AM*Expo steps in. The companies sponsoring the Expo are striving to create a connections in the Inland Northwest in order to generate commerce in the area through local companies working with each other. By gathering all tiers of manufacturing, the group hopes to foster relationships that can stimulate the local economy, decrease the cost to build parts, and utilize local business to manufacture items needed by OEMs.

This was the third annual Manufacturing Expo held in Spokane.  2014's AM*Expo began with an evening reception for sponsors and exhibitors followed by a keynote dinner featuring presentations by Spokane Mayor David Condon and Bob Weidner, National President of the Metals Service Center Institute.

 The full-day expo included 45 booths where manufacturers and support organizations displayed their unique capabilities and discussed with other exhibitors and attendees the services and products they  provide and the products and services they now have to look for outside the area, thus building opportunities to both buy and sell locally.

We also had a presentation during lunch by the Spokane Area Workforce Development Council. This session began by looking at projected growth across the industries that comprise the manufacturing sector for the Inland Northwest, and compare these projections to other regional sectors. They will highlight critical occupations that support the manufacturing sector, and provide short and long-term demand forecasts for these occupations, comparing needs based on growth with those for replacing employees who leave or retire.

This session was rounded out with a discussion of the potential for future shortages in the labor market. This provided a platform for discussing strategies to prevent these shortages, including the roles of industry, education, government and non-profits.

Alongside this great networking opportunity was  a full day of in-depth breakout sessions planned to provide useful information for all who attend. See the Agenda page for more information about these exciting breakout sessions.