Associates Corner - Standard Printed Circuits

It takes a strong and innovative team with a commitment to quality to survive in an unsympathetic economy. Standard Printed Circuits, Inc. (StandardPC) has not only survived, but has prospered in the face of formidable global competition. In business for 45 years and located in Sherburne, NY, StandardPC serves a diverse group of industries including Aerospace/ Defense, Telecommunications, Medical, Instrumentation, IT, and Industrial Controls. Specializing in building printed circuits for RF/Microwave designs, their expertise covers a broad range of advanced dielectrics including PTFE, ceramic-filled PTFE, TMM, Polyphenylene oxide, thermally conductive laminates, and polyimide for very high temperature (250C) applications.

StandardPC is certified to both AS 9100:2009 and ISO 9001:2008 and is ITAR registered with the US Department of State. Providing prototype and quick-turn services, they work with their customers and suppliers as a team to get the job done and ensure total customer satisfaction.

Over the past several years, StandardPC has continued to invest in new equipment and processes that has facilitated the manufacturing of higher technology products and the use of more advanced materials. They are also at the drawing board for some new ideas and production plans that are expected to be released later on in this year.

For more information about StandardPC, please visit them on their Facebook page at www. facebook.com/standardprintedcircuits and their webpage at www.standardpc.com

See this and other newsletter articles at http://amt-mep.org/files/8413/6750/6481/2013-05.pdf

Visit our website at http://www.amt-mep.org

Opening Doors to Government Contracting

What: The 2013 Albany Matchmaker & Expo is an opportunity for small businesses to meet face-to-face with buying representatives from prime corporations and federal, state and local agencies from throughout the Northeast.

When: Wed., June 19, 2013 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Where: The Albany Marriott, 189 Wolf Rd, Albany, NY

Cost: $45 per person, maximum 2 attendees per small business

Register at www.sba.gov/albanymatchmaker

See this and other newsletter articles at http://amt-mep.org/files/8413/6750/6481/2013-05.pdf

Visit our website at http://www.amt-mep.org

Manufacturers are the Inventors

By Manufacturing & Technology News

Manufacturing might constitute less than 12% of the U.S. GDP, but it accounts for the vast majority of new patent applications and awards.

In 2008, U.S. manufacturing companies submitted almost 70 percent of all patent applications — 95,106 of the total 136,751 applications submitted to the Patent and Trademark Office. Manufacturing companies received 73 percent of all the patents that were issued, or 47,880 patents out of 65,879.

The most active industrial sector was computer and electronic goods, with 40,845 patent applications and 22,135 awards. That one sector alone constituted more than the entire patents awarded to all non-manufacturing industries combined, which applied for 41,645 patents and were awarded only 17,999, according to the National Science Foundation.

"Overall, there was $2.4 million of worldwide R&D expense per patent application in 2008," according to NSF. "This ratio varies widely from industry to industry, but these differences may reflect the relative importance placed on patenting among industries." One in five U.S. businesses with R&D applied for a patent in 2008, says NSF. Small companies had more patents per dollar of R&D than larger companies.

U.S. companies earned $42.1 billion in revenue from patent licenses, with manufacturing industries making up 89 percent of that income ($37.4 billion). Patent licensing revenues were $4.65 billion for non-manufacturing industries.

See this and other newsletter articles at http://amt-mep.org/files/8413/6750/6481/2013-05.pdf

Visit our website at http://www.amt-mep.org

Pre-Seed Workshops Help Commercialize New Technology at Cornell and Binghamton University

We all know innovation is essential to our national economic health and to our personal quality of life. Yet we also know that many discoveries and inventions are doomed to failure -- often because they are launched from the lab with little understanding of the complex path leading to successful commercialization of an idea.

Clearly every researcher and scientist can’t also become business experts, but why not pull those experts together to focus on how to commercialize an idea prior to spending any serious money on that process?

This is just what happened when a dozen inventors put their innovative technologies under the scrutiny of commercialization teams during workshops conducted recently at Cornell and Binghamton University.

These inventors brought a variety of innovative technologies that included:

• A new method to isolate cancer cells.
• Conversion of food waste into biofuel.
• A gas burner that provides more uniform heat.
• A new lubricant for arthritic joints.
• An image-tagging software application.
• A scanning conductance microscope.

Each inventor was assigned to a six-person team whose members brought expertise and experience in marketing, patent law, business management, product development, and other areas related to technology commercialization. Each team also has a "coach" who is charged with keeping the team focused and productive. The teams met for an orientation session the evening prior to the first day of the workshop and then convened again early the next morning.

All day long, and during the second day a week later, each team worked on a series of one-hour assignments from the workshop facilitators. These assignments required the teams to intensely focus on answering questions related to product definition, market need and demand, funding and other resource requirements, sales channels, competition, and other issues central to understanding the path to commercialization and the probability of their idea becoming a commercial success.

During the intervening week and the second day of the workshop, the teams refined their results and eventually created their own assessment of the likelihood that their product could be commercialized. On the afternoon of the second day, each team presented their work to a panel of successful investors and entrepreneurs who provided feedback and suggestions.

The curriculum for these Pre-Seed Workshops was created nine years ago by two technology commercialization experts from Rochester. Founders Mark Wilson and Judy Albers recognized the gap between the emergence of an idea or discovery, and the point at which any resulting product becomes attractive to seed capital investors and eventually to venture capitalists and other larger investors.

Since 2004, 59 workshops have been hosted in communities throughout New York, and the program has been introduced in other states. Over 2,400 participants have shepherded around 350 ideas through this process, and many of those idea champions have gone on to win local, national and international business plan competitions. Based on follow-up surveys of past participants, Albers estimates that over 160 high-tech companies have emerged from Pre-Seed Workshops, and well over $100 million in follow-on funding has been raised to create over 500 jobs.

University staff and regional economic development professionals have lauded the program for the way it helps the more commercially viable technologies move forward, and identifies areas that need work for ideas that are not ready for prime time.

Participants’ reactions are best illustrated by quotes from recent surveys that they complete after each workshop:

    "Our coach is remarkable (and provided) a better education than in my marketing MBA class..."

    "Our MBA student was very high caliber and led the way on completing the presentation slides."

    "(We had) a fantastic coach with very in-depth industry knowledge."

    "My team was diverse, extremely supportive, had a lot of great ideas, and worked hard to help guide the idea champion."

    "Our coach was great - knowledgeable and on top of the group’s work. It was a pleasure working with him."

AM&T has been an active supporter of the Pre-Seed Workshop since its inception, contributing over 800 person-hours to help plan and implement the program at multiple locations. AM&T staff have served as team members, coaches and, more recently, to lead the process as a facilitator.

See this and other newsletter articles at http://amt-mep.org/files/8413/6750/6481/2013-05.pdf

Visit our website at http://www.amt-mep.org

Here is a six step process that will help assure your marketing message will sell

1. Capture the attention of your target market with a headline that clearly defines who you are talking to. If you are selling to retirees your headline might be something like, "If you are 65 or older."
2. Identify the problems, symptoms, issues, needs and wants of your target market. You must start with where they are and then move them to the action you want them to take. To continue our example, if you are looking for retired people to volunteer time to a cause your sub-head might read, "And looking for a way to make a difference in the lives of others."
3. Provide a brief description of the product. This is the features of your product or service. Be sure you describe features that matter to the target market you are communicating with and that you describe them from the target market’s prospective. In other words, talk about what your customer is buying - not what you are selling.
4. Describe the benefit and the value that the customer will derive from purchasing your product or service (or from taking the action you want them to take). Again these benefits must be pertinent to the customer group you are selling to.
5. Give your message credibility. This could include testimonials, case studies, or money-back guarantees.
6. Specifically state the action you want the recipient of your message to take. For example, “Pick-up the phone now and call 111-222-3333 to register” is much more likely to lead to action than simply giving a telephone number and assuming that if the person wants to register they will call the number. Whenever possible, you will also want to offer multiple ways for people to take action (i.e. phone, email, fax, regular mail, and website).

Follow these six simple steps and you’ll have a marketing message that sells. And the great thing about investing in development of your marketing message - just like your logo - you will be able to - and you will want to - use it in all your promotional materials from your 30 second introduction to your website.

For help with your marketing, contact Jim Cunningham at 607-725-1225 or jcunningham@amt-mep.org

See this and other newsletter articles at http://amt-mep.org/files/8413/6750/6481/2013-05.pdf

Visit our website at http://www.amt-mep.org

Promote what you made in New York

Promote what you made in New York on

WWW.MADEINNY.ORG

A website dedicated to promoting the creation, manufacturing and
assembling of products in New York State.

Second Manufacturing Day Planned For October

The first-ever "Manufacturing Day" was so successful last year that the sponsors have decided to do it again. The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership program, the National Association of Manufacturers and the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association have scheduled this year’s National Manufacturing Day for October 4. Last year’s event involved more 7,000 people participating in 240 open houses and public tours of manufacturing facilities.

The sponsors want companies to be involved in improving the public’s negative image of manufacturing as a means to attract young people into the sector by making them excited about careers in manufacturing. Companies interested in opening their plants and educating the public can go to www.mfgday.com.

See this and other newsletter articles at http://amt-mep.org/files/8413/6750/6481/2013-05.pdf

Visit our website at http://www.amt-mep.org