SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
WVU Industrial Extension
Breaking Boundaries
WVU INDUSTRIAL EXTENSION CLIENTS REPORTED :
West Virginia University Industrial Extension ( WVUIE ) consultants travel thousands of miles to connect with small- and medium-sized manufacturers . Last year alone , the team traveled 83,000 miles completing client projects , providing professional guidance , benchmarking with experts and building lasting relationships .
Foundational support includes services that companies are required to maintain compliance such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration , the Environmental Protection Agency , and the WV Department of Environmental Protection . Training and education in continuous improvement , including lean manufacturing , leadership development and employee coaching are foundational services used by our manufacturing community .
Growth support includes services that will help move companies from local business perspectives to regional , national and global business models . This includes strategic planning , business continuity planning , marketing and business development
through innovation and product development . Business expansion with new products or new markets feed directly into the opportunity to build out operations that could support diverse supply chains .
To ensure that we can provide services rapidly to clients who are capable and have the capacity to expand , we work closely with economic development partners . Collaboration with Michael R . Graney , executive director of the WV Department of Economic Development , is paramount to creating a larger economic impact on the state .
“ The Department of Economic Development has supported and worked with Industrial Extension to promote business in West Virginia . This partnership is more critical than ever as we work to keep manufacturing strong in the state . Our combined missions and collaborations have been mutually beneficial for many years ,” says Graney .
WVUIE has developed key relationships with organizations to promote economic growth . In 2016 ,