Tag Archives: NM MEP

Customer Service and MEP Support Growth of Farmington Engraving Business

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Bonnie Cummings sees similarities in the health care she provides as a registered nurse and the customer care she offers as the owner of Third Axis Custom Engraving. The Farmington business owner imparts knowledge and creativity to help customers — and patients — achieve their goals.

Cummings spent 13 years working full time at a local hospital before transitioning to part-time and starting the engraving business in late 2011 from a kiosk at the Animas Valley Mall. Four months later she rented a building nearby and added a second laser engraving machine, expanding her engraving and cutting capabilities to wood, aluminum, leather, cork, and granite. Another move took the business downtown, where Cummings had space for additional machines and three employees to help operate them.

With expansion, Cummings was able to do what she likes most:  provide creative ideas for awards and recognition for schools, businesses, events, memorials, and special occasions.

Cummings sought help navigating the rapid growth of her business from the Business Enterprise Center at San Juan College. An advisor there introduced her to New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a nonprofit organization that helps businesses transform their operations to increase productivity and profit through lean manufacturing concepts.

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MEP Helps Doctor Meet Demand for Healing Products

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To deal with the pain of postpartum mastitis, Janine Mahon drew on her knowledge of Chinese medicine to create a soothing topical salve for herself from herbs and oils. In the 20 years since she successfully treated her own breast pain, Mahon, a licensed and certified Doctor of Oriental Medicine, refined the product and shared it with clients at her Albuquerque clinic.

When one satisfied patient asked for a dozen bottles of the healing oil to share with friends, Mahon wondered if there might be a larger market beyond her regular clients. Mahon launched Dr. Janine Mahon’s Rejuvenating Breast Oil exclusively through Violet Grey, a high-end retailer with extensive online reach and sales through its Melrose Place store in Los Angeles.

“I went from no product to a dream store launching it,” she said. “Being in Violet Grey led to other places wanting to carry it.”

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Velarde Winery Cuts Costs with Help from New Mexico MEP

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When the coronavirus pandemic temporarily halted tourist traffic and shuttered restaurants and bars throughout New Mexico, Black Mesa Winery in Velarde had an inventory of wine and hard cider worth $100,000 and fewer avenues to deliver its products to customers. Winery owners Jerry and Lynda Burd were able to keep products moving out the door through online wine tasting events, shipments to wine club members, and creative drive-by tours that kept customers engaged.

The slowdown also gave the Burds time to examine all aspects of their operation and to consider changes that could streamline processes, open new markets, and increase market share when the pandemic ended.

The Burds sought help from New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership (New Mexico MEP), a nonprofit organization that helps businesses transform their operations to improve production, competitiveness, and profitability. New Mexico MEP Innovation Director Scott Bryant worked with the couple and their 12 employees to help them evaluate the entire production line.

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Albuquerque Company Secures Coveted ISO Registration

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Before joining ACME Worldwide Enterprises 13 years ago, Managing Director Eugene Moya had worked for large companies that were registered with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). But he had never led a company through ISO registration and didn’t think ACME was big enough to warrant the investment of time and money.

After contacting the state Economic Development Department (EDD), Moya was referred to the New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership (New Mexico MEP), a nonprofit that contracts with the state to help New Mexico companies navigate ISO registration.

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MEP Workshops Help New-Hires Learn Company Culture

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Process Equipment and Service Company, Inc. (PESCO) in Farmington believes in making an investment in people and relationships. That’s why the 50-year-old engineering, design and manufacturing company sends its newly-hired employees to workshops offered by New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). The investment has paid off; PESCO’s more than 400 employees understand that their input is valued and small changes they identify can make a big difference in customer service and employee satisfaction.

PESCO prefers New Mexico MEP’s lean manufacturing workshop, but that’s just one training offered to businesses every month.

The core of lean manufacturing management philosophy is the idea that resources not creating value for a customer in the form of a product or service are wasted. While the Toyota Production System (TPS) is a relatively modern example of lean management, improving efficiency in the production of goods and services is a centuries-old idea.

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