In 2005, NORBIC partnered with The Midwest Chapter of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) to increase its bench strength in providing lean manufacturing and process improvement solutions to its manufacturing clients.

Founded in 1985, the Association for Manufacturing Excellence is a practitioner-based global association of manufacturing professionals, all volunteers, whose mission is to inspire a commitment to global excellence through shared learning events and workshops focused on hands-on learning. AME publishes the award-winning Target magazine and puts on several regional and national events each year.

NORBIC and AME are working together to provide training events which will help NORBIC's manufacturing clients modernize their processes and improve their competitiveness. AME is also assisting NORBIC in creating stringent credentials for the NORBIC Award for Manufacturing Excellence, an award that NORBIC introduced in 2004 to recognize the achievements of Chicago area manufacturers.

For information on upcoming AME training events, review NORBIC's Calendar of Events or visit www.ame.org. For information on how participants can use NORBIC's Employer Training Investment Program to offset the cost of the AME training sessions, please contact etip@norbic.org.