Various Kinds of Chocolate from Palatine, IL

Morkes Chocolates is a manufacturer of confectionery products for retail, corporate and wholesale clients. Respecting the traditional chocolates of the past, Morkes Chocolates manufacturers our own cream centers - butter, vanilla, maple, orange and raspberry creams, to name a few. However, we are not an ‘old’ chocolate company in any sense. We celebrate innovation and are constantly testing new recipes to add to our chocolate line, while always striving to maintain our true mission of a pure, natural and great tasting chocolate confection.

Written by Melissa Basa, IMEC Regional Manager

In a time when e-mail addresses and websites change more frequently than my daughter changes dresses, and customer needs are no more stable than the Silly Bandz fad, manufacturers are seeing a greater need to add agility to their core competencies.  Allegra Marketing Print Signs, one of the seven companies who participated in Evanston’s Manufacturing Day Walking Tour Event, demonstrated their agility to the local community during the event itself.  Students from Evanston-area high schools submitted their designs for a Manufacturing Day banner to Kyle Kurz, co-owner of Allegra, just after the event kick-off at 11:00.  By 1:30, when the tour group reached Allegra’s facility, the pre-press team at Allegra had completed the banner design, incorporating the student’s ideas and verbiage.  By 3:30 when the walking tour had wrapped up its final stop, the banner was printed and in the hands of the students for a photo op. 

EMAC, Inc., offers a comprehensive line of products and services for the embedded systems market.
Since 1984 EMAC has provided customers worldwide with Single Board Computers, I/O peripherals, System on Modules (SoM's), Panel PCs, Custom Engineering and Manufacturing Services. We offer end to end custom engineering and manufacturing of system on module and panel PCs. In addition, EMAC provides integration, testing, configuration, and technical support with every unit regardless of quantity. Upon request, we can schedule multiple shipments for bulk orders (some restrictions apply).

The U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Railroad Administration have released five new supplier opportunities for Buy America Supplier Scouting, in conjunction with Next Generation Rail Service in the U.S.  If you are a manufacturer that is currently making these (or similar items), or have the capability and capacity to make these items, please contact IMEC for more information at info@imec.org. The deadline is November 7, so act quickly!  Continue reading to see the item descriptions.

PortionPac manufactures highly concentrated, pre-measured cleaning products that reduce the resources used throughout the lifecycle of production, storage, distribution and disposal, minimize the adverse effects of chemicals on the environment, and eliminate the unsafe and ineffective habits of traditional cleaning procedures.

Fundamental new relationship with Department of Housing and Economic Development to Focus on Strengthening the State of Manufacturing in Chicago

Chicago’s City Council approved a new ordinance formalizing a new relationship with the Illinois Manufacturing Extension Center (IMEC), the Illinois center for the U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology, Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST-MEP). The ordinance aligns IMEC staff with the Department of Housing and Economic Development to assist in implementing the Chicago Sustainable Industries effort which coordinates the economic, social and environmental aspects of Chicago's manufacturing sector.

October 10, 2012 8 A.M - 12 P.M

This brand new interactive workshop teaches three valuation methods: the Venture Capital Method, the Scorecard Method and the Risk Factor Summation Method. In addition, attendees explore the importance of approaches and the roles of returns and portfolio strategies. Attendees also put these valuation methods to work in interactive case studies.

Hardwood Installation Tools and Cleats from Lake Zurich

Founded in 1946, the Powernail Co. changed the way hardwood flooring would be installed from that point onward.
We invented the "45" Hardwood flooring nailer and the "L" type cleats that changed the industry. Today we are innovating and still manufacturing the best and latest in hardwood floor installation tools. In a world where hardwood flooring is constantly changing Powernail has made the commitment to be the leader in this industry. We proudly manufacture the best quality hardwood installation tools and cleats here in our Lake Zurich facility.

Lake Land College in Mattoon will open its doors to the public to showcase the nationally recognized Manufacturing Skills Lab for Manufacturing Day on October 5th. The innovative lab delivers hands-on technical training to maintenance and machine operators and has the ability to be customized to meet the needs of technicians from apprentice-level to the most experienced senior technician. Using components identical to those found in modern manufacturing equipment, system functions are recreated in a lab environment where participants learn practical setup, operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting manufacturing skills.