Gretchen Clifton - Located in central Illinois, Gretchen has over 35 years of experience in manufacturing. She challenges her clients to enhance their knowledge and skills to continually improve their operations themselves. Gretchen provides management skills in auditing, quality, continual improvement, problem solving, coaching/training and manufacturing trouble shooting and she is experienced in implementing, auditing and certifying quality systems as well as mentoring project teams while finding problem resolutions.
Recent Posts
On July 23rd, IMEC President David Boulay facilitated a panel discussion on innovative solutions for a demand-driven workforce that highlighted the future of workforce and the importance of building an employer-led system.
As part of the 1000 Jobs Campaign for Chicagoland manufacturers, the interactive event focused on digital manufacturing and the development of a highly-skilled workforce that will prepare employees for factories of the future.
On Thursday, May 28, IMEC had the privilege of joining the U.S. Department of Commerce Manufacturing Council’s Sub-Committee on Innovation and Research and Development, White House Advanced Manufacturing Partnership officials, Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII) and local manufacturers for a round table discussion.
The discussion was held at the UI LABS: Digital Manufacturing Design Innovation Institute building in Chicago and was centered on the state of innovation in the American supply chain ecosystem, and effective strategies to help small manufacturers identify opportunities for innovation, invest in innovation and upgrade capabilities.
Our partners at Southern Illinois University's Office of Economic and Regional Development recently compiled a report for the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration.
"RESHORING An Opportunity for Innovation and Economic Growth in Southern Illinois" report is linked for your review.
The latest Manufacturing Matchmaking event brought together more than 35 organizations focused on manufacturing competitiveness yesterday.
Manufacturing firms represented capabilities in industries like automotive, medial devices, military and defense, mining, aerospace, construction equipment and many more. Participating manufacturers were hoping to identify future sales or procurement opportunities with others in attendance and many positive interactions were reported through initial evaluations.
April 30th marked the first annual MFG Day event for the Freeport area manufacturing community and local schools. Eleven area businesses opened their doors for manufacturing-focused tours including Berner Foods, Hunter Haven, TR Machine, Honeywell, Adkins Energy, Anpec Industries, TriStar Metals, Titan Tire, Danfoss, Modern Plating, and Protocutter.
"Freeport’s MFG Day was a great success! It was exciting to see area manufacturers, students, and resource providers interacting and discussing career opportunities that exist in our backyards," said Chris Blumhoff, IMEC Regional Manager.
Written by April Glosser, Thrive Market Intelligence
Effective Market Monitoring can provide early warning of threats, advance notification of opportunities and deliver a significant advantage over your competitors.
Here is a quick 4-step process to begin Market Monitoring in it’s simplest form:
Taking on the International Market
Presented by Laurel Delaney, Founder & President of GlobeTrade.com
On May 28th, join IMEC, the SIUE International Trade Center and Small Business Development Center for a special presentation on "Go Global in the Digital Age". Register online by visiting commerce.cashnet.com/siuebus for only $15.
In order to remain competitive, businesses must be ready to adapt to the changing nature of the international trade environment. Global Small Business Blog creator Laurel Delaney will provide expert insight on export readiness and how to expand your business in a global market.
