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closeTuesday, Sep. 29, 2009
Manufacturers gather for Smartmap Expo
By Pratik Joshi, Herald staff writer
Patric Sazama will share what he calls the mantra of success with Washington manufacturers when he speaks at a seminar at the Smartmap Expo on Thursday.
Leadership, accountability and execution are the keys to success in the constantly changing world of manufacturing, said the regional project director with Washington Manufacturing Services.
It means knowing what products consumers want and constantly improving the product and the processes related to it with the help of a strategic plan, said Sazama, who's helped Pasco's Bogert International market its three-piece hydraulic tire jack to the Army. The jack allows soldiers to quickly remove a flat tire on heavy armored vehicles.
Innovation also is part of a manufacturer's strategy, said Sazama, one of several experts who will address about 500 participants at the 7th annual Smartmap Expo, which also will have seminars on product development, patent process, financing, and on doing business in China and India.
The Smartmap Expo is different from a trade show, said Gary White, director of business retention and expansion for the Tri-City Development Council, which puts on the expo. It is also aimed at helping manufacturers connect with potential suppliers, marketing experts, and other resources that can help them develop and expand their businesses, White said.
The number of exhibitors has been steadily increasing at the annual expo, and this year participants include companies from Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Colorado and California, White said.
"I had to turn down nine companies," White said.
Mayflower Metals, a Prosser-based scrap metal recycling company, will be represented at the expo for the first time this year, said Alan Finch, owner. The company has been in doing business in the Yakima Valley for more than 30 years.
He said he wants Tri-City manufacturers to know that his company can help put a system in place to take care of the scrap metal they generate. A lot of manufacturers planning to expand are looking for support infrastructure, he said.
"We consider ourselves a key part of manufacturing process," Finch said.
Local high school students who are interested in careers in manufacturing will have a special session at the expo, White said. More than 150 students have registered for the program, at which representatives from 10 manufacturers will talk about their companies.
And those students who need more guidance about their interest in manufacturing will be able to talk to experts from the Tri-Tech Skills Center and Columbia Basin College, White said, adding both institutions have been active supporters and participants at the expo.
The expo kicks off for sponsors and participants today with a tour of Infinia Corp. and a reception in the evening.
Free public sessions are Thursday at TRAC in Pasco. Programs start at 9 a.m. Luncheon costs $35 for TRIDEC members and $40 for others. For more information, call Gary White at 735-1000.
w Pratik Joshi: 582-1541; pjoshi@ tricityherald.com; Business Beat blog at www.tricityherald.com
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