Dr. Andy Krause

A new paper studying the Manufacturing Establishment Partnership (MEP) found that the program had a significant impact on establishment performance. The paper, “Evaluating the Impact of Manufacturing Extension Services on Establishment Performance” appears in the latest issue of Economic Development Quarterly.

MEP has centers in every state that focus on helping manufacturers become more successful in a changing landscape by offering assistance to small and medium-sized companies so that they can save money, become more efficient, and grow their businesses. MEP also provides notice of Federal Funding Opportunities that can be used to enhance the effectiveness and competitiveness of manufacturers based in the U.S.

Greenfield Advisors’ Vice Chairman and Co-Managing Director Dr. Clifford Lipscomb co-authored the paper with four other economists, including Dr. Andy Krause, the principal data scientist at Greenfield Advisors. The paper examined how the MEP affected establishment productivity and sales per worker over five years from 2002 to 2007.

The authors found that MEP services were beneficial to companies by boosting productivity and sales per employee. Companies with less than 20 employees also boasted higher levels of productivity growth over the five-year period of the study.

You can find the full paper at the Economic Development Quarterly website.