Impact Washington Launches New "Made in Washington" Program for State's Manufacturers

MUKILTEO, WA, August 29, 2012 (Press-News.org) Impact Washington announced today the creation of a new "Made in Washington" program for state manufacturers. The goal of the program is to showcase the products made in the Evergreen State and highlight the contributions of the manufacturing community to the public. The program additionally provides social media forums for manufacturers to connect with one another and discuss industry issues.

"Washington's manufacturers play an integral role in our state's economic growth and account for over 11 percent of the state's total output. We are home to more than 7,000 manufacturers who employ more than 250,000 workers and serve as a major exporter of goods," says John Vicklund, President of Impact Washington.

As part of the program, Impact Washington now dedicates a section of its website to "Made in Washington" and has created a directory for manufacturers and their products. State manufacturers can sign up for free to get a company profile page where they can share their logo, description, contact information, company news and pictures or videos of their products. At no cost, participants also receive an official "Made in Washington" certificate to display in their facilities and the program logo to exhibit on their websites. Program members also receive a free subscription to Seattle Business Magazine, Washington's Premier Business Magazine.

Impact Washington will also be launching a special "Featured Manufacturer of the Week" aspect of the program. The "Featured Manufacturer of the Week" will be prominently displayed on the website as well as Impact Washington's Facebook and Twitter pages. The organization will also be encouraging participants to utilize Impact Washington's Facebook and Twitter platforms to network, ask questions and share ideas on how to become more productive, efficient and innovative.

"People can use the program as a resource to ensure they are purchasing Washington-made products," adds Vicklund. "We are proud to launch this initiative because we can stimulate our state's economy by simply raising awareness about our manufacturers and their products."

Impact Washington, a private, nonprofit organization, serves as the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Center in Washington State as an affiliate under the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) MEP. The organization helps manufacturers become more profitable and globally competitive. The creation of the program also supports the "Make it in America" program at the national level through NIST MEP. Washington joins states such as California, Indiana and New Jersey in launching a "Made in your State" program, an initiative originally created by inbound marketing firm Grass Roots Marketing, Inc.

For more information about or to sign up for "Made in Washington", please contact Linda Adams at (425) 438-1146 x107 or ladams@impactwashington.org or visit http://impactwashington.org/made-in-washington.

ABOUT IMPACT WASHINGTON

Impact Washington is a not-for-profit organization that helps Washington manufacturers and manufacturing compete globally. Impact Washington assists small to medium-sized businesses thrive through expert consulting, training programs, educational and industry events and resources. Impact Washington is an affiliate of NIST MEP, under the Federal Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, a network of more than 60 centers across the country that provides assistance to small, medium and large manufacturers. For more information, visit http://www.impactwashington.com.