TDO director explains how his nonprofit helps manufacturers grow
By Mary Beth Roach
“We help you increase revenue, reduce costs and increase productivity by empowering your people and improving your processes.”
That statement is prominently displayed on the TDO — Train, Develop, Optimize website as a way to explain the organization’s mission.
TDO is a nonprofit entity that is part of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology. TDO is one of 10 regional centers in New York state, in addition to one statewide site, called FUZEHUB.
For small to mid-sized manufacturers in Central New York to start or expand, there are many opportunities, especially with Micron Technology coming to the area, along with an increase in demand for American-made products. But with that growth, there can be certain challenges.
“It’s a really good time to be a manufacturer,” according to Jim D’Agostino, the director of the Liverpool-based center.
TDO works with manufacturers in Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga, Cortland and Madison counties to assist them in navigating some of the processes to help in that growth through operation improvements, training, technology transfer and workforce development. The staff also has expertise in identifying funding and supplier opportunities.
“We are here to help small- to mid-sized manufacturers be more productive, to grow and ultimately to create good jobs for our community,” he said.
D’Agostino said that in this region, companies like Micron and Lockheed Martin, require suppliers to have various certifications, like ISO 9001, a standard for quality management systems. Adding these certificates can help manufacturers expand and compete in new markets, but the processes to attain them might be daunting for a company owner who is already juggling a number of responsibilities. TDO has a “deep bench” of consultants to help, he said.
One reason that D’Agostino suggested it was a favorable time for manufacturers is the amount of financing available. He cited reimbursable grant programs from utility companies, resources for training and onboarding and semiconductor and microelectronic funding, as well.
TDO is also currently doing a lot of what D’Agostino called “supplier scouting” — identifying companies that “have the capability or the machinery to be able to play into the semiconductor or microelectronic space,” he explained. He also pointed out that with a renewed interest in reshoring and issues surrounding tariffs, many manufacturers want to find domestic sources for their goods.
One of the key services of TDO is its workplace development. Since there will be a large need for highly-trained workers in the very near future here, manufacturers need to develop strategies now to retain their current employee base and attract new staff, as needed. In addition, TDO can help with business efficiency and make a company lean.
D’Agostino is aware of the bad connotations surrounding the term “lean” — often associated with layoffs — he said that TDO staff can also allow a company to automate some of its work, freeing up employees for other positions in the outfit that might be better suited to their skill set.
Although it’s a nonprofit, TDO does charge a flat hourly rate of $225 per hour for its consulting services, but D’Agostino said that they are often able to line up grant funding to reduce that by as much as 75%.
Currently, TDO doesn’t offer services in the cybersecurity or sales and marketing fields, but D’Agostino sees the potential to add at least these in the future. Already, he has grown the company from three employees when he started a little more than eight years ago to now 10. He estimates that they help 100 to 200 companies a year throughout the five-county region they serve.
“When I look at manufacturing, I just see so much opportunity, especially as we get into advanced manufacturing with microelectronics and semiconductor work,” he said.
