Regional sustainable manufacturing involves organizations within a geographical region working together to close the loop through inter-company, intra-industry, inter-industry, community and supply chain collaboration.  Regional sustainable manufacturing can create supporting jobs within the region and the community needed to help close resource loops, partner to develop renewable energy use, etc.

NACFAM will help your region define and navigate collaboration and entrepreneurial opportunities by developing a strategy for understanding the environmental and economic life cycle impacts of manufacturing within the region. We will help map applicable environmental sustainability-related policy, voluntary programs and entrepreneurial activity to create and illustrate value for existing and potential companies to work in a regional sustainable manufacturing framework.

• The goal is to help drive revenue and increase speed while decreasing cost by identifying partnerships, closing supply chain loops and finding opportunity through a regional sustainable manufacturing framework
• NACFAM will help identify entrepreneurial opportunities, attracting manufacturing companies to the region, and becoming a leader in sustainable manufacturing

NACFAM will work with your region to identify and prioritize existing barriers to sustainable manufacturing. Prioritization should be based on environmental life cycle impacts and the potential for profitable and practical business solutions. Examples of barriers providing opportunities

• Operations improvements both within companies and across organizations throughout the region to minimize waste, improve efficiency, and reduce resource use
• "Greening" the supply chain; e.g., by closing the loop, reducing shipping miles, etc.
• Financing for economic development could become an advantage with a sustainability focus 

NACFAM will help your region integrate and design new programs and policies to:

• Create partnership opportunities to close the loops in the lifecycle of technical materials
• Break existing barriers and promote sustainability throughout your region
• Spur innovation, public involvement, and partnership in regional sustainable manufacturing

NACFAM will provide an initial briefing for the project to the audience of your choice within your region and will work on the project with the stakeholders you identify.

NACFAM will translate lessons learned from a regional sustainable manufacturing project into policy recommendations at the Federal level to help eliminate barriers to a sustainable manufacturing transition.

Regional member representatives will be included in a Sustainable Manufacturing roundtable in D.C. with Congressional and Executive Branch leaders.

NACFAM will work with your region to develop frameworks to facilitate decion-making and development strategies.  They will address applicable environmental sustainability policies, agreements and voluntary programs and how your region can maximize benefits in this environment.  It will also identify, prioritize and help with strategies for existing barriers based on maximizing benefits quickly.

NACFAM will apply its expertise in workforce development, technology & innovation and supply chain.  In the latter, we will work with a region to develop a network-centric manufacturing strategy within industry clusters to facilitate collaboration between OEMs and their suppliers to drive innovation and leadership in applicable markets.

For more information please email Jeff Mittelstadt on the NACFAM staff.

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