AUBURN – The Corporate and Community Services department at Central Maine Community College will host a Manufacturer’s Breakfast Forum from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Tuesday Dec. 2. There is no cost to participants; however, pre-registration is encouraged by Nov. 28.

The forum will feature a panel of experts, who will discuss the resources available to help manufacturers sustain and grow their companies. Panelists will be Matt Walker, oversight counsel to the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship; Diane Jackson, regional representative with the office of Sen. Olympia Snowe; Ron McKinnon, business development specialist with the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development; Jerry Smith from the Lewiston Career Center; and Mike Fernald, president of Spinnaker Technical Group.

Panel members will discuss issues and concerns facing Maine manufacturers and provide an overview of the work being done through Snowe’s office to address these issues. Information will be provided on loan programs, business counseling services and grant opportunities available from the State of Maine.

There will also be a special presentation on ISO certification and how it can reduce costs, improve productivity and increase wealth for manufacturers. Don Allen, vice president of Fancy Stitchers in Lewiston, will talk about his experience preparing his company for ISO certification and the grant money he received to train for certification.

Those interested in attending are encouraged to register for the breakfast forum before Nov. 28. To register or for more information, contact the Central Maine Community College Corporate and Community Services Department at 755-5280 or 1-800-891-2002, extension 280, e-mail training@cmcc.edu or visit www.cmcc.edu/training.

The Corporate and Community Services Department at Central Maine Community College works with businesses in Androscoggin, Oxford, Franklin and Lincoln Counties to create customized training programs and to identify and secure funding to meet their training needs. The department also provides non-credit classes and certification programs to those communities. Training ranges from management skills and specific technical skills, to computer skills utilizing the Department’s computer labs in Auburn and South Paris. For more information about current offerings or for help meeting training needs, call 755-5280.

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