WTEC, TMAC Partner to Support Manufacturing-Industry Entrepreneurs

Contact: Brian Enevoldsen, 806-651-8500, brian@wtenterprisecenter.com
Copy by Adam Jiwa, 806-651-8503, adam@wtenterprisecenter.com 

AMARILLO, Texas — The WT Enterprise Center and the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center are continuing a series of workshops to help local manufacturers streamline production.

The partnership between the WTEC, a department of West Texas A&M University’s Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business, and TMAC will assist entrepreneurs in creating and improving processes, products and technologies.

The joint, monthly workforce development series will include topics based on communication, workplace culture, business growth, data analysis, problem solving strategies, strategic planning, prototyping product improvement and development.

The May installment, “Manufacturing a Growth Mindset,” will help entrepreneurs, supervisors and managers at large and small companies discover new ways to improve the business and lead employees. It will run from 8:30 to 10 a.m. May 22 at the WTEC, 2300 N. Western St. in Amarillo.

“By focusing on soft skills and efficiency, management can actively focus on managing tasks and leading people,” said Dusty Delano, TMAC senior business field advisor. “This workshop is not just for businesses that manufacture and assemble products, but it can also be applied to those business owners who are in the food processing, distribution, agriculture and oil industries, too.”

Future events for the TMAC development series include “Spring Cleaning & Workplace Organization” on June 24; “Strong Leaders & Strong Teams” on July 24; and “Uncovering Hidden Waste” on Aug. 21.

May also will feature “Networking for Manufacturing” from 4:30 to 7 p.m. May 21, also at the WTEC. The free event will allow manufacturing entrepreneurs to learn more about the WTEC by touring its incubation facility and learning how its upgrades can improve their operations. Attendees may also inquire about joining The Incubator program, which includes various benefits to assist entrepreneurs and their businesses. The event is sponsored by Boyd’s Equipment and will feature a free barbecue dinner. To RSVP, visit WTEnterprisecenter.com/TMAC.

With this partnership, TMAC will assist manufacturing entrepreneurs looking to join The Incubator program at the WTEC by helping them design their facility layout to organize current and future space needs.

“While WTEC coaches focus on the entrepreneur, TMAC will focus on making a company better,” said Zaida Cordova, community manager of the WT Enterprise Center. “In turn, this will help our local manufacturers be on the same level as companies that make products on a mass scale.”

The networking event and monthly workshops are free and include one-on-one coaching sessions for manufacturing members of the WTEC’s Incubator program. Seating is limited. For information or to RSVP, visit WTEnterpriseCenter.com/TMAC.

“The WTEC looks forward to the partnership with TMAC and to the technical assistance they provide members of The Incubator program and the Texas Panhandle’s manufacturing community,” said Brian Enevoldsen, managing director of the WT Enterprise Center. “Our area’s history of manufacturing is one of many reasons for our economic strength.”

Partnering with and retaining community businesses to improve the quality of life in the Panhandle and beyond is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised nearly $160 million.

About WT Enterprise Center

WTEC is a department of WT’s Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business and works side-by-side with America’s SBDC at WTAMU in supporting economic development throughout the Texas Panhandle. WTEC offers Texas Panhandle entrepreneurs with physical space, intentional community, strategic partnerships, tailored trainings, critical resources and certified coaching to ensure entrepreneurs are well supported in the pursuit of starting or scaling their companies. By cultivating a dynamic ecosystem where entrepreneurs are championed, equipped, and empowered to drive sustainable economic development and innovation, the WTEC can strive to provide opportunity and prosperity for all. WTEC also aims to provide opportunities for College of Business students to intern in local businesses showing them the hard work and dedication entrepreneurs must have to be successful. To learn more about the WT Enterprise Center, visit wtenterprisecenter.com or contact info@wtenterprisecenter.com or 806-651-8500.

About Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center

TMAC delivers hands-on business management, technology and operations solutions to a wide range of businesses, including manufacturing, distribution, logistics, construction, health care and government. They have a wide array of services that accelerate profitable growth by developing and improving profits, products, processes, technologies and people. Focus areas include Strategic Management, Technology and Operations. For more information, visit tmac.org, or call 806-834-1972.

About the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business

The Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business at West Texas A&M University offers a range of undergraduate and graduate degrees, including a bachelor of business administration and an MBA. The College also offers graduate specialized programs in accounting, finance, computer information systems and business analytics. The College, which boasts the largest number of enrolled students among all six of WT’s colleges, is routinely named as one of the best business schools in the nation. Its online MBA program recently was ranked No. 20 by the prestigious Princeton Review. Several of its offerings were awarded Best Program status for an 11th consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report in its most recent rankings of online programs.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offer 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs. 

—WTEC—