January 16 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am PST

Discover how to grow your international sales with export trade finance tools and technical assistance resources designed to help your business compete in global markets.

This webinar will cover:

• Free export finance advice and counseling for small and medium-sized Washington State exporters or prospective exporters
• Benefits of the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grant funding
• How to protect your international receivables and access export working capital

Hosted by the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Export Finance Assistance Center of Washington, and the Washington State Department of Commerce, this session will connect you with valuable resources to support your export success.

January 18 @ 12:00 pm – January 19 @ 4:00 pm Boise

About the Course:

Internal Audits are a requirement of all GFSI approved certification schemes (e.g. SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000, etc.) and many 3rd party audit programs.  Internal audits allow you to audit your facility for gaps and compliance.  They are an important tool in the ongoing food safety toolbox for any food manufacturer, packager, and warehouse and distribution company. 

This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills required to conduct an internal audit program within your company. The course covers the fundamentals of auditing, useful industry-proven techniques, compliance criteria, how to foster good communication within the facility, the importance of auditor ethics, and gathering objective evidence, nonconformities, and reporting suggestions.  This course is for those who are new to internal auditing and those that could use a refresher course.   

Who Should Attend

• Anyone who needs to manage or develop their company’s Internal Audit program.  
• Anyone who is interested in gaining more knowledge about auditing in a food manufacturing facility
• Example roles include Quality Assurance personnel, Production Management/Supervisor, Internal Audit Team Members, Production/Plant Management personnel.

Participants will be able to:

• Know how to maintain and design an efficient internal auditing program 
• Understand how an internal audit program is not meant to be a policing tool but a continuous improvement tool
• Know how to use all of the senses to conduct an audit.
• Utilize the appropriate techniques for conducting interviews.
• Develop and communicate the auditing findings to make constructive improvements to programs within the facility.

Costs and discounts:

• $300 per participant
• 10% multiple attendees from discount available
• 10% Idaho Manufacturing Alliance members discount available

Instructor

This course will be taught by Food Processing Specialist Dr. Janna Hamlett of TechHelp, and the University of Idaho. Dr. Hamlett has 20 years of experience in the food manufacturing industry. She brings a wealth of qualifications, expertise, and experience as a Food Processing Specialist at TechHelp and Assistant Professor at University of Idaho Extension. Before joining TechHelp and UI Extension, Janna worked at the College of Southern Idaho developing the Food Processing Technology program and the first Technical Bachelors at a Community College in Idaho. Prior to academia, Janna worked in various management positions, including Quality Manager and Production Manager at large-scale cheese and whey processing facilities in the Magic Valley. As an independent Food Safety and Production Consultant, she has helped local companies with their food safety, production capabilities, and troubleshooting challenges to be more successful.

January 23 @ 8:00 am – 10:00 am central

Join attorney Cara Wulf, partner at McCarter & English, LLP, for a webinar on the Build America Buy America Act (BABA). Discover BABA requirements, implementation guidance, and best practices for compliance as a prime contractor or subcontractor. Learn about BABA compliance certifications, pitfalls to avoid, and how BABA differs from existing Buy American requirements.

During this 90 minute session, Cara will provide valuable insights and expertise. Participants will engage in a 30-minute Q&A session to get questions answered.

Cara specializes in government contracts, with extensive experience advising clients on compliance with the myriad of regulatory requirements that come up when doing business with the government, and handling litigation involving bid protests and disputes.

This event is essential for understanding the BABA requirements and their distinctions from Buy American requirements. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from a seasoned government contracts attorney and enhance your compliance knowledge.

This session is intended for industry. A special session for MEP and APEX Accelerator centers and their counterparts will be hosted on December 18, 2024.

For more event details, contact Melissa Burant at mmburant@iastate.edu.

February 5 @ 8:00 am – 1:30 pm PST

Do you have a workforce strategy to overcome today’s manufacturing industry challenges?

Join our exclusive cohort designed to help manufacturing businesses tackle their workforce challenges head-on. OMEP’s Strategic Workforce Solutions includes four dynamic group sessions focusing on the entire employee lifecycle. In addition to the groups sessions, each company will work with an OMEP consultant for up to three individualized sessions to develop identify improvements to address their most pressing workforce challenges.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

A minimum of 2 participants from each company is recommended (representation from Leadership and HR encouraged). Each company can register up to 4 participants. Supervisors, Managers, and Manufacturing Floor Employees are all welcome to attend.

SESSION DATES: Classroom sessions February 5th, February 20th, and March 5th. Virtual session March 19th

TIME: Classroom sessions 8:00 AM to 1:30PM (Lunch, Snacks & Beverages included); Virtual session 10:00AM to 12:00PM

COST: Manufacturing companies located in Lane County pay only $500 per company (up to 4 people) thanks to the generous support of Lane County Economic Development . $3000 value. All charges will be invoiced.  Scholarship opportunities are available for this event! For more information and scholarship applications please email lwaters@omep.org.

LOCATION: Eugene, OR

SESSIONS:

Join us for this in-depth, hands-on cohort designed to help you strengthen your company’s approach to the entire employee lifecycle. Through engaging sessions, we’ll address the critical stages of attracting, developing, and retaining talent in ways that build a positive workplace culture and drive engagement.

• Session 1: Introduction to the Employee Lifecycle, Attract & Recruit. Explore strategies for building a strong employer brand to attract top talent and effective recruiting practices to bring in the right people.
• Session 2: Onboard, Develop & Performance Management. Learn how to provide a comprehensive onboarding experience, support ongoing employee development, and manage performance to ensure a productive and motivated workforce.
• Session 3: Reward, Retain & Exit – Tying it All Together. Discover how to recognize and reward employees, create a culture of retention, and manage exits respectfully, all while fostering engagement and a thriving company culture.
• Session 4: Workforce Tools & Calculators (Virtual Session)In this virtual session, we’ll provide a practical overview of essential workforce calculators designed to give you insights into key HR metrics and support data-driven decision-making.

This cohort includes interactive group sessions, tools and calculators, and up to four on-site follow-up visits tailored to your workforce needs.

February 10 @ 8:00 am – February 12 @ 5:00 pm PST

February 18 @ 8:00 am – February 20 @ 5:00 pm PST

Join us in beautiful Sitka, Alaska, for the 2025 Mariculture Conference of Alaska. Sitka is located on Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of Southeast Alaska.

The Mariculture Conference of Alaska is an opportunity to engage with members of the mariculture industry, hear from experts, and connect with farmers, processors, researchers, community leaders, and other professionals.

The goal of the conference is to support the continued development of mariculture in the state by reviewing accomplishments, addressing challenges, and exploring opportunities in research, innovation, education, and industry growth.

In addition to the conference, this event will host the annual meetings for members of the Alaska Mariculture Alliance (AMA) and Alaska Shellfish Growers Association (ASGA).

The conference will be held in Sitka, Alaska, February 18–20, 2025, at Harrigan Centennial Hall.

February 26 @ 8:00 am – February 27 @ 4:00 pm Boise

About the Course:

Our class is accredited by the International HACCP Alliance and meets the requirements of NCIMS, FSIS, and GFSI (e.g. SQF, BRC, FSSC22000, etc.) certification requirements. In class, you will understand the 5 pre-steps and 7 principles in creating a facility-wide food safety plan. You will get templates and example food safety plans to build or revitalize your current HACCP plan.  The curriculum is designed with practical advice from industry experts. If you haven’t taken a HACCP class in a while, it is a good idea to have a refresher course. If you are new to HACCP or food safety plans, this class will give you the basics you need to know to get started.  This class does require a project to fulfill the course requirements.  This class fulfills the training requirements for SQF, BRC, or other GFSI-approved certifications.

Who Should Attend:

• Quality Managers and Supervisors
• Production Supervisors and Plant Managers
• HACCP or Food Safety Team Members
• Small Business Owners
• Any facility that wants to be certified by SQF, BRC, or other GFSI agency

Participants will be able to:

• Identify hazards associated with raw materials and process steps and assign controls.
• Determine the likelihood and severity of raw material hazards and process hazards.
• Identify critical control points (CCPs) and define critical limits.
• Evaluate a monitoring and verification procedures for CCPs.

Costs, subsidy and discounts:

10% Idaho Manufacturing Alliance members discount available

$600 per participant, a $200 NIST HACCP is subsidy available 

10% multiple attendees from discount available