UHCL Pearland hosts inaugural TMAC conference
University of Houston- Clear Lake (UHCL) recently hosted its inaugural Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center (TMAC) conference at its Pearland location. The mission of the TMAC is to boost the growth and competitiveness of Texas manufacturers, and assists both small and large companies with technology acceleration, supply chain management, sustainability, workforce development, and continuous improvement. As a Gulf Coast region member of TMAC, UH-Clear Lake offers manufacturers opportunities to improve profitability through skill and regulation-required training, process improvement, and productivity enhancement.
Dr. Robert Phalen, Interim Dean of the College of Science and Engineering, serves as the regional director of TMAC at UHCL. He stated the idea for the conference was a collaborative effort led by Dr. Monica Cortez, TMAC Director of Business Operations, and the TMAC Regional Directors in the Gulf Coast region, which include Roger Caldwell (Gulf Coast East Central – Texas A&M), Gavin Jones (Southeast Texas – Lamar University), and himself.
Phalen added the TMAC Summit was designed to increase UHCL’s outreach to Gulf Coast manufacturers and support the region’s economic growth.
“UHCL is a TMAC partner and sub-awardee of federal and state funding in support of manufacturing. As part of TMAC, UHCL provides education, training, and consulting services to manufacturers in the region,” said Phalen. “The ultimate goal is to strengthen and grow the economic impact of manufacturing in Texas. Our metrics for measurement include; increased sales, jobs, investments, and profits for manufacturers.”
The conference had dozens of attendees, including speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors such as DesignPlex Biomedical, Texas Workforce Commission, NASA Technology Transfer Program, America’s Cutting Edge (ACE), CESMII, the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP) under the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP) and more. Many of the exhibitors and speakers are affiliated with TMAC and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). This public-private partnership serves small and medium-sized manufacturers across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Phalen noted that UHCL is relatively new to TMAC. Last year, MEP centers interacted with more than 36,000 manufacturers, generating $16.2 billion in sales, $2.9 billion in cost savings, $4.8 billion in new client investments, and helped create or retain more than 107,100 jobs.
“The previous Dean of the College of Science and Engineering, Dr. Miguel Gonzalez, had long been involved with TMAC when he was at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He carried that same passion to UHCL, and we became a regional center in 2022.” said Phalen. “Since then, we have provided valuable services to various manufacturers in the areas of workforce development and quality management systems certifications,” he explained. “Dr. Gonzalez was beloved within TMAC and at UHCL. We are carrying on his passion to serve manufacturing in Texas.”
TMAC at UHCL plans to host more TMAC Summits in the future, continuing to expand its outreach and service to regional manufacturers while growing its partnerships to support economic growth for the area.
“UHCL serves a region of the Gulf Coast with more than 600 manufacturers,” said Phalen. “UHCL is committed to helping serve these manufacturers, to strengthen our local economy. Our goal is to help Gulf Coast manufacturing stay strong, grow, and keep jobs in Texas.”
For more information about TMAC at UHCL and course offerings, visit https://www.uhcl.edu/tmac/.
