The Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center (MAMC) is celebrating a milestone: three-and-a-half decades of service to West Virginia – and beyond.
That’s 35 years of providing access to the latest technology and expertise so manufacturers across the Mountain State can innovate and grow. Thirty-five years of educating the skilled workforce that manufacturers require to compete in a global economy. Thirty-five years of assisting companies in achieving quality certifications that expand markets and supplier opportunities. And 35-years of empowering entrepreneurs, startups and companies with the resources to bring new products to market.
“Our organization operates in a unique place in higher education with close working relationships with industry, community colleges and career technical education,” said MAMC Director Derek Scarbro. “We proudly embrace our workforce and economic development role serving both individuals and industry.”
This nationally recognized Center of Excellence was created in 1990 as part of a bold national initiative, funded by the Department of Defense, to revitalize American manufacturing. The Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing Systems (as MAMC was then known) was the first Factory of the Future, a series of technology teaching centers across the country designed to make U.S. manufacturers more competitive by providing local and regional access to the latest technology and expertise.
One by one, the other centers in much larger cities or associated with universities closed. Yet MAMC prevailed and continues to thrive. Just last year, in response to industry demand, MAMC expanded its career skills programs to include SMART (Systems Maintenance, Automation and Robotics Technology), an enhanced industrial maintenance training initiative offered in Huntington and Point Pleasant in partnership with Mountwest Community and Technical College. In addition, it expanded the nationally recognized Machinist Technology/CNC Program to South Charleston with a new training center in partnership with the West Virginia Regional Technology Park and Bridge Valley Community and Technical College with funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Benedum Foundation.
At MAMC South Charleston, renovations are underway to double the size of its shared manufacturing center, allowing for the addition of technology currently unavailable in the region. And this spring, construction will begin in Huntington at the former ACF Industries site on MAMC’s Welding & Robotics Technology Training Center, which will double its capacity to educate students and current welders and deliver advanced robotics technology training in a fresh, hands-on, industrial setting. Both projects are made possible through funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
As MAMC grows, so does its impact. Just last year, MAMC served 324 companies and delivered manufacturing training to 987 individuals. In addition, it engaged more than 6,200 K-12 students in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields through camps, workshops and other hands-on learning experiences. Also in 2024, MAMC was designated as a National Hub for Manufacturing Apprenticeships by the U.S. Department of Labor.
“We’re proud of the number of companies and individuals we serve but it’s the impact of individuals’ successes that remind us we’re making a difference,” Scarbro said.
Successes like David Myers. The Hurricane native was introduced to MAMC through Recovery Works, a program to deliver in-demand machinist skills to formerly incarcerated individuals affected by the opioid epidemic. Myers said through this achievement he found a new purpose in life. He went on to enroll in MAMC’s two-year Machinist Technology/CNC Program and landed full-time employment, an experience he described as “life changing.”
Then there’s a Bridgeport-based manufacturer that turned to MAMC last year to help it achieve stringent ISO quality certifications required to secure aerospace contracts, enabling the company to expand and service a national aerospace prime. That’s just one example. MAMC’s Quality Services team regularly assists companies in achieving quality certifications in sectors ranging from automotive to medical, enabling them to diversify, reach new markets and become suppliers to major industries and government agencies.
MAMC successes also extend to large companies like Toyota West Virginia. MAMC technicians worked with Toyota to design, prototype and test a new jig used to assemble transmissions. The jig not only won a North American design award but enabled Toyota team members to perform multiple processes simultaneously, speeding up production while reducing the likelihood of repetitive stress injuries.
These kinds of innovative cost-saving solutions are a hallmark of MAMC. When a Kanawha County chemical company’s manufacturing processes were disrupted by a broken component, it faced a six-month lead time to secure a replacement from an overseas supplier. The company turned to MAMC, which reverse engineered the part and 3D printed it in a matter of a few days, reducing lost production time and saving hundreds of thousands of dollars.
MAMC’s series of successful Supply Chain Expos, presented in partnership with Advantage Valley, have connected small West Virginia businesses to supplier opportunities with the state’s largest manufacturers. Last year’s Metal Tech Supply Chain Expo in Huntington, alone, resulted in more than a half million dollars in new contracts for small Mountain State businesses while connecting major manufacturers with new in-state suppliers.
Speaking of supply chains, Industrial Bolting Technologies of Charleston is a true West Virginia success story, one that MAMC is proud to have played a part. In 2005, Mike McCown was a distributor of industrial tools – all made from Chinese components. When it became increasingly difficult to secure the parts, McCown took matters into his own hands and decided to manufacture them himself. He leased equipment at MAMC South Charleston to reshore the manufacturing to the U.S. and leveraged MAMC’s expertise to achieve ISO certification. Eventually, McCown was able to purchase his own equipment and build his manufacturing business into a company that sells its American-made hydraulic torque wrenches in every U.S. state and exports them to more than three dozen countries, employing dozens of individuals at his facilities near Tyler Mountain, including five current and recent MAMC students.
Scarbro said MAMC staff members also take great pride in inspiring the innovators and manufacturers of tomorrow. “How many times over the years have we seen that spark of inspiration in children participating in our STEM camps or robotics events only to have those same individuals return years later as MAMC college interns while pursuing degrees in such fields as engineering, computer science and entrepreneurship,” he explained. “Our highly, talented team makes it happen every single day. I am so proud of what our team accomplishes and the pride they take in their work. We are not finished, though. Many manufacturers are expanding and still need help with their workforce and supply chains. Marshall University President Brad Smith has challenged us to 10x our impacts and we are continuing to grow and scale our services. We are hiring, too. If you have a passion for manufacturing, workforce advancement, and economic development, give MAMC a look.”
For 35 years, MAMC has been a pillar of innovation, workforce development and economic growth in West Virginia. As the center continues to expand programs, facilities and impacts, its mission remains the same – to empower individuals, support businesses and drive the future of manufacturing, Scarbro said.
To learn more about MAMC’s successes and the services it provides, visit www.mfg.marshall.edu.
Feb. 27, 2025
