The Event
On Thursday, August 21st, Emerson hosted the Q3 Boulder Area Manufacturing Sector Partnership Meeting, bringing together local industry leaders and workforce development partners to discuss resources, innovations, and opportunities for the local manufacturing sector. Billy Mansour, Vice President of Flow Measurement Operations in North America at Emerson, opened the session with an overview of Emerson, highlighting their global leadership in technology and engineering solutions. From there, key highlights from the meeting included the following:
- Intro from TACT: Liam Murphy from TACT outlined plans to expand TACT’s footprint into Boulder and build a hub for supporting neurodiverse individuals gain skills and employment in the trades
- Key Speaker: Alexandra Zhang of Factorem gave a presentation on Supply Chain Resilience in manufacturing, and how her company’s innovations with AI can improve flexibility and efficiency in precision manufacturing
- Apprenticeship Panel: Representatives from Excelitas Technologies, Medtronic, and Front Range Community College sat down for a panel on apprenticeships to discuss how these programs help individuals gain hands-on skills while supporting employers meeting workforce goals.
- Workforce Planning: Attendees began preliminary planning to engage students and families with local school district manufacturing initiatives
Speaker Talking Points:
Supply Chain Resilience in Modern Manufacturing | Alexandra Zhang
At the recent Tech Talent meeting, Alexandra Zhang, CEO and Co-Founder of Factorem, presented on how artificial intelligence is reshaping supply chain resilience and precision manufacturing. Currently, many companies continue to struggle with fragile supply chains, long lead times, high operational overhead, and the difficulty of sourcing custom, precision parts in small volumes. Factorem’s AI-driven platform addresses these challenges by matching orders with the most suitable suppliers, analyzing technical specifications, and providing instant quotes and design feedback on 2D/3D files. Through these innovations, engineers and supply chain teams are able to achieve faster iteration cycles, flexibility with low-volume orders, reduced inventory requirements, and greater agility in production planning.
TACT: Teaching the Autism Community Trades | Liam Murphy
Liam Murphy, Director of Development at TACT, recently shared TACT’s vision for Boulder: transforming vacant commercial space into a hub that supports young neurodiverse individuals while strengthening the local workforce. TACT has already proven its impact with a job placement rate of 83.4%, which is nearly seven times the Colorado average. By combining technical training with social-emotional learning and workplace adaptability, TACT prepares students to become reliable, skilled employees ready to contribute to key Boulder industries. With community support, TACT envisions activating 10,000–20,000 square feet of space into a flagship campus that transforms vacant property into a long-term community asset that strengthens Boulder’s economy and creates lasting opportunities for generations to come.
If you are interested in learning more or being a part of Tact’s mission, please reach out to:
About Our Host | Emerson
Emerson is a global industrial technology leader that designs and delivers advanced automation, control systems, instrumentation, and industrial software to optimize operations across a wide range of sectors. Its offerings include intelligent devices, real-time monitoring platforms, precision measurement tools, and digital solutions to enhance efficiency, safety, and sustainability across industries from manufacturing to life sciences and renewables.