Founded in 2021, Manufacturers Connect is an exclusive event where members discuss current trends, strategic insights, and best practices in manufacturing, outsourcing, capacity management, and quality assurance with like-minded individuals.
In October 2025, as the manufacturing sector began preparing for a new fiscal year, Manufacturers Connect hosted a landmark networking and learning session focused on the road ahead. We were thrilled to see such a strong turnout of innovators and leaders dedicated to navigating the complexities of our ever-changing industry.
Our featured speaker, Dr. King Banaian (Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Policy Research and Community Engagement at the Herberger Business School), provided a masterclass in economic forecasting.
With 2026 then on the horizon, Dr. Banaian’s expert analysis centered on the critical levers affecting the manufacturing floor:
Monetary Policy & The Fed: A deep dive into Federal Reserve rates and how their fluctuations directly influence capital equipment financing and manufacturing expansion.
Supply Chain Resilience: An honest look at the effect of tariffs on global trade, helping our members understand how to better insulate their supply chains from geopolitical volatility.
The 2026 Professional Outlook: Dr. Banaian shared his specific projections for the coming year, providing our attendees with a “competitive playbook” to use for their Q4 planning and beyond.
Beyond the economic data, the evening was a testament to the strength of our local manufacturing community. The networking portion of the event allowed for candid conversations between peers—sharing successes, discussing shared challenges, and building the partnerships that keep our industry robust.
As we move through 2026, the insights shared during this October session continue to serve as a valuable benchmark for our members.
Is your factory data complete and accurate? Even when the data is there, how do you know which issues need immediate attention to get today’s work done? What if a simple typo or incorrect entry puts an important customer delivery at risk?
After interviewing 75+ factories, we identified more than 470 data inputs that can influence manufacturing operations, from routings and standard times to demand, inventory, capacity, and more. With that much data in play, finding errors isn’t enough. You need to know what’s critical and what needs attention now.
In this session, we’ll demonstrate how manufacturers can identify and prioritize critical data issues before they impact operations, and what becomes possible when complete, accurate, and reliable factory data is put to work with AI.
Executive Insights: Hear directly from award-winning MN manufacturing leaders on their specific strategies for resilience.
Strategic Networking: Connect with fellow innovators and decision-makers in the Minnesota manufacturing community.
Beautiful Venue: Enjoy the afternoon at the historic and scenic Golden Valley Country Club.
We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, October 13th, at 3:00 PM, at The Club at Golden Valley.
When: October 13th 2026
Where: Golden Valley Country Club
Who: Executives from manufacturing companies; No vendors or sellers
Agenda:
3:00 – 3:25PM Check-In and Networking
3:25 – 3:45PM Introduction and Table Discussions
3:45 – 4:45PM Featured Speaker
4:45 – 6:00PM Networking/Happy Hour
Manufacturers Connect is a platform where professionals discuss current trends, strategic insights, and best practices in manufacturing, outsourcing, capacity management, and quality assurance. This event provides an opportunity to engage with like-minded individuals in these fields.
Vivek founded FactoryTwin after 30 years in manufacturing with a mission to simplify factories and unlock productivity. FactoryTwin is a factory intelligence platform, based on Digital Twin and AI technologies. Data diagnostics and cleansing are included in the platform. FactoryTwin is helping manufacturers gain vast efficiencies by exploiting the data their factories already have in multiple online and offline formats using advanced analytics. The platform won the prestigious National Science Foundation award for Small Business Innovation Research.
Vivek enjoys helping manufacturers achieve step improvements in key business metrics (e.g., on-time delivery, revenue, profitability, cash flow).
Previously, Vivek held a variety of roles, such as Chief Engineer, Plant Manager, Supply Chain Director, and GM at Pratt & Whitney; Vice President & Practice Leader at ICF Aviation; President & CEO at Mooney Aircraft. He holds a PhD in Applied Math from the University of Cambridge (UK).
What technology and digital solution could enhance your company operations – use the conference to hear new ideas.
Meet other like-minded professionals and build your own network of contacts.
Speak to and hear from a mix of professionals from both service providers, solutions providers, and industry operators.
