The American Small Manufacturers Coalition was renamed in 2004 from its predecessor, the Modernization Forum. The Modernization Forum began in 1990 as a 501(c)6 whom advocated for federal support of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a program within the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology. ASMC's members, like its predecessor, are non-profit organizations which are well integrated within its state and local communities which offer assistance to local manufacturers improve their competitiveness.