U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, who chairs the Senate Small Business Committee, will be host of a small-business manufacturing forum in Brewer on Tuesday.

The forum is designed to provide manufacturers with an opportunity to meet with and hear from a number of organizations that offer assistance to companies struggling to overcome the downturn in manufacturing.

Snowe will be joined by representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Maine Patent Program, the Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Maine’s manufacturing industry to discuss programs and services available to help small manufacturers remain competitive.

The forum will be from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Jeff’s Catering, Coffin Avenue, Brewer. The event will be open to the public.