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

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.

In addition, Snowe has asked manufacturers to speak at the event in order to provide insight into the problems they face as well as the steps they have undertaken to remain successful.

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