Eric Yelsma
Business Solutions Manager
C: 734.431.9240
eyelsma@the-center.org
Eric spent 14 years owning & running a small manufacturing business in Detroit, so he knows Friday payroll, the machine that breaks the day before shipment is due, and those customers who want it yesterday. He’s also spent many years in both corporate & VC business development, which is where his heart is. As a Business Solutions Manager, he gets to combine both experiences: helping Michigan manufacturers become more competitive, more profitable, and harder to beat. His undergraduate degree is from Western Michigan along with a Michigan State MBA.
Manufacturing has changed faster in the last few years than in the previous few decades, and small and mid-sized shops feel the most pressure. Eric believes Michigan manufacturers still have the talent, grit & know-how to go head-to-head with import and offshoring pressure. It just needs the right resources to guide them. His specialty is taking complicated manufacturing problems and breaking down into simple steps, without the jargon or the 80-slide deck. Clear, direct, and focused on what moves the needle.
Off the clock, Eric is surrounded by a big, beautiful family. He gets out into our great Michigan outdoors whenever he can, and he follows sports just enough to hold a conversation, but not enough to ruin one.
