Advancing Michigan Manufacturing, One Company at a Time

When the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center) was established in 1991, it was driven by an important mission. This mission was to work alongside Michigan manufacturers to share the expertise needed to work smarter, compete and prosper. Now, nearly 30 years later, our organization is proud to know that we have been a part of Michigan manufacturing’s growth and advancement for decades.

In 2019 alone, The Center enabled hundreds of small and medium-sized Michigan manufacturers to improve practices, decrease costs and enhance profitability. As reflected in the graphic to the right, 443 of our total clients achieved:

• $173.7 Million - New Investments
• 6,764 - Client Jobs Created & Retained
• $83.2 Million - Created Sales
• $738.2 Million - Retained Sales
• $54.9 Million - Cost Savings
• $21 returned for every $1 spent with The Center

On an individual company basis, support from The Center translated to significant improvements for our clients, including:

• A family-owned machine shop and fabrication facility recently invested in new equipment and needed a way to communicate this to current and potential clients. With no online presence to leverage, The Center assisted the company with developing and launching a company website which led to the generation of $40,000 in new sales and two new hires.
• A provider of comprehensive prototype services needed to transition to ISO 9001:2015 following the lapse of their ISO 9001:2008 certification in order to maintain current customers and gain new ones. As a result of attending The Center’s ISO 9001:2015 Organizational Transition training, the company was able to review and revise their existing quality goals and Quality Management System to comply with the updated standard, as well as establish key metrics to monitor effectiveness going forward. The company then passed their audit with only one minor finding, allowing them to earn their certification and realize $100,000 in new sales, $2,000,000 in retained sales and $25,000 in cost savings.
• A manufacturer of custom engineered products identified an opportunity to improve their costing methods. After engaging in costing mentoring with The Center’s experts, the company learned how to develop a new system for bookkeeping, organizing and categorizing every expense with associated costs. Then, after comparing their numbers with industry averages, the company was able to identify areas that could be improved. The resulting changes contributed to a 38% increase in sales due to more competitive pricing as well as an 8% increase in profitability.

Looking at both company and state-wide growth, The Center is pleased to see how our efforts have consistently led to real results for manufacturers in Michigan. With our founding mission in mind, The Center’s team looks forward to enabling Michigan manufacturing to grow and advance further in 2020.

To learn more about how The Center can help you manufacture smarter, click here.

Since 1991, the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center has assisted Michigan’s small and medium-sized businesses to successfully compete and grow. Through personalized services designed to meet the needs of clients, we develop more effective business leaders, drive product and process innovation, promote company-wide operational excellence and foster creative strategies for business growth and greater profitability. Find us at www.the-center.org.