The Michigan Economic Development Corporation^SM (MEDC) has identified 2,500 manufacturers that employ more than twenty-five employees each, with their total combined employment in excess of 380,000 workers. Many of these companies are at less than 50 percent capacity and estimates are that unless new product lines and industries can be secured, 30 percent will eventually cease operations adding an additional 100,000 workers to our unemployment system. More than 43 percent of these manufacturers are located in southeast Michigan and 5 percent of them are minority suppliers.

Many of these manufacturers have the ability to diversify their sales into areas beyond their existing industry. The MEDC has designed and piloted a Michigan Manufacturing Diversification Strategy to address the needs and opportunities associated with the state's important manufacturing base. The MEDC has begun to implement this strategy and will continue for the next several years.

The State of Michigan, led by the MEDC, plans to do the following as part of the initiative:

• Help 400 manufacturing firms navigate through the diversification process during the program's first year.
• Assist 100 firms in achieving quality systems certification in four new opportunistic markets.
• Showcase Michigan's manufacturing talent at national events.
• Create an online matchmaking database to connect Michigan manufacturers to national original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
• Most importantly, realize $1 billion in new multi-year contracts upon completion of the program's first year.

If you are a manufacturing company looking to become involved with the initiative, please refer to the process on the previous page.