The battle among states for corporate investment is getting considerable attention today among state and local officials, business groups and in the media. Despite the pitfalls in trying to lure companies across borders with tax incentives or cash, as long as high-wage jobs are in play, there will always be competition, even between friendly neighbors. There is, however, another, more important, side to the story.
A highly effective national program, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), is a network of nonprofit organizations in every state whose sole focus is to strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers. Here in the Midwest, experts in our respective MEP centers work with one another to boost manufacturing productivity and efficiency. For example, we’ll help a steel producer shorten the time it takes to change from one production line to another, increasing responsiveness to their customer. Our specialists are strategically located and they have real manufacturing experience.
Our work is not restricted by state borders. There are hundreds of examples of MEPs providing technical assistance to manufactures in other states, developing ways to improve supply chain competitiveness, opening doors for companies to do business with each other, and collaborating on building new capabilities. Why is this important? Because manufacturing truly knows no bounds. A stronger Indiana parts maker will mean a better domestic supplier for Illinois’s Caterpillar. A manufacturer in rural Iowa can provide a key component for a Wisconsin-made Harley Davidson motorcycle. A manufacturer in Missouri may need to coordinate operations with a sister plant in Michigan or Iowa. It’s situations like these where our MEP centers work to find the best solutions, sharing information and making the most of our respective capabilities. Some of our best successes started with a phone call from one MEP center to another, in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio, Texas, California, North Carolina and more.
By erasing state lines, sharing resources and bringing best practices to U.S. companies, we help to grow and strengthen America’s manufacturing sector and keep good jobs here.
Back in the 1980s, in response to global competition, the U.S. Government had the foresight to recognize that smaller manufacturers needed support in maximizing productivity. Today, because of the hands-on help from MEP centers like ours, manufacturers are preparing to compete and implement “next generation” strategies that will enable them to be winners in the global economy. We help local manufacturers become internationally engaged, work on the edge of innovation, and generate double-digit productivity gains. Our manufacturers will continue to drive the growth in income and spending that is refueling the economy and producing the tax revenue so desperately needed by state and local governments. These are the companies that are leading the nation’s economic resurgence, meeting and beating foreign competition, and reaffirming the old adage that American ingenuity is unparalleled.
Certainly, the big corporate moves (or threats to move) command most of the media attention, but beneath the headlines there are hundreds of stories of states working together to keep U.S. manufacturing strong.
David Boulay
President
Illinois MEP
Dusty Cruise
President
Missouri MEP
Buckley Brinkman
President
Wisconsin MEP
Michael Coast
President
Michigan MEP
