Manufacturing Day is a national celebration meant to inspire the next generation of workers by introducing them to careers in industry. By seeing the modern environment and technology in use today, we hope students will explore related careers and participate in the training opportunities available at their school. Manufacturing Day will be held this year on Friday,  October 6, 2017.

Last year, businesses in Monroe County participated in our first Manufacturing Day event hosting nearly 100 local 8th graders for a tour. This year, the committee, which includes the BDC, Monroe County Intermediate School District, teachers and business representatives, would like to increase the number of students and businesses participating.

This event would not be possible without the participation of our local manufacturing businesses. Participation would include hosting tour(s) in the morning, showcasing your product and even providing some type of activity if possible. We will work with you to plan the day and also arrange transportation and chaperones for the tour! Click on the button above to email Charlene and say YES to participating in this year's Manufacturing Day! 

If you have already contacted Charlene and have agreed to participate ... thank you! If not, let's all get involved!

For more information and inspiration, you may visit the Manufacturing Day website.

Consumers Energy Company has been involved and held a seat on our Board of Directors since 1992. Our relationship with them brought us Barbara A. Mitzel.

Next month, Barb has announced she will retire from Consumers Energy. She has been involved with the BDC since March of 2015. Her work on our Board is marked by unsurpassed efficiency and excellence, and she will be truly missed.

Monroe County BDC recognized Barb at our Board Meeting held May 10, but we also want to take this opportunity to share the news with our readers. We thank Barb and wish her the very best in her well deserved retirement years.

(Pictured above with Barb is Doug Chaffin, President of Monroe Bank & Trust and Chairman of Monroe County BDC's Board and Tim Lake, President & CEO of Monroe County BDC.)

We welcome Greg Meyer to Monroe County BDC's Board of Directors! Greg is Community Manager for Consumers Energy in Southeast Michigan. He is the local government liaison responsible for community relations and economic development within the utility’s Monroe, Wayne and Washtenaw county territories and has spent over 35 years working for Consumers Energy in various areas of responsibility. 

"Greg will be bringing a great wealth of knowledge and experience to the BDC,"  Tim Lake BDC President and CEO.

Greg graduated from U of M with a bachelor’s in environmental studies and has a graduate degree from Central Michigan in business administration. He is a member of the Association of Energy Engineers and is a registered Chartered Industrial Gas Consultant through the American Gas Association. He is a member of the Livonia Plymouth Road Development Authority's board and previous chairman of its construction committee. He also serves on the Plymouth Community United Way board and finance committee. Meyer was the 2009 Plymouth Community United Way campaign chairman and previously served as industrial campaign chairman. Greg served on the Economic Development Council of Livingston County's board until December 2016 when his territory changed to include Monroe County. He is also a member of a number of Chambers of Commerce including Farmington, Livonia, Novi, Plymouth and Westland. Meyer resides in Waterford Township in Oakland County.

"Continuing to have Consumers Energy represented on the BDC Board of Directors is certainly beneficial to our organization & Monroe County," stated Tim Lake.

We welcome Greg to Monroe County BDC!

> The Greater Ann Arbor Procurement Summit is being held on August 23 ... Participate ... find your next supplier! Your involvement will allow your purchasing team to meet with  pre-qualified suppliers of your choice. There is no cost to participate.This summit is part of the larger Pure Michigan Business Connect program. The Summit is being presented by Consumers Energy and will  be held at the Michigan International Speedway. More information about becoming a supplier will be available in July. If interested, please contact Charlene Page at the BDC for more information and to obtain a copy of the buyer's need worksheet.

 >> We would like to welcome our new investor ... The Mannik & Smith Company, Inc.! They offer a full array of consulting services in project management, team leadership and decision making for public and private sectors. Learn more about them by visiting their website!

>>> Take our BDC Business Survey! We promise, just a few questions so that we can know you a little better. The survey questions are general in nature about your company, operations and workforce needs. Please click the button below to access; it should be completed in one setting since incomplete surveys cannot be reaccessed. Your responses will be held in confidence and used only for the purposes stated above. We appreciate your time and thank you in advance!