DETROIT (WXYZ) — The state of Michigan understands many businesses are facing uncertainty right now, so they're looking to the future by helping businesses get the support and funding they need.
I was at New Center Stamping in Detroit on Wednesday learning about a new program.
Watch the video report below:
It may have been around for a long time, but the New Center Stamping plant in Detroit helps make the parts on all your favorite cars. And today, it’s the staging ground for the official launch of MI Hub for Manufacturers, which connects businesses looking for help with providers and state resources.
“There’s a lot of pressure on the automotive companies right now, both with tariffs and then also international competition. So, companies might also be considering, ‘can I diversify?’ Aerospace, space, defense, those are all aspects of manufacturing that are growing exponentially,” said Ingrid Tighe, the president of the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center.
She told me the MI Hub for Manufacturers streamlines the process.
“What we need to do is identify who’s out there, who’s doing well, who might need some assistance and how do we help those companies come along and either stay where they are or diversify or jump into new sectors,” Tighe said.
Bobbie and Dominick Squires are the marketing director and the chief operating officer at Petronus Industries. They came to the launch event from Wixom.
“We are a family business, a small manufacturer of prototypes, tooling, fixtures, a lot of customized precision work,” Bobbie Squires said.
The program is also providing businesses with an opportunity to pivot to think about how they might want to change the nature of their business. It’s something the Squires are thinking about.
“I think we have to. And working within industries that we traditionally haven’t, whether that’s more medical, EV. Defense is a huge area of opportunity for us,” Bobbie Squires said. “So to have free resources like this, it’s pretty significant for us, especially with the variety of options from succession planning to financing, to all the things as a small business we really need today.”
Tom Aepelbacher, the president of New Center Stamping, told me he was happy to host the MI Hub for Manufacturers and he’s glad to see the new innovations.
“Momentum is now building again like it used to in the 80s where ‘made in America’ is a big deal. And just to have it here at New Center Stamping and downtown Detroit, 106-year-old plant, I think it epitomizes what we’re trying to do for the state of Michigan and for Detroit,” Aepelbacher said.
And does Michigan have an advantage?
“Oh, for sure. Our resources are unbelievable here. We have more engineers coming out of school, we have more AI technology coming out right now,” Aepelbacher said.
He sees the world is changing, but that doesn’t change the pride he feels for Detroit.
“We can reinvent ourselves. Right now, I make body sides, I make a bunch of panels, I make a bunch of automotive parts,” Aepelbacher said. “Somebody just approached me a little bit ago about making solar panel housings.”
He says it seems like Michigan is moving toward aerospace.
“We have the infrastructure, we have the people making automotive parts to standards that we have to have and aerospace parts that they have to have, pretty much the same.”
For more information about the program, visit MI Hub for Manufacturers’ website.
