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The Southwestern Alliance
CONNECTIONS
Southwestern Michigan Economic Growth Alliance and
the Berrien County Manufacturers' Council |
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September 18, 2009 - Volume 1, Issue 9 | |
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| Greetings! |
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This special mid-month edition includes an award announcement for one of our municipality members - the City of Niles! There is also good news to share regarding one of our members creating new jobs in the area.
You may also want to check out the announcements regarding upcoming training and informational meetings and three special opportunities giving you a chance to speak your mind and be heard!
Shelley Klug |
| Big News and Events in Niles! |
Through the dedicated efforts of Lisa Croteau, Program Manager for the Niles DDA/Main Street Program, and Chickie Landgraf, chairwoman of Main Street's promotions committee, the City's annual Hunter Ice Festival received the Main Street Four Points Promotion Award at the Michigan Downtown Conference this week. For more information on this exciting and well-deserved recognition click here: Niles Daily Star
Time to get ready for another favorite event in Niles! The Apple Fest will be celebrating "Rockin' in the USA" October 1-4, 2009. For more information about this annual favorite, check out the website dedicated to all things Apple Fest:
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| Spreading the News |
There is good news in Southwest Michigan! Modineer, located in Niles, recently acquired Wagon Automotive (Wixom, MI) and was able to create 75 new jobs in the Niles area.
Modineer is a family-owned company concentrating on metal stampings, roll-forming, stretch bending, laser cutting, and manual and robotic welding. Their metal stamping capabilities range from simple stampings to intricate, tight-tolerance assemblies with dependable repeatability. They can use progressive, line, or transfer dies depending on the design and volume of the part needed, all of which can be built and maintained in-house.
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| Community Conversations |
| The Center for Michigan has been conducting "Community Conversations" throughout the State of Michigan for several months. These sessions are designed to find new solutions and a common-ground agenda for issues facing Michigan.
Individuals who take part in the Conversations are providing important input to help turn our state around. The goal is to get ideas from citizens with diverse interests and share them with political, business, and governmental leaders. Results from the research-based process will be provided to Michigan lawmakers in 2010.
This is an opportunity for your voice, and the voice of Southwest Michigan, to be heard. Help develop a common-ground agenda by attending one of the following Conversations:
Tfactor, a local consulting firm assisting organizations needing help with time, tools, or talent, will be hosting two Community Conversations at Lake Michigan College.
September 29, 2009 at the Bertrand Crossing Campus Room 109 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
October 14, 2009 at the Napier Avenue Campus Mendel Center, North Training Room from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
To RSVP for either the September 29 or October 14 Conversations please go to:
Southwestern Michigan Economic Growth Alliance (SMEGA) Board Members will have the opportunity to participate in a Community Conversation as part of the regularly scheduled October board meeting. Please contact Shelley Klug for more information - 269-683-1833. |
| September 30, 2009 - PTAC |
Sell your products and services to the nation's largest consumer... the government!
The Berrien County Manufacturers Council will host Jan Campbell, director of the Southwest Michigan Regional Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), who will share how PTAC's electronic bid matching service can assist you with finding the right opportunity for government contracts. The government purchases billions of dollars in goods and services each year. Your company could take advantage of this enormous market - many Michigan companies already do!
This meeting is open to all business owners interested in exploring the potential of this market. The meeting will be held September 30, 2009 at 8:00 a.m. at Lake Michigan College - Bertrand Crossing Campus #109. Please RSVP to Shelley Klug at 269-683-1833 by September 25.
To learn more about PTAC, check out:
www.ptacsofmichigan.org. |
| October 29, 2009 |
Financing! This luncheon meeting will feature three speakers presenting information designed for business owners and local commercial loan officers and specialists. The information will be specific and direct with examples of how the programs have benefited others in situations that may be similar to yours. Mike Flanagan will discuss Michigan's Capital Access Program (CAP), Eric Hanna will explain a relatively new program - Michigan Supplier Diversification Fund, and Lisa Epple will discuss the USDA Rural Development's Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program.
This meeting is sponsored by the Berrien County Manufacturers Council and is open to all. The meeting will be held October 29, 2009 at noon. The luncheon is $10 per person and will be held at the Berrien County RESA Building located in Berrien Springs at 711 St. Joseph Avenue (formerly known as the ISD building). Please RSVP to Shelley Klug at 269-683-1833 or smega1@sbcglobal.net by October 26, 2009.
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November 4, 2009 |
Back by popular demand! The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) will be holding a series of ten free half-day seminars for employers about the state's unemployment program at various locales around the state in October and November. The seminars explain to employers Michigan's UI tax and benefit programs as well as recent changes at the agency. Seminar topics include: How UI benefits are paid and charged to employer UI accounts; New online UIA services for employers; How UIA calculates employer UI tax rates; and How to appeal an agency determination. In addition, there will be two breakout sessions - one on UI benefits and the other on UI taxes. Each session starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 12:30 p.m. The seminar closest to the SMEGA area is in Kalamazoo on November 4, 2009. (Kalamazoo OPD Training Center, 322 Stockbridge Avenue).
To register for any of the seminar sessions, employers can obtain a registration form at the UIA website ( www.michigan.gov/uia). Employers with questions about the seminar can call the agency's Employer Customer Relations staff at 1-800-638-3994. | |
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| Website of the Month |
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Sneak Preview - The Website of the Month for October is going to be the new Southwestern Alliance website! The new site encompasses the Southwestern Michigan Economic Growth Alliance and the Berrien County Manufacturers Council under the heading - Southwestern Alliance.
The website is currently undergoing rigorous examination and testing by a focus group - when all the suggested changes and finishing touches are complete, we will launch a large-scale marketing campaign. Until then, here's a chance to get a little sneak peak - remember, it's not finished, but you can submit your suggestions anytime.
Home Page
Direct Link to the Berrien County Manufacturers Council Home Page
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| Reminder |
| I will be attending a training seminar in Lansing September 21-24; however, I will be checking email and voice mail messages daily. The training is through the International Economic Development Council and will cover numerous topics - I look forward to sharing the information with you when I return. Thank you for your patience.
As a reminder, I hope you forward this newsletter to others so we can share the news about the value of doing business in southwestern Michigan with each other and to let the rest of the world know what we can do! If you would like to share your news in this newsletter, please contact the SMEGA office. We have over 750 subscribers and are growing quickly!
Shelley Klug | |
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Shelley Klug, Executive Director
Southwestern Alliance
Phone: 269-683-1833
Fax: 269-683-7515
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