Read about the newest member of the MMTC - NL Office team, Manthei Veneer, facing the manufacturing talent shortage, the Michigan New Jobs Training Program, upcoming workshops and more!

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Northern Lower Office of the
Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center

September 2019 Newsletter

NL Office Welcomes Bill Duperon
to Team

By Betsy Williams, Senior Business Advisor
Business Development

A hot topic of concern in the region is retaining and finding talent. We are excited to have our own boomerang story to share. Please join us in welcoming William (Bill) Duperon, our new Business Solutions Manager, to the MMTC- NL team.

Bill is a native to Leelanau County (seventh generation) and graduated from Leland High School. He then moved to Hawaii and started in the real estate business. Following that stent, he received a bachelor’s degree in business from Loyola University in Chicago where he continued on to earn a MBA with a marketing focus.

Continue reading >>

Training Available for Employees in Newly Created Jobs

Is your business creating new jobs and you would like these employees to receive training? The Michigan New Jobs Training Program was designed as an economic development tool to allow community colleges to provide training for employers who are creating new jobs and/or expanding operations in Michigan. Training for newly hired workers or promoted employees is paid by capturing the state income tax associated with the new employees' wages, essentially providing training at little to no cost to the employer.

The new jobs being created must meet the following criteria:

The jobs are full-time in a new, existing, or expanding business of the employer;
The jobs are not of recalled workers, replacement jobs, or any other job that existed in the employer's business within the one-year period preceding the date of an agreement;
The jobs are new and pay at least 175 percent of the minimum wage, currently $16.54 per hour;
The jobs result in a new increase in employment in Michigan for the employer.

If interested in the Michigan New Jobs Training Program, please contact Lisa Rollin at lrollin@the-center.org.

In the News
Manthei Veneer unveils new machinery, looks forward to future two years after fire

UpNorthLive
August 9, 2019

EMMET COUNTY, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU) -- An iconic family-owned business in Petoskey is looking forward to the future after a fire two years ago.

On Thursday, Manthei Veneer unveiled their new lathe machine.

The machine strips wood pieces into thin slices which then go on plywood.

It is just one of many new machines that the company has brought to its new facility since it burned down two years ago.

Click here to learn more >>

In the News
Forsyth: Facing the talent shortage head-on with apprenticeships
Elliot Forsyth

CRAIN'S DETROIT BUSINESS
August 11, 2019

Having skilled, competent employees is key to any organization's success. This is no longer easy for manufacturers to come by, however, as a massive talent shortage has emerged in the industry in recent years, leaving many jobs unfilled and tasks undone.

It is expected that this talent gap will result in millions of positions remaining vacant in the years to come, a number that will only continue to grow if nothing is done to counteract this trend.

Click here to learn more >>

Keep up with the Grand Traverse Area Manufacturing Council!

Listen to Debra Levatrosser and Betsy Williams discuss transformation and the
9th Annual Michigan Lean Conference >>

On the Web

Rep. Haley Stevens Announces $1.07 Million Cybersecurity Award to Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center

Published on stevens.house.gov
August 9, 2019 Press Release

PLYMOUTH — Today, Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11) announced that the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is investing over $1 million in the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center) to lead a national project to assist defense contractors in implementing cybersecurity protections needed to safeguard information being handled in defense manufacturing supply chains.
The Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, based in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District, is part of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (MEP), a public-private partnership with Centers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico dedicated to serving small and medium-sized manufacturers by offering services like leadership trainings, technology integration, skill development, and cybersecurity assessments.

Continue reading >>

Lean Learning Consortium Monthly Events

9/13
Lean Champion Celebration!
NMC - Parsons-Stulen Building
2600 Aero-Park Dr, Traverse City
8:30 - 11:00 AM
Register HERE

10/11
Wojan Window & Door
217 Stover Rd, Charlevoix, MI 49720
9 AM - Noon
Facilitated by North Central Michigan College
Register HERE

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
Rob Summers
231.995.2015

rsummers@nmc.edu

Upcoming Workshops

Click on the training topic to see the flyer and learn more. Registration links are below each session date and time. Contact Training Services at 231-995-2218 for more information.

**NMC Employees, please click here to register for workshops**

Cadillac Area Lean Manufacturing Champion - $3,500
Two consecutive Wednesdays each month, October 9, 2019 - March 18, 2020
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
To register click here

Lean Manufacturing Practitioner - $1,500
September 25, October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and November 6, 2019
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
To register click here

Applied Project Management - $1,950
Two Tuesdays each month, October 8, 2019 - February 18, 2020
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
To register click here

Get More Done - $95
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
9 AM - Noon
To register click here

Digital 5S Document Management - $195
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
To register click here

Lean Manufacturing Champion - $3,500
Two Tuesdays each month, February 11, 2020 - July 14, 2020
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
To register click here

Lean Office Champion - $3,500
Two Wednesdays each month, February 12, 2020 - July 15, 2020
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
To register click here

WTCM AM 580 is hosting a monthly segment the second Monday of every month at 8:35 AM to showcase local manufacturing. Each segment will feature a local manufacturer to discuss what they make, why they make it here, their market, what kind of jobs/careers they support, and what employee needs they have.

The August segment featured Mike Alfonso, President, Grand Traverse Machine and Rob Summers, Senior Business Advisor, Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, NL Office.
Click here to listen>>

So tune in to WTCM AM 580 the second Monday of every month at 8:35 AM as the series continues!

Are you a project manager looking for professional development and networking? Traverse City now has a local branch of the Western Michigan Project Management Institute. WMPMI offers a variety of events to network, learn, and earn Professional Development Units (PDUs).
Join us at our next
WMPMI Dinner Meeting
September 9
4:45 - 8 PM
Location:
Northwestern Michigan College
Aero Park Campus; Parsons-Stulen Bldg
2600 Aero Park Dr; Traverse City
Room 106 - Courtyard Conference Room

$30 for WMPMI members
$40 for non-WMPMI members
$25 for full-time student

For more information, contact:
Shari Hufford, PMP
937.725.7956 cell
directorTC@wmpmi.org
OR
Jeff Kissinger, PMP, FCT, FCP, CSM
616.706.4427 (mobile)
president@wmpmi.org

NL Office Welcomes Bill Duperon to Team

On the Web

Upcoming Workshops

NL Office Welcomes Bill Duperon
to Team