Mayoral Forum: A New Industrial Vision for Chicago
Mayoral candidates in Chicago came together on February 8 for a forum on a new industrial vision for an inclusive and thriving industrial sector. A wide range of issues were addressed at the forum, including the need for job training, federal investment in the manufacturing sector, ownership succession, and the importance of building a green […]
Supply Chain and Policy: Past, Present and Future
Panelists in the event, clockwise from bottom right: Dan Swinney, Founder of Manufacturing Renaissance; Harry Haney, a supply chain and operations expert; Haven Allen, CEO and Co-Founder, mHUB, an independent hard tech and manufacturing innovation center; David Boulay, President of IMEC (the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center). Top right, moderator, Jeff Korzenik, Chief Investment Strategist, Fifth […]
Damron: West Side Company Keeps Eye on Equity, Jobs and Community
For more than 35 years, Damron Corporation on Chicago’s west side has manufactured and distributed tea products, sourced from the most famous tea-growing areas in the world. Companies that Damron supplies its products to include McDonald’s. In fact, Damron was the first African-American owned company to become a national supplier to McDonald’s. Recently, the company […]
Mfg Day 2021: An Inside Look
What’s it like to work in a manufacturing company? What kind of opportunities are available? These are the kinds of questions asked by participants in Manufacturing Connect, Manufacturing Renaissance’s program that exposes, inspires, and prepares young adults for the field. Participants in the program had a chance to learn about the field this fall at […]
Brence Turner: A Passion for Teaching and Expanding Opportunities for Youth
Brence Turner, Senior Machining Instructor at Manufacturing Renaissance, grew up in a family where numerous people worked in manufacturing. “I have seen the opportunities it gave them for a solid income, insurance, a paycheck – and a career,” he says. Turner is a native of Chicago’s South Side. After high school, he attended Daley College […]
Profile: Jim Piper, CMRC Welcomes Newest Leadership Committee Member
As a kid growing up west of Cleveland, in Elyria, Ohio, Jim Piper was closely acquainted with the benefits of vocational education. His dad was an assistant principal at a school that provided many options for students to pursue a wide range of trades. ”My dad would tell these stories of kids having great success […]
New Bill Proposes Major Reinvestment in Manufacturing Communities
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), a Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, introduced the Manufacturing Reinvestment Corporation Act. The legislation will ensure that a revitalized manufacturing sector can create the products, processes, and transition opportunities that are necessary to […]
Rep. Schakowsky Shares Progress on Introduction of Key Legislation to Grow Manufacturing Sector This Summer
A growing movement for a stronger and more equitable manufacturing sector in this country is gaining momentum. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) has indicated she will introduce legislation in the coming weeks that will lay out plans and funding to support innovation, sustainability, supply chain resiliency, and equal opportunities and inclusion in the manufacturing sector. “We […]
Update: Re/Cast, Advisors in Ownership Succession
The Manufacturing Renaissance’s RE/CAST program provides advising services to companies that face ownership succession issues and want to stay open and thrive. One look at the demographics of Illinois manufacturing companies tells a compelling story about why ownership succession is a timely issue. Far more often than not, company ownership is older, overwhelmingly lacking in […]
Update: Cook County Early Warning Network
The Cook County Early Warning Network was set up in 2020 to help small and mid-sized manufacturers in Cook County that are facing financial distress because of COVID-19. Companies that can benefit from the program typically have fewer than 40 employees. The program is funded by the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development in partnership […]