Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) will be disbursing $2.5 million in 2020 to assist manufacturers in affording the service of consultants, to improve productivity.
IMEC plans to give a grant of about $25,000 to Illinois manufacturers who seek professional advice on how to use the latest technology or increase their revenue. They are hoping to finance up to 50 projects next year.
The President of IMEC, David Boulay, stated that due to a lack of employees who can operate new technology and because small businesses desire a quicker return on investment (ROI) than more prominent firms, small manufacturers don’t quickly embrace modern technology. This attitude, he said, doesn’t aid productivity.
A survey of the workers employed by manufacturers in Illinois during the first quarter was conducted. Out of the 587,000 workers, about 20 percent worked in companies with less than 49 employees, 50% worked in companies with 50-499 employees, and 3o percent worked in companies with more than 500 employees.
IMEC is a member of a nationwide network of organizations that support small and medium-scale manufacturers in a public-private partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The organization had a $12.4 million budget for fiscal 2019.
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