MMA Blog

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• MetLife + MMA

  May 10, 2026    63

  Administered by MMA and sold through independent brokers or agents, the MMA-MetLife employee benefits program includes options for life, vision, dental, long-term disability, short-term disability and accidental death or dismemberment insurance.
  

• Industry Member Spotlight: Alkuhme

  May 10, 2026    62

  Alkuhme is behind 400 everyday products on store shelves throughout the country — but you wouldn’t know it. Read how they pair efficiency, scientific expertise, an innovative spirit and dedication to the health of consumers.
  

• Premium Associate Member Spotlight: Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center

  May 10, 2026    59

  Manufacturing businesses have several needs in common: to adopt technology, better manage supply chains, boost operational efficiency and leverage leadership development opportunities for their teams. There are many avenues businesses can take to address these challenges and the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (Center) can help.
  

• Resilience Amidst Uncertainty

  May 10, 2026    58

  Being steps ahead of potential issues is key to minimizing disruptions in the face of a turbulent political and economic climate. Learn how to identify some of those issues from members Miller Canfield and Rehmann.
  

• Bridging Quality and Technology

  May 10, 2026    57

  Digital transformation doesn’t fail because of bad technology. It fails because it isn’t integrated into how the plant runs. When technology is grounded in real problems, supported by leadership and reinforced through process discipline, it delivers. That’s how manufacturers turn investment into performance.
  

• Brand Visibility for Manufacturers: Why PR Matters

  May 10, 2026    59

  Sales still matter but how you prime the market before sales enter the conversation is often the difference between growth and decline.
  

• Manufacturing Cost Intelligence in Action

  May 10, 2026    50

  Cost intelligence moves beyond traditional spend reporting. Rather than simply showing what was spent and with whom, it connects spend visibility across plants and business units with category-level insight, supplier fragmentation analysis, internal buying behavior and external benchmarks. The result is a prioritized view of realistic savings opportunities and a clear roadmap for action.
  

• Goodwill Integrated Solutions - 2025 Manufacturing Community Impact

  April 21, 2026    830

  With heart for the community and the ability to empower people that live in it, Goodwill Integrated Solutions is the epitome of a Manufacturing Community Impact Award winner.
  

• MMA Helps Members Maximize Use of Michigan’s Going PRO Talent Fund

  April 14, 2026    309

  MMA’s Workforce Solutions team has been helping Michigan manufacturers leverage Going PRO funds since MMA launched the division in April 2022. One of the key ways we’ve done this is through promotion of and assistance with applying for Going PRO Employer Led Collaborative (ELC) funding.
  

• Operations Is the Real Ecommerce Strategy

  March 13, 2026    399

  Ecommerce success in manufacturing depends on operational clarity, not technology. Digital tools expose process gaps—unclear pricing, inconsistent workflows and manual exceptions. High‑performing firms define ownership, rules and repeat‑order flows before launching platforms. When leadership aligns processes first, ecommerce scales reliably; when it doesn’t, technology simply mirrors the confusion.
  

• One Big Beautiful Bill Act: International Tax Strategy

  March 27, 2026    387

  U.S. businesses operating globally have long wrestled with the complexities of cross-border taxation. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law in July 2025, brings clarity and permanence to several key international tax provisions originally introduced under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). For CFOs, tax directors, and executive leaders, the changes represent both a stabilizing force in international tax planning and a new baseline for long-term compliance.
  

• Treat AI as a Team Member, Not a Tool

  March 26, 2026    392

  Manufacturers gain far more value when AI is treated as an integrated team member rather than a standalone tool. Research shows role-based, cross-functional AI that reshapes workflows and organizational design delivers compounding, transformative results, while isolated pilots produce only incremental gains.
  

• One Way Clutch - Means Industries, an Amsted Automotive Company - 2025 Export of the Year

  March 24, 2026    862

  Saginaw-based Means Industries, an Amsted Automotive company, is known worldwide for its One-Way and Selectable One-Way Clutches. Because it is bringing worldwide attention to Michigan’s automotive expertise — all while contributing to the local economy — Means Industries has been awarded the 2025 Michigan Manufactured Export of the Year Award in recognition of its innovative clutch assembly.
  

• Airborne Monitoring Programs: Ensuring Compliance with OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits

  March 16, 2026    547

  Industrial workplaces generate airborne hazards requiring personal exposure monitoring to meet OSHA PELs. Recent lead and silica cases show severe health, legal, and financial consequences of poor controls. Comprehensive monitoring identifies high-risk tasks, verifies engineering controls, protects worker health, ensures compliance, and reduces liability while supporting safer, resilient manufacturing operations.
  

• Cost to Make, Cost to Move: Manufacturing in a Tariff-Driven, High-Energy World

  March 13, 2026    704

  Manufacturers face a permanently higher cost base driven by tariffs, energy, carbon pricing and logistics disruption. Firms are shifting production footprints, redesigning supply chains and prioritizing total cost of ownership. Success in 2026 requires tariff‑aware planning, energy strategy, resilient logistics, risk‑focused supplier management and integrated cost intelligence for future competitiveness.
  

• Supreme Court Rules on Tariffs: What Comes Next for Manufacturers

  February 26, 2026    926

  Michigan’s manufacturing economy relies on fair, open and stable trade rules to fuel growth, support high-wage jobs, strengthen supply chains and attract long-term investment. Tariffs can be an effective and appropriate tool when used in a targeted way. However, the sweeping and continually changing tariffs implemented since April 2025 have created profound uncertainty, disrupted supply chains, increased costs and threatened our competitiveness.
  

• Advocating for Manufacturing in a Critical Election Year

  February 25, 2026    545

  Elections set the structure of the government, and the structure impacts policy. Learn how manufacturers can influence the future business climate .
  

• EnStar Energy LLC: Energy Brokers and Consultants

  February 25, 2026    466

  What has your company done to improve the efficiency of its energy usage? Don Johns, President of Lansing-based EnStar Energy, says manufacturers often save thousands per year after they thoroughly analyze their energy bills and the energy efficiency of their energy-using equipment.
  

• Premium Associate Member Spotlight: Conn Maciel Carey

  February 25, 2026    525

  With its Michigan office in Troy, Conn Maciel Carey represents employers in any interaction with workplace safety regulatory agencies, including MIOSHA, federal OSHA, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration and the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.
  

• MMA Expands Workforce Solutions Portfolio with Tooling U-SME Partnership

  February 25, 2026    502

  MMA has significantly expanded its curated portfolio of workforce development solutions with the addition of Tooling U-SME, a nationally recognized leader in manufacturing training and competency-based learning. This new partnership enhances the MMA Training Center’s robust suite of solutions and training resources designed to help Michigan manufacturers attract, develop and retain a highly skilled workforce — a critical priority in today’s rapidly evolving manufacturing landscape.
  

• Board Member Spotlight: Matt Carr, Storch® Products Company

  February 25, 2026    475

  By working together to keep the industry relevant and competitive in Michigan, that’s what MMA and its members are helping to make possible, he says. That’s why Matt Carr, president of Storch Products Company, didn’t hesitate when MMA President & CEO John Walsh invited him to serve on the MMA Service Corp Board of Directors.
  

• Advocacy Starts on the Factory Floor

  February 25, 2026    467

  Organizations like MMA play a strong role in representing manufacturers at the state and regional level. That work matters. At the same time, manufacturers advocate for their future every day through decisions about systems, workflows and customer experience.
  

• Industry Member Spotlight: Storch® Products Company

  February 6, 2026    987

  Based in Livonia, 74-year-old Storch® Products Company specializes in engineered magnetic solutions, including the manufacturing of magnetic conveyors and magnetic sweepers, as well as designing and supplying more than 400 million custom, made-to-order magnets for other manufacturers’ products.
  

• Michigan’s New Tax Landscape: A Guide for Manufacturers

  February 5, 2026    1414

  This year, completing your 2025 tax returns won’t be a matter of copy-pasting your federal numbers onto your state forms. MMA member Rehmann breaks down what’s different and shares some proactive strategies you can use to prepare — and potentially lower your tax liability.
  

• Amsted Automotive - 2025 Manufacturer of the Year (Large Tier)

  November 21, 2025    1730

  With deep roots in Michigan, a far-reaching impact on the industry and a spirit of innovation and community stewardship, Amsted Automotive has earned the John G. Thodis Michigan Manufacturer of the Year Award – Large Tier honor.
  

• William H. Dobbins - Caster Concepts - 2025 Manufacturing Lifetime Achievement

  November 21, 2025    2060

  For his journey from physician to manufacturing titan, coupled with his unwavering commitment to the Albion community, reflect a lifetime of personal and professional success, William H. Dobbins is the 2025 Manufacturing Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
  

• Lisa Renee Conn - Llink Technologies - 2025 Manufacturing Woman of the Year

  November 21, 2025    1918

  Lisa Renee Conn is recognized as a 2025 Manufacturing Woman of the Year for her ability to leverage hands-on manufacturing experience and strategic vision to drive meaningful transformation for the industry and people who work in it.
  

• Laurie Harbour - Wipfli - 2025 Manufacturing Woman of the Year

  November 21, 2025    2410

  Laurie Harbour is recognized as a 2025 Manufacturing Women of the Year for her steadfast advocacy for women in manufacturing and tireless work for the viability of manufacturing businesses throughout Michigan.
  

• Bekum America Apprenticeship Program - 2025 Manufacturing Talent Champion

  November 21, 2025    2582

  Bekum America is recognized as the 2025 Manufacturing Talent Champion for trailblazing manufacturing talent for decades, developing a strong workforce for their own success and the long-term strength of Michigan’s manufacturing industry.
  

• Zackery Bishop - 4 Flutes Machining - 2025 Manufacturing Emerging Leader

  November 21, 2025    3699

  Zackery Bishop is as a 2025 Manufacturing Emerging Leader for his leadership that inspires, action that delivers and heart for service that uplifts others.
  

• Olivia Ostrander - Powell Fabrication & Manufacturing LLC - 2025 Manufacturing Emerging Leader

  November 21, 2025    1749

  Olivia Ostrander's commitment to the community, the viability of other manufacturing businesses and the education of future professionals earned her the 2025 Manufacturing Emerging Leader award.
  

• Avoid Bad Hires: A Proven 7-Step Hiring Roadmap

  October 22, 2025    4393

  If you find it challenging to source and hire quality talent or are experiencing a trend where new employees are not the right fit for your culture, you are not alone. MMA member Clark Schaefer Hackett provides a seven-step process will help you identify candidates that are a better fit for the culture of your organization and will help you build a stronger team with higher retention.
  

• Manufacturing Technology Mutual Insurance Company: Workers’ Compensation and Safety

  October 10, 2025    3119

  MMA partner and workers' comp provider Manufacturing Technology Mutual Insurance Company (MTM) provides discounted coverage and services to MMA members to help reduce costs, increase worker safety and more.
  

• Total Security Solutions: Proactively Identifying Strengths and Skills in New Hires

  October 10, 2025    1197

  Acclimating new employees into a company’s internal culture starts on the day they are hired — but recognizing candidates who have the passion to work with the team in such a manner starts long before that. Read how Total Security Solutions has taken this concept to a new level by formalizing and streamlining this talent acquisition process.
  

• Premium Associate Member Spotlight: Human Element

  October 10, 2025    4522

  Manufacturers have countless options for e-commerce platforms and marketing solutions there is much more involved in creating an optimal purchasing platform than meets the eye. The technology and ingenuity behind the scenes are what drive results and MMA member Human Element can help.
  

• Industry Member Spotlight: Hanson International

  October 10, 2025    4264

  Throughout Hanson International’s nearly 60-year legacy, the team has helped manufacturers resolve a wide variety of issues and has developed the expertise to help solve them quickly. Read how Hanson provides manufacturers with solutions that reduce downtime, improve efficiency and enhance product quality.
  

• Working Side by Side to Advance Manufacturing Innovation

  October 10, 2025    1318

  In Michigan’s vibrant manufacturing world, innovation is being accomplished every day through thousands of partnerships and supplier relationships that are essential to the industry. Read how Boxed Water, Formic, GTF Technologies and Mission Design & Automation are achieving their goals together.
  

• GTF Technologies - 2024 Manufacturing Innovation Excellence

  October 10, 2025    2488

  GTF Technologies earned the 2024 Manufacturing Innovation Excellence Award for its bold, transformative vision behind RENU™ which dries and micronizes food waste, excess foods or irregular foods within seconds. And the Ada-based company isn’t stopping there; they have been delving into using it to develop biodegradable packaging as well.
  

• Key Ballot Proposals Aimed at Michigan’s 2026 Election

  October 10, 2025    2958

  Several potential ballot initiatives aiming for the 2026 election could have lasting effects on the state’s business climate. For manufacturers, the stakes are clear: the progressive income tax proposal and political contribution limits could both undermine competitiveness, restrict free speech and reduce Michigan’s appeal as a place to grow and invest.
  

• MMA’s Bill Rayl Honored as Race to Talent™ Champion

  October 10, 2025    1756

  Bill Rayl, MMA Executive Director of Workforce Solutions, has been recognized as a Race to Talent™ Registered Apprenticeship Champion by the Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium.
  

• MMA-MetLife Insurance Connect

  October 10, 2025    4187

  MMA, in partnership with MetLife, works to hold rates as low as possible through excellent program management and aggressive loss control initiatives. The new Employee Navigator is a simple and affordable integrated online enrollment plantform that automates your MetLife benefits enrollment process.
  

• Practical Strategies to Drive Operational Improvement

  October 10, 2025    1428

  MMA member CoffeeTree Group provides four strategies for enabling increased output or if you are simply looking to drive efficiencies and improved cash flow with your current operations.
  

• Protecting Your Company from Avoidable Unemployment Costs

  October 10, 2025    1078

  Employers must ensure that staff is prepared to put your company in a prime position to defend against an unemployment claim. It starts at the hiring process and continues throughout the employment term and, if necessary, through litigation. Work with your HR team or human resources provider to keep that money in your company’s ledger.
  

• Palisades Restart Marks Historic First for U.S. Nuclear Power

  October 9, 2025    3650

  In a milestone for the nation’s energy future, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved Holtec International’s licensing package to reauthorize power operations at the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Covert Township.
  

• MiUI: New UIA System Launching in December

  September 22, 2025    10208

  The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) is transitioning to a new Unemployment Insurance system. The new MiUI system represents a significant modernization that will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of Michigan’s unemployment insurance program.
  

• Building the Manufacturing Mind: Turning Curiosity Into Careers

  September 15, 2025    1540

  Manufacturing today faces a challenge bigger than technology or supply chains — it’s about people. The future depends on how well we cultivate the mindsets of young learners who may one day become our technicians, trades workers and innovators
  

• Why Tech Talent and Manufacturing Need Each Other Right Now

  September 15, 2025    1590

  Recent tech industry layoffs have left a deep pool of highly skilled professionals looking for their next opportunity. At the same time, manufacturers across the U.S. are striving to modernize their operations but struggling to find the talent to do it. This convergence creates a rare moment of mutual benefit.
  

• Health Care Affordability: A Growing Threat to Michigan Employers

  September 15, 2025    1585

  For more than a century, Michigan’s manufacturing sector has been a driving force behind our state’s economy. Today, rising health care costs are slowing the gears of profit and progress, and making it harder for manufacturers and other businesses to stay competitive.
  

• Retaining Manufacturing Personnel with Practical Solutions

  September 15, 2025    1649

  You can boost employee retention by focusing on three key areas: providing clarity, supporting managers and offering opportunities for growth. These are the things employees value most — reasons to stay with your company.
  

• Make Yourself Irreplaceable in a World Dominated by Artificial Intelligence!

  September 15, 2025    1456

  AI has made knowledge a commodity. If you’re still sitting in classes trying to learn theories and models you’re falling behind. That was our parents’ world! Our world today requires you to be a strategic thinker who can confidently ask the questions needed to exploit the knowledge at your disposal.
  

• Understanding the One Big Beautiful Bill: Implications for American Manufacturing

  August 28, 2025    2847

  The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), enacted on 7/4/25, represents a comprehensive legislative initiative that’s poised to influence the landscape of American manufacturing. This bill introduces a range of policies that aim to support domestic production, competitiveness and resilience of the U.S. industrial base. MMA member Rehmann highlights several key tax provisions expected to influence investment in American manufacturing.
  

• Agentic Commerce Is Coming to B2B: Are You Ready for the Shift?

  August 12, 2025    6769

  For distributors and manufacturers, this evolution to autonomous AI agents is both a challenge and a massive opportunity. If your systems and product data aren’t accessible to these new interfaces, you’ll be invisible. But if you get on board soon, you’ll gain first-mover advantages in speed, automation and discoverability across a new generation of intelligent buyer interfaces.
  

• Chelsea Milling Company: Evolving the Workplace into a Place of Personal and Professional Development

  August 11, 2025    2664

  “JIFFY” Mix, the iconic brand born from Chelsea Milling Company (CMC), is known for its beloved corn muffin mix in the “little blue box.” “JIFFY” Mix is often at the scene of birthdays and holiday celebrations — inciting memories of comfort, togetherness and joyful moments.. Born and bred in Chelsea, Chelsea Milling Company is not just a place to work — it has been cleverly designed as the place where people come to grow, personally and professionally.
  

• Prometis Partners: Exit Planning Strategies Capitalize on Long-Term Value

  August 11, 2025    2207

  Manufacturers who wish to retire, sell their businesses or transfer ownership should begin exit planning five years prior to the transition. MMA partner Prometis Partners helps MMA members ask the right questions and prepare.
  

• Industry Member Spotlight: United States Gypsum

  August 11, 2025    5447

  Interview with Sarah Messa, Plant Manager at United States Gypsum (USG) River Rouge.
  

• Sustainable Solutions Contribute to More Than Efficient Processes

  August 11, 2025    2356

  Sustainability, alternative fuel, sustainable energy and net zero aren’t just buzzwords to MMA members Amrize, Consumers Energy and Nexteer Automotive. Read how these manufacturers are leading the way by integrating these principles into their operations.
  

• Premium Associate Member Spotlight: Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority

  July 21, 2025    2107

  After 25 years of work between Canada and the United States, Michigan will see a second international bridge crossing between Detroit and Windsor. The Gordie Howe International Bridge will have a major impact on Michigan manufacturers that transport goods to Canada by not only providing another access point but also incorporating advanced technology to impact commercial traffic flow.
  

• Q&A with MTM President Megan Brown

  August 11, 2025    6083

  Manufacturing Technology Mutual Insurance Company (MTM), MMA’s workers’ compensation partner, has been protecting workers and empowering manufacturers for 45+ years. Learn how they continue to evolve with the needs of Michigan’s manufacturers in this Q&A with MTM President Megan Brown.
  

• Next in Line: How Case Systems is Developing Tomorrow’s Manufacturing Leaders Today

  August 11, 2025    3021

  In an industry that relies heavily on skilled labor, knowledge transfer and operational excellence, workforce talent development is no longer optional — it’s mission-critical. Read how Case Systems and BOSTONtec is leading a transformative approach to preparing the next generation of talent.
  

• MMA Leads Push for Biodigester Expansion as Smart, Cost-Saving Solution for Michigan Manufacturers

  August 11, 2025    2334

  MMA is championing the expansion of anaerobic biodigesters as a powerful tool to cut costs, improve resource efficiency and strengthen Michigan’s manufacturing sector. As part of our ongoing leadership in promoting practical, market-driven innovations, we are calling for regulatory modernization that will help unlock the full potential of this proven technology.