New Grant Award Allows IMEC to Help McHenry County Manufacturers Rebound from the Pandemic and Reinvent to Become More Globally Competitive

Through a funding award from McHenry County Board, IMEC will provide funded projects and technical support to position McHenry manufacturers to thrive in the post-pandemic economy.

MCHENRY COUNTY, Ill., July 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IMEC has received the Advance McHenry Manufacturing grant to help boost local manufacturing. As part of a larger initiative, this grant allows IMEC to provide funded projects, technical assistance, and training solutions that will equip McHenry County manufacturers to rebound from the pandemic, refine processes, and build resilience against business disruptions.

"McHenry County manufacturers are at the heart of our communities and our economy. These grants will ensure that as these businesses evolve past the pandemic's disruptions, they can emerge even more competitive. MCWN is proud to team up with IMEC and McHenry County College to support our manufacturers that propel our local and state economies forward." – Jeffery Poynter, Director – McHenry County Workforce Network Board.

Companies can choose from a variety of projects designed to help put systems in place that will ensure local manufacturing continues to thrive in McHenry County. They focus on improving operations, leadership, growth, and workforce.

"This is a great opportunity for McHenry County manufacturers to plant seeds of innovation that will help them strengthen resilience for turbulent times and build global competitiveness. IMEC is proud to provide the support in this endeavor and look forward to continued partnership with the county to contribute to the state's economic development." – David Boulay, Ph.D. President – IMEC.

Manufacturers located in McHenry County with less than 500 employees are eligible to apply for one a project that will help them:

• Improve Operations
• Lead the Company
• Grow the Business
• Focus on People

For more information about the Advance McHenry Manufacturing grant, project details, or how to apply for a fully-funded project, visit https://www.imec.org/advancemchenry/ or email Kristy Johns.

IMEC is a team of improvement specialists who are dedicated to changing lives and creating a positive impact on Illinois' workforce and economy. With a mission to drive growth through enterprise excellence, they help organizations become more effective and efficient by identifying issues, developing and implementing solutions, and providing the necessary support that will allow them to excel in areas of leadership, strategy, customer engagement, operations, workforce, and measurement and results. In 2021, they assisted over 1,600 companies and help create or retain over 5,679 jobs, resulting in over $450M aggregate impact to the Illinois economy.  IMEC has seven offices statewide and 48 full-time industry improvement specialists. For more information, visit www.imec.org.

IMEC is one of the 51 MEP Centers in the US and Puerto Rico.  MEP Centers are part of the MEP National Network, which includes the National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP) and over 1000 manufacturing experts at over 400 service locations, with the tools and resources to help US manufacturers succeed and advance US Manufacturing. Being that each Center is a public-private partnership, they are able to connect manufacturers with government agencies, universities and research facilities, trade associations and many more resources that foster growth and innovation. In 2021, The MEP National Network helped manufacturers created and retain over 125,000 jobs. Find your local MEP Center here.

SOURCE IMEC