Manufacturing Suppliers Seek New Business Partnerships at IMEC's November 12 Quad Cities Matchmaking Forum
Moline, Illinois (PRWEB) October 20, 2015 -- The Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC), Center for Industrial Research and Service at Iowa State (CIRAS) and the Quad Cities Manufacturing Innovation Hub through the Quad Cities Chamber will host its inaugural Manufacturing Matchmaking event for the Quad Cities at the iWireless Center located at 1201 River Drive, Moline, IL 61265 on Thursday, November 12, 2015. The event will give manufacturing organizations in the region the opportunity to network with potential customers and suppliers for their manufacturing process by sharing information, samples and more. Registration is open now through October 28th by visiting http://www.imec.org/events.cfm.
Participating manufacturers will have pre-scheduled “speed-networking” meetings with up to seven potential matches for fifteen minutes each. This fast-paced face time provides manufacturers with the opportunity to open doors and share information with companies they may not have met through regular sales and outreach channels.
“We are excited to team with IMEC and CIRAS to hold the Hub’s first official business-to-business event for our area manufacturers,” said Curt Burnett, Executive Director of the Quad Cities Manufacturing Innovation Hub. “We know there are significant opportunities for local manufactures to do more business regionally, they just need an efficient forum to make the connections, and that is what this event is all about.”
Additionally, the matchmaking event will open the doors for small and medium-sized manufacturers to meet with representatives from several of the region’s largest original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s). Gary Carlson, Vice President of Community Relations for HNI Corporation explains why this new event is a great opportunity for their organization. “Manufacturing is critical to the economy of Iowa and companies that service the midwest. The more suppliers we can identify in the region, the more attractive it becomes for future investment and growth. The Hub, along with organizations like IMEC and CIRAS can facilitate the recruitment and enhancement of successful local supply chains.”
The deadline to register is set for Wednesday, October 28 to accommodate the match facilitation process. All appointments are addressed on a first come, first served registration basis; organizers will try to accommodate all priority requests. For additional information, please visit http://www.imec.org/Events.cfm. Registration access is also available through the site.
Additional support for the event is provided by the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce and the Made in Illinois program – highlighting the diversity of products made in the state and celebrating the companies that manufacture them - http://www.madeinil.org/.
##
About CIRAS
The Center for Industrial Research and Service — CIRAS — is part of the College of Engineering and the Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations at Iowa State University. Since 1963 CIRAS has been partnering with Iowa companies and communities to help them prosper and grow. For more information visit http://www.ciras.iastate.edu/.
About IMEC
IMEC was established in 1996 with the goal of improving the productivity and competitiveness of Illinois’ small and mid-sized manufacturing firms. A non-profit economic development organization, IMEC is funded in part by the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and through fees paid by Illinois manufacturers for IMEC’s services. IMEC has 11 offices statewide and 40 full-time manufacturing improvement specialists. For more information visit http://www.imec.org/
About the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce
The Quad Cities Chamber is a champion for business and community growth in the region. For more information visit https://www.quadcitieschamber.com/.
About the Quad Cities Manufacturing Innovation Hub
The Quad Cities Manufacturing Innovation Hub helps regional manufacturers diversify, grow, and stay competitive. For more information visit https://www.quadcitieschamber.com/QCMIH.
Amy Fitzgerald, Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center, http://www.imec.org, +1 (309) 677-2977, [email protected]
Share this article