IMEC, Valley Industrial Association to Host Manufacturing Matchmaking Event in Northern Illinois This Fall
Naperville, Illinois (PRWEB) July 18, 2014 -- The Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC), a statewide nonprofit economic development organization, and the Valley Industrial Association (VIA), a regional trade association for northern Illinois manufacturers, will host their first Manufacturing Matchmaking event for northern Illinois at the NIU Naperville campus on Wednesday, September 23, 2014. The event will give manufacturing organizations from across the state the opportunity to network with potential customers and suppliers for their manufacturing process by sharing information, samples and more.
“Following the success of our inaugural matchmaking event this spring for downstate companies, it was important to bring the same one-on-one opportunities to the wealth of manufacturing firms in northern Illinois,” said David Boulay, President of IMEC. “Co-hosting the event with VIA to meet the needs of manufacturers just made sense – they’ve been a great partner and friend of manufacturing in the area.”
Organizers of Manufacturing Matchmaking, or speed networking, will set up companies with up to seven introductory meetings for fifteen minutes each. This provides manufacturers with the opportunity to open doors and share information with companies they may not have met through regular sales and outreach channels.
“Partnering with IMEC to bring this opportunity to manufacturers in northern Illinois is a win-win for all involved,” said Cindy Tomei, President of VIA. “In order to strengthen our regional economy, it makes sense for manufacturers to do business with others in the area. The success of this event can be the catalyst to similar programming in the future.”
The deadline to register is August 10, 2014 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.
The Manufacturing Matchmaking event is supported by the Made in Illinois program – highlighting the diversity of products made in the state and celebrating the companies that manufacture them - http://www.imec.org/Made-In-Illinois.cfm.
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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.
About Valley Industrial Association
The Valley Industrial Association (VIA) is exclusively for manufacturers and those businesses in Northern Illinois which serve manufacturing in the Fox Valley area, including Kane, Kendall, DeKalb and Western DuPage counties. A regional trade association for manufacturers, providing an environment for companies to connect locally with their peers and gain insightful business practices from companies they trust.
Amy Fitzgerald, Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center, http://www.imec.org, +1 (309) 677-2977, [email protected]
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