GRAND RAPIDS Automation Alley will bring its big consortium business tools to GLIMA, its state IT professional trade group acquired in 2002. At GLIMAs Annual Meeting Monday, Automation Alley Executive Director Ken Rogers announced export trade assistance and publication of press releases online two Automation Alley benefits will now be offered to the 700 GLIMA members in five Michigan cities.
Each GLIMA chapter Pontiac, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Flint and Traverse City also will be able to provide 18 GLIMA students memberships, courtesy the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The MEDC is eager to stem the IT brain drain from Michigans colleges and universities to the bright lights of Chicago, and other big cities on the West and East Coasts, where technology jobs are far more prevalent.
Whats more, Rogers announced at least two new GLIMA chapters will join the Network this year Ann Arbor and Lansing. Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan, while Lansing is home to Michigan State University. Both also are home to resident technology groups, the Ann Arbor IT Zone and Lansing Tech Connect. Whether there will be some GLIMA affiliation with either group was not disclosed.
GLIMA also is in talks to open chapters in Port Huron, Midland, Toledo, South Bend and even Windsor, Canada. Automation Alley acquired the rights to GLIMA in 2002, including the chapters in Pontiac and Grand Rapids, and has marketed the technology professional networking group hard since then. Since then, chapters in Kalamazoo, Flint and Traverse City have sprung up. Traverse City may even morph into a Petoskey-based chapter soon, officials said.
Members at existing and potential new GLIMA chapters will be able to post their press releases at GLIMAs web site, www.glima.org. Its a service now provided for Automation Alley companies at www.automationalley.com.
Automation Alley also will expand its export trade mission program to include GLIMA applicants. The Alley has taken five trade missions where member companies received heavy subsidies to defray travel costs. The program, run by Olympic Champion Hayes Jones has resulted in some $22 million in new business for Alley participants. The Export Centers doors now will be open to GLIMA members.
GLIMA also awarded its first Interactive Community Excellence Awards (ICE for short) at what the organization hopes will become an Annual Meeting. Click Here to see awards story.
