KALAMAZOO – The Tool and Die initiative which began in January as a project spearheaded by Southwest Michigan First and Accu-Mold, Inc., is gaining momentum. Industry leaders have continued to meet and discuss the future of this critical industry to our region. Two additional meetings are currently planned for March.
Forming a Local Tool & Die Collaborative
This planning meeting will be held at KVCC?s M-TEC, located in The Groves Business Park. This mandatory meeting for companies interested in participating in a local collaborative will meet on Monday, March 21 at 4 p.m. The goal of this group is to establish a formal collaborative and apply for Tool & Die Recovery Zone tax relief approval. M-TEC is located at 7107 Elm Valley Drive in Kalamazoo. To RSVP contact Kellie LaDuke, Southwest Michigan First, (269) 553-9588.
Software Feasibility Workgroup
M-TEC will also be host to a workgroup session targeting engineering/design software issues that continue to be a source of concern for regional tool and die shops. The Software Feasibility Workgroup is meeting to review these issues and explore solutions, which will be presented to software developers interested in partnering on this regional industry initiative. This event is scheduled for March 23 from 3:30 to 5:00 pm at M-TEC (see above for address information). Please RSVP to Kellie LaDuke, Southwest Michigan First at (269) 553-9588.
For more information on the Southwest Michigan Tool & Die Initiative, contact Initiative Chairperson Bill Berghuis of Liberty Molds at (269) 327-0997.
