Pure Michigan Business Connect offers virtual Aerospace and Tech Summit to help Michigan businesses grow across the state

• U.P. company, Northern Wings Repair, receives Aerospace Supply Chain Achievement Award • MEDC partners with Aerospace Industry Association of Michigan to connect Michigan suppliers with global aerospace buyers • Pure Michigan Business Connect expands efforts to match buyers in sellers in virtual match-making summit

LANSING, Mich. –The Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Pure Michigan Business Connect (PMBC) initiative today brought together global aerospace companies looking to establish contracts with Michigan-based suppliers during the 2020 Aerospace and Tech Summit. This year’s virtual matchmaking event is PMBC’s third annual summit dedicated to growing the state’s aerospace and manufacturing industries.

“This virtual matchmaking event builds on the success of our initiative’s ability to identify and enable business opportunities for Michigan businesses of all sizes,” said Josh Hundt, Chief Business Development Officer and Executive Vice President for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “The 2020 Aerospace and Tech Summit brought together Michigan’s qualified and capable supply base with the global procurement ecosystem to grow businesses across the state.”

Pure Michigan Business Connect coordinated meetings on behalf of hundreds of Michigan-based companies with purchasing teams from 15 companies including Orbion Space Technology, Eaton Aerospace, RCO Aerospace, Gerald Ford International Airport Authority, Woodward, Liebherr Aerospace, L3 Harris, Jedco, Marposs, Parker, Textron, Lockheed Martin and Lockheed Martin Missiles, and Northern Wings Repair.

In total, 161 private 1:1 meetings were scheduled to discuss current and future partnership opportunities. These meetings could initiate discussions that result in new contracts and purchase orders which, if awarded to Michigan suppliers, will help enable economic prosperity and support job growth and investment.

At today’s summit, the Aerospace Supply Chain Achievement Award was presented to Northern Wings, located in Newberry, which is an AS9100 certified aerospace manufacturer and sticking distributor. Northern Wings provides certified materials and parts for commercial and military aircraft programs serving customers such as NASA, Boeing Aerospace, DLA, L-3 Technologies, Sierra Nevada Corporation, the U.S Park Service, the Department of Homeland Security and others. You can read more about Northern Wings <HERE>.

“The Aerospace Supply Chain Achievement Award is presented to a company that shows a willingness and ability to grow the Aerospace industry in Michigan,” noted Natalie Chmiko, VP PMBC and International Trade at the MEDC. “This year’s recipient also acts as a purchaser to build out its supply chain with as many Michigan companies as possible. Northern Wings has shown its ability to produce quality products for other larger suppliers and continues to actively bring on new in-state suppliers to purchase. We applaud Northern Wings and wish it continued success.”

“The Northern Wings team is honored to be recognized as the 2020 Aerospace Supply Chain Achievement Award, and we are very excited to see continued industry growth throughout Michigan,” mentioned Christopher Burger, Northern Wings Operations Manager

Pure Michigan Business connect has been matching buyers and sellers for nearly a decade. Over the course of that time, PMBC has created or retained more than 40,000 Michigan jobs through more than 200 matchmaking engagements that include national and international buyer procurement tours, in-state and national buyer/supplier facilities visits, supplier matchmaking summits, virtual matchmakers and more. Together, these have hosted more than 30,000 attendees. Engaging more than 830 global purchasers in 76 industries in these summits, some of the most respected and recognized brands in the world have participated, including: Boeing, the Big Three automakers, Google, Walmart and many more.

The virtual event is the latest effort of Pure Michigan Business Connect to support Michigan businesses as they are impacted by COVID-19. In April, PMBC awarded $1 million through its PMBC COVID-19 Emergency Access and Retooling Grants program to 12 small businesses and nonprofits around Michigan. The program is provided the funds to small manufacturers looking to retool and produce critical health and human service supplies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The funds could be used to support the purchase of equipment necessary to manufacture critical supplies, logistics and shipping costs of procuring necessary equipment, technology upgrades and other costs related to operationalizing new product lines.

PMBC also offers an online procurement platform to assist suppliers of critical health and human services across a broad range of categories access critical supplies and products as they respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. The platform makes virtual introductions between vetted businesses within the state providing supplies including food, medical devices, paper products, cleaning equipment and more.

These efforts are part of the 19 COVID-19 relief and recovery programs MEDC has launched since March that are expected to support up to 10,000 businesses in the state and help to retain more than 15,400 jobs across all 83 counties. To learn more about MEDC’s COVID-19 response programs and the impact they are having on economic recovery efforts, visit michiganbusiness.org/covid19response. Other resources for economic reopening efforts as well as businesses across Michigan struggling with economic losses as a result of the COVID-19 virus can be found online at michiganbusiness.org/covid19.

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn, and Twitter.