Displaying items by tag: Michigan Manufacturers Association

GRAND RAPIDS — After a decade of growth in manufacturing, the sector still finds itself having to defend its worth to parents and high school counsellors.

GRAND RAPIDS — Hourly workers at Micron Manufacturing Co. are making an average of 7 percent more in wages than they were a year ago.

The Michigan Manufacturers Association is seeking nominations of high-performing Michigan companies and individuals for its first-ever awards showcase dedicated to excellence in the state’s manufacturing sector.

Ask manufacturing executives about their biggest challenges and they’ll most likely sum it up in one word: talent. As Michigan’s unemployment rate continues to shrink, manufacturers have struggled to attract and retain people, especially the in-demand skilled workers they need to run their highly automated plants. The Lansing-based Michigan Manufacturers Association has heeded its members’ call by partnering with the SME Education Foundation and the Manufacturing Institute on a new talent solution, said MMA President and CEO Chuck Hadden. SME’s Partnership Response In Manufacturing Education (PRIME) initiative offers customizable curricula, while the Institute’s “Dream It Do It” program provides a framework for manufacturers to communicate more effectively with educators. 

LANSING — The Michigan Economic Development Corp. could expand its toolbox of incentives under a proposed payroll tax abatement program.

LANSING — Sweeping energy policy reform that has taken nearly two years to move through the state Legislature could face a contentious debate during the remaining days of the post-election lame duck session.

KALAMAZOO — Researchers at the Michigan Geological Survey hope a state grant will better position government, businesses and other stakeholders to understand the natural resources that lie under the ground. 

Anew ruling aimed at giving more salaried workers access to overtime pay may have negative consequences for West Michigan companies and could ultimately end up hurting workers, despite the best of intentions. 

Gov. Rick Snyder has approved a package of bills designed to clarify the process for manufacturers filing personal property tax (PPT) exemptions.

When voters repealed Michigan’s personal property tax for manufacturers in 2014, it was hailed as a major victory in a prolonged fight by the business community to revamp the state’s tax code.