Programs & Services

To be globally competitive, manufacturers must:

1. Be Innovative- committed to designing and producing the highest quality products using the most advanced technology

2. Embrace Lean Principles- continuously improve their manufacturing process using lean enterprise techniques to keep costs low and productivity high

3. Invest in their Workforce- provide the education and workforce training needed by all workers, from leadership training and peer support for the CEO to technical training for the shop floor

4. Expand into New Markets- look at globalization as an opportunity to make themselves stronger through benchmarking, sourcing and new customer development.

5. Prepare for Ownership or Management Succession - understand and plan for the organization's future ownership and management by structuring the company's long term succession plan.

While achieving these 5 characteristics presents a hurdle for the region's aging industrial base, there is a free or low-cost tax-payer supported solution in our community for nearly every challenge a manufacturer faces in becoming an advanced, globally competitive company. The challenge is that these tax-payer supported programs are highly fragmented and difficult for manufacturers to identify and use. The Alliance for Illinois manufacturing helps connect manufacturers with the technical support and financial resources they need to succeed.

The Alliance helps manufacturers transform through the Manufacturing Leadership Program, a multi-step process that helps clients develop and implement strategies for business renewal and growth through the assessment of business needs & opportunities and the implementation of focused, strategic solutions that match goals for business growth with non- profit and taxpayer supported grants, loans, incentives and business services. The Manufacturing Leadership Program culminates in a customized Strategic Roadmap that matches the manufacturing client's business goals with a prioritized set of solutions designed to help reduce operating costs, improve operations, plan for innovation and expand the customer base. This program is offered in partnership with NORBIC's Illinois Small Business Development Center and is provided at no charge to Illinois manufacturers.

Once a manufacturer completes the Manufacturing Leadership Program, the Alliance can help manage the implementation of their Strategic Roadmap by providing counseling, coordinating technical resources, assisting with applications for financing and providing grant funds for business improvements. Depending on the needs of the manufacturing client, solutions may be provided by an external resource provider, or through the following Alliance partnerships:

Innovation Solutions- A partnership with Mc2 Solutions offers manufacturers an Innovation Track that delivers a no-charge assessment of the product development process, a 2-day training workshop and on-going coaching in the product development area.

Lean Enterprise Solutions- The Chicago Manufacturing Center STARR Solutions program helps manufacturers reduce costs and improve productivity through lean office, lean job shop, lean factory, green supplier network, quality and supply chain initiatives. Additional lean training is offered through the Association for Manufacturing Excellence.

Market & Customer Development Solutions- Offered in partnership with Chicago Community Ventures, the Alliance Marketing & Customer Development Track offers structured peer learning and consulting assistance in identifying new customers and expanding sales to existing customers. NORBIC's Illinois International Trade Center, NAFTA Opportunity Center, and Procurement Technical Assistance Center also work in partnership with the Alliance to help manufacturers develop strategies to increase their international and government sales.

Management Leadership Solutions- Through its partnerships with the University of Illinois at Chicago Family Business Council and the Loyola Family Business Center, the Alliance helps family businesses and other closely held companies achieve their business goals through a unique peer-support system and related educational programs that provide growth strategies for chief executives, their families, and their businesses.

Workforce Development Solutions- Offered in partnership with Instituto del Progreso Latino, Chicago Federation of Labor Workers Assistance Committee, City of Chicago and the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, the Alliance offers training needs assessments, training plans, employee placement services and employee training grants to assist Northeast Illinois manufacturers in developing their workforce.

Recycling Expansion & Modernization Solutions- Offered in partnership with the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, the Alliance offers matching grant dollars to manufacturers seeking to fund the cost of assessments related to solid waste reduction and recycling market expansion.

While most services are offered at no charge, clients seeking certain grant funding or requiring project management support in implementing their Strategic Roadmap may be asked to become a supporting organization of the Alliance at the annual $1,250 level.

Alliance for Illinois Manufacturing services are made possible by Alliance partners, funded in part through cooperative agreements with th U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, the U.S. Department of Defense, the City of Chicago, and corporate and foundation partners.