Have your sales been hit by import competition? If so, the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF) program may be able to help. For Ohio manufacturers, the program is managed by the Great Lakes Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (GLTAAC).
The TAAF program provides a customized recovery plan and up to $75,000 in matching funds for qualified firms. Here are some examples of recent TAAF co-funded activity by GLTAAC’s busy clients in the Dayton region:
Looking to further improve efficiency, this GLTAAC client chose to use TAAF co-funding for Yellow and Green Belt training. This supplier to the healthcare market selected a trusted consultant to provide on-site training, including hands-on exercises. The $15K project (funded 50% by TAAF) enabled the firm to take another step in its Lean journey.
A metal stamping firm just completed a $20K website redesign, with half paid for by the TAAF program. The manufacturer chose the consultant who worked with them to develop a website strategy, and then created the website and conducted training so ongoing updates can be performed by in-house employees. The GLTAAC client now has an SEO optimized, mobile-responsive website complete with videos and pages devoted to highlighting their capabilities.
Clients also use their TAAF funding for projects such as new product development, systems upgrades, and sales development. The goal of each effort is to increase the firm’s global competitiveness.
If import competition has hurt your sales, don’t put off learning more about GLTAAC. Just contact GLTAAC Project Manager, Scott Phillips at shphill@umich.edu or 734.787.7509. Scott can quickly review the TAAF program with you and help you determine if your firm would qualify.
To learn more about the GLTAAC process, visit the GLTAAC website.