FedGov Screws Up Again - Manufacturing Grant Goes to Canton

**Mikeg** · February-24-14, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

When they spend this kind of money, it should be IN town, in the area that needs help, not out in YuppieVille that's already loaded with resources.

http://www.freep.com/article/2014022...anton-Township

"That kind of money" won't be spent in Canton. The $70 million federal grant, along with the matching private money, will be spent by the more than 50 companies, non-profits [[including Focus:Hope) and universities from throughout the U.S. that will be a part of American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute, which will have its administrative office located in Canton. All that Canton gets out of this is one less empty empty office building that will soon house the small number of managers and office workers that will be needed to dole out that grant money. The 10,000 jobs that will hopefully "materialize" from this initiative will be spread all across the Midwest, including Michigan.

**Wesley Mouch** · February-25-14, 07:57 AM

Canton residents are people too.

**313WX** · February-25-14, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Canton residents are people too.

No kidding!?

Could have fooled me!!! I thought they were aliens from Mars...

**iheartthed** · February-25-14, 08:42 AM

The manufacturing hub being built in Illinois is being located in Chicago...

President Barack Obama is satisfying a year-old pledge by announcing the creation of two Pentagon-led institutes that will combine public and private resources to foster manufacturing innovation.

One center will be in Obama's hometown of Chicago; the other will be outside Detroit.

http://www.freep.com/article/2014022...-one-in-Canton

**Honky Tonk** · February-25-14, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Canton residents are people too.

"Canton is made of PEOPLE!!!!"

[[reminds me of something.......)

**RO_Resident** · February-25-14, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by Mikeg

"That kind of money" won't be spent in Canton. The $70 million federal grant, along with the matching private money, will be spent by the more than 50 companies, non-profits [[including Focus:Hope) and universities from throughout the U.S. that will be a part of American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute, which will have its administrative office located in Canton. All that Canton gets out of this is one less empty empty office building that will soon house the small number of managers and office workers that will be needed to dole out that grant money. The 10,000 jobs that will hopefully "materialize" from this initiative will be spread all across the Midwest, including Michigan.

I think you are right on the money. The staffing plan:

Staffing Plan and Operations
ALMMII will be headquartered in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. The Team has three candidate sites. Upon contract award, ALMMII will enter into a lease for use of space in an existing building complex.

ALMMII will have four key employees, an Executive Director [[ED), Chief Technology Officer [[CTO), Chief Transition and Innovation Office [[CTIO), and Director of Workforce Development [[DWD). ALMMII will be required to hire some full-time staff and ALMMII will establish the required benefit plans and other key HR policies with support from EWI. Below is the proposed Org Chart for ALMMII and a depiction of the key functions for each key slot. EWI will provide the ED, UM the CTO, and Ohio State the CTIO. ALMMII will subcontract for the Director of Workforce Development with an existing not for profit.

ALMMII will have a minimum cadre of support staff on site in Michigan. The plan is to capitalize on the “back office” assets of EWI for business operations, financial management, contracts, and procurement. ALMMII will subcontract with EWI for these key services. This gives the Team the ability to start up on day one. The Business Manager for EWI will put the required capabilities in place. ALMMII, however, does expect to hire students from community colleges and four year universities as part of its staffing plan and to provide them with real world experience.

The grant required the universities to partner with a non-profit. EWI seems to have the experience to handle this type of work. The bulk of the work will be done at the partnering universities and other institutions.

I would be interested to find out what the other two candidate sites were.