U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker today named the first 12 communities that will receive federal aid to attract global companies under the Obama administration's Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) initiative.
The first 12 IMCP Manufacturing Communities are:
● Southwest Alabama, led by the University of South Alabama.
● Southern California, led by the University of Southern California Center for Economic Development.
● Northwest Georgia, led by the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission.
● The Chicago metro region, led by the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development.
● South Kansas, led by Wichita State University.
● The Greater Portland region in Maine, led by the Great Portland Council of Governments.
● Southeastern Michigan, led by the Wayne County Economic Development Growth Engine.
● The New York Finger Lakes region, led by the City of Rochester.
● The Southwestern Ohio Aerospace Region, led by the City of Cincinnati.
● The Tennessee Valley, led by the University of Tennessee.
● The Washington Puget Sound region, led by the Puget Sound Regional Council.
● The Milwaukee 7 region, led by the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee.
The White House launched the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership initiative last September as a means to link federal agencies with local governments to make them more competitive in attracting foreign manufacturers and their supply chains.
The Commerce Department-led program is designed to accelerate the resurgence of manufacturing in communities across the United States by supporting the development of long-term economic development strategies that help communities attract and expand private investment in the manufacturing sector and increase international trade and exports.
"The 12 manufacturing communities announced today represent a diverse group of communities with the most comprehensive economic development plans to attract business investment that will increase their competitiveness," Pritzker said. "IMCP is a critical part of our 'Open for Business Agenda' to strengthen the American manufacturing sector and attract more investment to the United States."
Seventy communities applied for the program. The 12 winners were chosen by an interagency panel, based on the strength of their economic development plans, the potential for impact in their communities, and the depths of their partnerships across the public and private sector to carry out their plans.
