One of the Missouri Small Business & Technology Development Center’s great partners is a program called Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAA), which is a federal program that provides financial assistance to manufacturers affected by import competition. This program is funded by the Economic Development Administration within the U.S. Department of Commerce. That funding may be provided to pay up to 50 percent for technical assistance and other expertise that improves a manufacturer’s production and bottom line.

One recent real-world example comes from the Missouri program. The Mid-America TAA organization has provided assistance to a Joplin tool and die manufacturer with projects that include state-of-the art software for CAD, CAM, CMM inspection and DNC wireless control of the programs driving the machines throughout the shop. The assistance resulted in quality improvements and reduced lead time for the products.

Now the program is assisting the company with the implementation of ISO 9001:2008 to be completed in 2012, another milestone that will ensure that the company will continue to be more productive and competitive. In addition, TAA assistance enabled the company to purchase software and provide employee training on new equipment.

The ultimate result? Job increases of 30 percent and sales increases of 25 percent. This small company is on the path to some BIG successes.

Could this program help your company? Find out more by calling The Mid-America Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms Program at 800/551-8222.