Detroit, Michigan, October 6, 2017 – Two Manufacturing USA institutes, The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) (Knoxville, Tenn.), and LIFT- Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (Detroit, Mich.), celebrated Manufacturing Day on October 6, 2017, by cutting the ribbon on and hosting an open house at the new IACMI/LIFT manufacturing innovation facility in Detroit, MI. The event included more than 160 Detroit-area K-12 students participating in hands-on STEM activities, and comments from Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence, Michigan State University President Lou Anna K. Simon, and many other leadership stakeholders for both institutes.
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder cuts the ribbon at the opening of the new IACMI/LIFT manufacturing innovation facility in Detroit. From left: Michigan State University President Lou Anna K. Simon, Office of Naval Research Program Manager Johnnie Deloach, Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence, Senator Debbie Stabenow, Director of the IACMI Vehicle Scale Up Facility Ray Boeman, IACMI Interim CEO John Hopkins, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, Deputy Director of the Department of Energy Advanced Manufacturing Office Rob Ivester, LIFT Executive Director Lawrence Brown, LIFT Technology Development Committee Chair Jeffrey Nichols, and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.
The center houses the LIFT headquarters and the IACMI Vehicles Scale-Up Facility, the research and development hub for the IACMI Vehicles Technology Area. This event capped a near $50 million investment in world-class manufacturing equipment value and improvements to the Corktown facility, recognizing the future of innovative research in both composites and metals to be done there.