Curtains Up!.. From the Desk of Executive Director Larry Brown

From the desk of Executive Director Larry Brown

After three and a half years as an institute, and after a full year of construction, it is finally time to raise the curtain on our applied research and development lab here in Detroit.

In September, we were thrilled to be able to give our members a special preview of the high bay and the equipment installed there. In October, as part of the national Manufacturing Day celebration, we are proud to open our doors for a public open house to show off our headquarters to the broader Detroit and Michigan communities.

Without the support of the City of Detroit and Mayor Duggan, the State of Michigan and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, our federal partners in the Department of Defense and Office of Naval Research, and our industry members, we would not be where we are today.

So on behalf of our team, I want to thank them for everything they have done to support us in our efforts to bring this building to life.

This facility represents the future of manufacturing in this country. It is here where we will develop and transition new innovations into the marketplace. While we are working on just one technology – lightweight metals – we are driving innovation and encouraging students to look at manufacturing as a career choice.

It is here where the future of the transportation industry will reside. Examining the structure of the vehicles and the processes by which they are made, we will be able to make vast improvements in their weight. Providing our warfighters with more flexibility in the field when their vehicles and other equipment is lighter and more mobile.
It is here where we will educate the workforce of the future, giving them a look at manufacturing in 2017 and encouraging them to continue their education down that path.

We are just getting started in our journey toward changing an industry, and we look forward to all of you joining us.

All In The Family

There is nothing quite like getting the family back together. That was how I felt when we hosted our 3rd Annual LIFT All Members meeting in Dearborn last month.

The meeting gave everyone involved with LIFT the chance to catch up with each other and see what is going on in other areas of the institute – from technology projects to education and workforce development.

While we live in a fast-paced, digital world, there is nothing quite like a face-to-face conversation. I want to thank all of our members who took the time from their schedules to join us for those few days.