Putting the Pedal to the Metal (and More) at LIFT

The new leader of Manufacturing USA’s lightweighting institute seeks small manufacturers with big ideas.

When he spoke to IndustryWeek in June, Nigel Francis had spent all of 10 days as CEO of LIFT, the Detroit-based Manufacturing USA institute focused on lightweighting innovation. But Francis already had more than a passing familiarity with the place, having been part of the team that put together the proposal to bring the Institute to Michigan in the first place.