COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Department of Commerce abruptly suspended millions in funding intended to support Ohio’s manufactures, citing a federal review of the program that could take years to resolve.
The Department of Commerce said the funding is paused due to an ongoing Office of Inspector General review of Ohio’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership. The Inspector General’s multi-year audit was not provided to MEP offices ahead of the abrupt funding freeze. Without immediate restoration of the annual $6.6 million grant, the Ohio Manufacturers Association said multiple MEP programs will shutter by the end of the year.
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Ohio MEP helps Ohio’s small and medium-sized manufacturers in every part of the state, with 14,000 manufacturers supported each year. According to the central Ohio MEP branch, MEP was created in 1988 and has generated 24,000 Ohio jobs since 2020.
“MEPs play a critical role for Ohio’s small and mid-sized manufacturers, the lifeblood of the state’s economy,” Ryan Augsburger, Ohio Manufacturing Association president, said. “Abrupt funding cuts put jobs, competitiveness and local supply chains at risk.”…