DETROIT, MI — The U.S. Small Business Administration and General Motors will host a supplier matchmaking event in Detroit on June 5, aiming to connect small manufacturers and service providers with major corporate and government buyers as companies face growing pressure to strengthen domestic supply chains.
The event, scheduled for MotorCity Casino, will bring together small businesses and purchasing representatives from aerospace, defense, automotive, energy, technology and government organizations seeking suppliers for ongoing operations, according to the SBA.
The expo reflects a broader federal effort to increase domestic sourcing and manufacturing capacity by linking smaller firms with larger organizations that control procurement spending.
Confirmed buyers include General Motors, Boeing, Google, DTE Energy, American Rheinmetall, NASA’s Office of Small Business Programs, the Defense Logistics Agency, the Department of the Air Force, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Suppliers will be able to participate in one-on-one meetings with prospective customers and connect with federal, state and local organizations that provide support to manufacturers and other small businesses.
SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler stated that the agency’s first supplier matchmaking event demonstrated significant demand for direct connections between large purchasers and smaller firms.
“Large companies rely upon America’s small businesses every single day, from component manufacturing to business services,” Loeffler said. “That is why we saw over 170 small businesses benefit from our last Matchmaking Expo.”
The Detroit event follows the SBA’s inaugural Supplier Matchmaking Expo held in Charlotte, North Carolina, in March. The agency noted that more than 675 small businesses participated in that event, meeting with 35 large industrial buyers.
According to the SBA, more than 170 small businesses secured matches with larger companies during the Charlotte expo, providing an early measure of the program’s effectiveness in generating supplier relationships.
The June 5 event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern time. Registration for buyers and suppliers is available at suppliermatchmakingexpo.com.
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