“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

Colleagues,

I confess, I don’t know much about Antoine de Saint-Exupe’ry, but, I believe in his admonition that a team can talk about lofty goals, what should, could be done, but, there must be a plan to engage supporters and partners and keep the train moving on the tracks.

It is with this understanding that the Michigan Defense Center created the state’s first strategic plan in 2016, Protect and Grow.

The first thing that had to happen to move Michigan forward was to coordinate all of the agencies and high level decision-makers that touched all of the different components of defense in Michigan.

By creating a clear and prioritized path, state and federal leaders, regional and industry stakeholders were willing and able to support the state’s defense effort which included state funding.

This also allowed us the ability to coordinate federal resources and grants and created a great ROI for Michigan.

The next step was to build a network of stakeholders and partners around the state that would help us in building the recognition this sector deserves and to create the grass root effort in every part of the state. To do this, MDC developed the Defense Community Grant and offered funding for each economic region to identify and work with their companies, colleges and local leaders to create the eco-system that would allow defense companies and R&D to thrive.

These grants continue now as we support financially and work with partners in Mt. Pleasant, Wayne County, National Guard and others to build their local activities that fall under the MDC’s State of Michigan Protect and Grow 2.0 Initiative.

These efforts and the ground work that has been laid over the last 4 years has led to a significant rise in return on investment and in economic numbers.

The importance of unity of effort and partnerships together with a well thought out strategy cannot be understated–or underestimated.

In this edition of the Michigan Defense Center communication, you will be able to dive into the strategic plan, hear more about the implementation projects undertaken by the Michigan Defense Center and our partners around the state and how these projects and programs can assist and benefit your work.

We have determined that a comprehensive and executed strategic plan is a must for success…and, in the end the goal is to support Michigan’s defense companies, missions and community.

If you need support to increase your defense portfolio or are just beginning to consider defense as a business strategy, please check out our Online Resource Guide that lays out the steps to get you started. 

In addition to the Resource Guide, we encourage you to register your business on the Bid Targeting System (BTS).  BTS was developed by MDC exclusively for Michigan companies to provide business intelligence support that help companies better assess which contracting opportunities to pursue, as well as keep track of the status of current and past bids. 

We are proud to serve the men and women who wear our nation’s uniform and those of you who support our armed services with the tools and services they need to do their jobs safely. As always,contact the MDC team with question or comments at info@michigandefensecenter.org

Sincerely,
Vicki Selva