The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, the state’s principal provider of small business assistance, and FloridaMakes have renewed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to support Florida’s small manufacturers.
The Florida SBDC Network and FloridaMakes have nourished a longstanding partnership. Through this MOU, the two will continue their partnership to provide greater access to and awareness of Florida SBDC Network and FloridaMakes training and resources for small manufacturers in Florida. The agreement will foster greater communication, cross-referrals, understanding of each other’s services, and collaboration on training and programs for small manufacturers across the state.
“FloridaMakes’ long commitment to strengthen and advance Florida’s economy by improving the productivity and technological performance of small manufacturers compliments our mission of ensuring our state’s small businesses have the expertise and resources to succeed,” said Greg Britton, state director of the Florida SBDC Network. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with FloridaMakes to help more of our state’s small manufacturers grow and create more good paying jobs for Florida’s families.”
“The vast majority of Florida’s manufacturers are small businesses,” said Kevin Carr, CEO of FloridaMakes. “The Florida SBDC Network is often the ‘first responder’ in helping those firms overcome the many business challenges they face. The partnership with FloridaMakes complements those efforts by extending that expertise to the production floor and throughout their supply chains”
Through this agreement, both parties will work together in the spirit of cooperation and open communication with the primary goal of meeting the needs of the small manufacturing business community in Florida. This partnership will help facilitate programs, events, and mutual partnerships to serve qualified small manufacturing businesses and provide access to the network of Florida Small Business Development Centers and FloridaMakes manufacturing assistance programs.
FloridaMakes is a statewide, industry-led, public-private partnership operated by an alliance of Florida’s regional manufacturers associations with the sole mission of strengthening and advancing Florida’s economy by improving the competitiveness, productivity and technological performance of its manufacturing sector, with an emphasis on small and medium-sized firms.
Established in 1976, the Florida SBDC Network is the state’s principal provider of business assistance. The network provides no-cost consulting, training, and research to help aspiring and existing small businesses launch, grow and thrive. As part of its service offering, the network employs more than 225 consultants and staff members, many of whom are previous business owners, to help businesses in all aspects of business – from business planning to exit planning.
The MOU was signed by Greg Britton, state director of the Florida SBDC Network, and Kevin Carr, CEO of FloridaMakes, in Orlando during a FloridaMakes Board of Directors meeting.
About the Florida SBDC Network:
For more than 45 years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy. In 2023, the Florida SBDC Network delivered 111,720 hours of consulting to 14,808 small business clients – resulting in business owners securing $346 million in capital, $575 million in government contracting, impacting 19,263 jobs, increasing sales by over $3.9 billion, and creating 1058 businesses. With over 40 offices statewide, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of Defense, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.
About FloridaMakes:
FloridaMakes is a statewide, industry-led, public-private partnership operated by an alliance of Florida’s regional manufacturer associations and organizations that serve manufacturers. FloridaMakes’ sole mission is strengthening and advancing Florida’s economy by improving the competitiveness, productivity and technological performance of its manufacturing sector, with an emphasis on small- and medium-sized firms. It accomplishes this by providing services focused on three principal value streams: technology adoption, talent development, and business growth. FloridaMakes is the representative of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network in the state of Florida, a program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. For more information, visit www.FloridaMakes.com.
