“President Trump abruptly cuts off funding that helps manufacturers in Cleveland, and elsewhere. ” “The move, if not reversed, could leave MAGNET, Cleveland’s non-profit manufacturing advocacy group, with a $5.9 million funding gap and up to 40 job cuts, said Ethan Karp Magnet’s CEO.” Cleveland.com Dec. 11, 2025.
Ohio’s Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEP) “helps Ohio’s small and medium-sized manufacturers to increase sales, create jobs and generate cost savings through technological innovation, workforce training and improved management practices. Small and medium-sized manufacturing companies are critical to Ohio, representing 90% of job growth for high-paying jobs. For every new manufacturing job that is created or retained, three to five supporting jobs are also created.”
In NE Ohio, the MEP partner organization is MAGNET (Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network). “Our mission is to drive Northeast Ohio manufacturing growth. We work primarily with small- and medium-sized companies, which make up 98% of the region’s nearly 10,000 manufacturers.” MAGNET has offices throughout NE Ohio and provides technical support for many manufacturing businesses in the greater Akron area.