Tri-state partnership offers free assistance to manufacturers

The Technology Acceleration Program (TAP), part of ISTC’s Center for Economic Impacts & Societal Benefits, along with partners at Iowa Department of Natural Resources Office of Pollution Prevention Services and Missouri State University, have been awarded grant funding to provide FREE sustainability assessments to manufacturing and processing facilities in their respective states. This project will assist businesses in making their operations more sustainable and competitive.

TAP is offering assistance to all Illinois manufacturers, regardless of industry sector.

How does it work?

  • Initial Meeting – either via email, conference call, or in person, to discuss needs and concerns
  • Opportunity Assessment – conducted on-site to uncover areas for potential change or improvement
  • Report on Findings – a document providing methods for reducing pollution and potential cost savings
  • Implementation Support – assistance for next steps, if needed
  • Project Review – document savings and benefits

What are the benefits?

  • Promotes sustainable manufacturing and growth
  • Improves profitability, productivity and competitiveness
  • Improves workplace safety through less exposure to hazardous materials
  • Reduces environmental impacts such as:
    • water use, energy and materials
    • waste volume and/or toxicity
  • Increases capacity to attract new business
  • Increases recyclability and/or diversion of by-product

How can companies sign up to participate?

Contact Owen McMahan at omcmahan@illinois.edu or fill out our online form to request assistance for your IL facility at GO.ILLINOIS.EDU/SCHEDULE-SITE-VISIT.

If your company is located in Iowa or Missouri and you’d like to participate, we can connect you to the proper contacts in your state.

Help spread the word

Download the project flyer or copy the link to this post to share on social media or email it to potential participants in your network.

Free sustainability training for manufacturers in St. Louis area

The Missouri Association of Manufacturers, in partnership with the Missouri State University Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute (OEWRI), is offering free sustainability training for Missouri manufacturers on February 19, 2025, from 9 AM to 1 PM at the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis.

Thanks to an ongoing collaboration between ISTC’s technical assistance providers and Missouri State University, the workshop has been opened up for IL manufacturers located in the St. Louis area. (Note that manufacturers from throughout MO are eligible.)

Participants will receive guidance on the development of a sustainability program, including overviews of various program models such as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and more. The session is limited to 20 companies, all of which will receive a complimentary sustainability site assessment for their facilities. Participation is open to manufacturers in all industrial sectors.

Interested manufacturers should visit the Missouri Association of Manufacturers website to register, or contact Andrew LeGrand, 417-863-7262, to confirm eligibility or for other questions.

If you represent an Illinois manufacturer interested in integrating sustainability into your operations but are unable to reserve a spot in this workshop, please reach out to Owen McMahan, 217-333-3684, to learn more about free, grant-funded assessment opportunities available through ISTC.