COLUMBUS — Manufacturers in Ohio will benefit from six partnerships statewide through the Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

These regional partners will provide assistance to small and medium-sized manufacturers to increase their productivity, growth and competitiveness, in collaboration with the Ohio Development Services Agency (ODSA).

Through the current, five-year grant agreement with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, ODSA has been awarded an additional $7.47 million, which will extend federal support and state-wide partnerships into 2019.

“Manufacturing is an integral part of job creation in Ohio,” said David Goodman, director of ODSA. “We are committed to helping these businesses continue to grow.”

The six partners include the Center for Innovative Food Technology in the northwest region; the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network in the northeast region; PolymerOhio in the central region; the University of Dayton Research Institute in the west central region; TechSolve in the southwest region; and the Ohio State University’s Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence in the central and southeast regions.

The Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership is a state and federal initiative to develop and distribute technology, management, and technical expertise to improve the competitiveness of manufacturers. For information, visit https://www.development.ohio.gov/bs/bs_mep.htm.