Speaking to a group of Michigan business owners at Diamond Moba Corporation, Inc. in Farmington Hills, U.S. Commerce Deputy Secretary Dennis Hightower said, "Creating the environment for you to prosper and create jobs is what this administration and the Department of Commerce is focused on."  (Photo by HB Meeks/Tell Us Detroit)

U.S. COMMERCE DEP. SECRETARY DENNIS HIGHTOWER, REP. GARY PETERS HOST ROUNDTABLE WITH MICHIGAN SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

DETROIT (Tell Us Det) – U.S. Commerce Deputy Secretary Dennis Hightower joined Rep. Gary Peters on Monday in Farmington Hills, Mich. to meet with local small business owners, representatives from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and the Detroit Regional Chamber, to discuss the current business climate, growing manufacturing jobs and spotlight initiatives that are working to help improve Michigan’s economy.

During the discussion, Hightower underscored the department’s commitment through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, to provide technical and business assistance to small manufactures – helping Michigan companies to make improvements in the short term, and become more competitive in the long term.

Secretary Hightower said, "Our central mission at the Department of Commerce is to make American businesses more innovative at home and more competitive abroad, so they can create new American jobs. We are the one federal agency singularly equipped to help businesses at every point in their life cycle – from the birth of an idea, to starting a business with that idea, to finding markets once that idea has been transformed into a product or service."



At the Commerce Department, Hightower is charged with driving efficiency and effectiveness throughout the department's bureaus. He is a seasoned business executive with a distinguished career spanning the private and public sectors, including more than 30 years of experience in global marketing, strategic planning, operations and international management.

Hightower stated, "I encourage all of you here to take advantage of the whole array of services the Commerce Department has to offer, and let us know what we can do to better serve you. Creating the environment for you to prosper and create jobs is what this administration and the Department of Commerce is focused on."

The Secretary concluded, "I am confident that the direction we are taking is, with the help of members of Congress like Representative Peters, going to help us reach that goal."