Six communities in Southeastern Michigan—Eastpointe, Gibraltar, Lathrup Village, Marysville, Pinckney, and Ypsilanti—are launching a 10-month initiative aimed at revitalizing their local economies through support for small-scale manufacturing. The program, known as Recast Leaders, is led by Recast City, a Washington, D.C.-based consultancy focused on local economic development. It will guide municipal leaders in assessing their existing manufacturing ecosystems, identifying business needs, and crafting actionable strategies to strengthen these sectors over the next several years. n nIlana Preuss, founder and CEO of Recast City, emphasized that fostering a supportive environment for entrepreneurs encourages broader economic growth. When local makers and manufacturers thrive, they attract complementary businesses and contribute to more dynamic downtown areas. The initiative defines small-scale manufacturing broadly, including both advanced production firms with fewer than 50 employees and home-based artisans seeking to scale up. n nSince its inception in 2019, the Recast Leaders program has supported over 200 cities across 44 states, ranging from major urban centers like Atlanta to towns with populations under 1,000. In Michigan, the effort is sponsored by the Michigan Municipal League, with funding from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation. n nPast participants have launched targeted support mechanisms such as microloan programs, business grants, and shared production spaces—including commercial kitchens and co-manufacturing facilities—tailored to local needs. The outcomes vary by community: some aim to fill vacant storefronts, others seek to reach underserved entrepreneurs, and some are focused on expanding their industrial base as part of broader economic planning. n nThe program emphasizes place-based development, often centering on downtown districts where small enterprises can catalyze foot traffic, community engagement, and civic pride. According to Preuss, these businesses do more than generate income—they create gathering points that strengthen social ties and foster local identity. Ultimately, the goal is to expand the tax base, generate employment, and build resilient local economies. n— news from Smart Cities Dive
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Dive Brief: n nLeaders from six Southeastern Michigan communities will participate in a 10-month program aimed at revitalizing their downtowns and business districts by supporting local small-scale manufacturing businesses. n nThe Recast Leaders program will help local leaders learn about their community’s existing small-scale manufacturing sector, determine its needs and write short- and medium-term action plans to boost those businesses in a way that achieves their community’s economic goals, said Ilana Preuss. Preuss is founder and CEO of Recast City, the Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm that offers the training. n n“When we create a super-supportive business environment for our entrepreneurs and business owners, we will, in fact, attract other business owners who want to be a part of that community,” Preuss said in a statement. n nDive Insight: n nPreuss has touted the economic power of small-scale manufacturing since founding Recast City in 2014. The Recast Leaders program, which launched in 2019, has provided small-scale manufacturing development support to more than 200 cities in 44 states, according to a release. . That includes large cities and neighborhoods such as Downtown Atlanta to small towns of 600 residents, Preuss said. n nThe Michigan Municipal League is sponsoring the program’s latest cohort, which will have representatives from Eastpointe, Gibraltar, Lathrup Village, Marysville, Pinckney and Ypsilanti — six predominantly smaller communities in Southeast Michigan, said Preuss. Support was provided by the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation. n nSmall-scale manufacturing refers to any business with less than 50 employees that creates a tangible product that can be replicated or packaged, said Preuss. That includes advanced manufacturing and related technology as well as home-based artisans who want to grow their business, she said. n nThe program aims to grow local economies by creating an environment that helps existing businesses in participating communities thrive, said Preuss. That, in return, attracts other businesses to the area, creating a more vibrant downtown or business district and making it a place that people would want to live, she said. n n“Ultimately, the work is all about strengthening the tax base in the community, creating new jobs, and strengthening the environment for the entrepreneurs who are in that community,” said Preuss. n nThe leaders will create action plans for supporting these entrepreneurs that can be completed over the next six months and the next few years, she said. n nThrough the Recast Leaders program, local leaders have launched new grant programs, microloan programs and training programs, for example, that support such businesses, said Preuss. They have also opened shared commercial kitchens or shared production space, she said. n n“It really is dependent on the needs of the business owners who are in that community today, and responding to those needs,” said Preuss. It’s also dependent on the goals of the cities and neighborhoods themselves, she said. n nSome communities that have participated in the program aimed to fill vacant storefronts in their downtowns, while others wanted to support entrepreneurs that had previously not been connected to small-business services, said Pruess. Others wanted to grow their manufacturing base as part of their economic development strategy, she said. n nThe program tends to focus on downtowns and places where members of the community would come together, Preuss said. Small businesses often fill vacant storefronts or set up shop in older, underutilized buildings, which can attract other local businesses to those downtowns or Main Streets, she said. n nThe businesses give people “a reason to gather, which is a key point of how to build community,” said Preuss. “It also brings out community pride. People love to see what their neighbors are creating and support that.”