On February 9th, Maryland MEP, in partnership with the Maryland Department of Commerce, hosted the Maryland Supplier Connectivity Forum to connect local Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), as well as critical Tier 1 and Tier 2 Manufacturers and Agencies, with Maryland suppliers capable of fulfilling their supply chain needs with the goal of strengthening the domestic supply chain and creating new business opportunities for Maryland manufacturers.
The Maryland Supplier Matchmaking Forum began with an informational webinar that provided a panel of OEMS, Primes, and Tier 1 Suppliers (Buyers) to educate Maryland manufacturers (Suppliers) about their purchasing needs and the requirements to become a qualified Supplier. Participating Buyers included Stanley Black & Decker, US Wind, the Defense Logistics Agency, BGE/Exelon, Xometry, and Textron. The webinar had 110 total registrants with more than 60 unique Maryland organizations in attendance. Following the information session, all participants were provided with private access to the forum resource webpage to learn more about Buyer needs and purchasing requirements, as well as an application to schedule one-on-one meetings.
Following the information session, Maryland MEP received 25 applications from Maryland organizations and reviewed over 90 matchmaking requests throughout the screening process. Maryland MEP approved 19 applications and scheduled 43 one-on-one matchmaking sessions throughout the week of March 6th. These sessions gave Buyers and Suppliers the opportunity to dive deeper into capabilities, current needs, possible synergies and steps to move forward in establishing a supplier relationship.
Maryland MEP Executive Director Mike Kelleher shared, “The Maryland Supplier Connectivity Forum is one of the most powerful programs we have to strengthen our domestic supply chain, providing Maryland suppliers access to local OEMs and buyers that they might not otherwise be able to engage. We are excited about the potential outcomes and connections that will be made through this event.”
