The Lansing-based Demmer Corp. has announced a $5 million gift that will continue to give back to the greater Lansing business community for years to come. The $5 million, which was given to Michigan State University’s Broad College of Business, will establish the John and Marnie Demmer Center for Business Transformation.
“We are excited,” says
Eli and Edythe L. Broad College Dean Stefanie Lenway. “It’s big deal because the college will be connected to the regional business community in a ways it hasn’t been before.”
The Center for Business Transformation will provide consulting, advisory and educational services to the business community from MSU faculty members and student teams. The focus of these trainings will be global competitiveness.
“We’ve done some consulting for local companies,” says Lenway, “but this will make it much more systematic.”
Demmer Corp was, in fact, the recipient of MSU consulting in 2008, which helped to inspire their gift. According to Lenway, it will be companies like the philanthropic local manufacturer who will benefit the most from the center.
“It will be companies like the Demmer Corp.,” she says. “They have their roots in central Michigan and are stuggling with global competition.”
In an increasingly global economy, Lenway says that this assistance is crucial for businesses.
“If you can’t compete globally, you can’t compete. There is no more local competition,” Lenway says. “And once these companies get more competitive we have the International Business Center which will help them get into the international market.”
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