The DEGC D2D program has selected its first group of 16 Detroit companies that will participate in the D2D Capacity Building Series. The supplier education program includes three days of workshops for business owners to help them scale and build successful businesses. Scheduled dates for the program are November 12 and 13 and December 4. The ultimate goal is to help these companies strengthen and increase their capacity to seek and win contracts.

Some of the topics covered will be positioning a business with purchasing organizations and linking strategic planning with financial management. As a group the 16 Detroit companies offer a variety of goods and services to purchasing companies. They are:

• Centric Design Studio
• Chalk Fly
• EKS Environmental Services
• Fife Pearce Electric
• Good People Popcorn
• GS Group LLC
• Hannah-Neumann/Smith
• Hercules & Hercules
• Inland Press
• KC Consulting LLC
• Milano Bakery
• Motor City Propane
• United Construction
• W3 Construction Group
• Walker-Miller Energy Solutions
• Williams Acosta PLLC

“We are elated to participate in this important and transformational program. We look forward to interacting with other Detroit-based companies and continually strengthening our relationship with the company that nominated us to be a part of this workshop, Quicken Loans,” said Carla Walker Miller, President and CEO of Walker-Miller Energy.

D2D announced the companies selected for the program at a celebration event recognizing companies that have joined the initiative since it launched last March and have made commitments to increase their purchases from other Detroit companies.

Nominations are currently being taken for a second set of workshops.

D2D is affiliated with (PMBC), which promotes Michigan-based sourcing. D2D takes that idea a step further, with a local database of companies and targeted programs such as the capacity building workshop that encourage Detroit businesses to work with one another.

If you’re interested in getting involved in the D2D program please visit d2dbusiness.org.