The Center for Innovative Food Technology announced Thursday (Dec. 11) that it will suspend all operations on Monday (Dec. 15) because a loss of federal and state funding.
CIFT President/CEO Rebecca Singer reported that on Dec. 5 the organization was notified that the federal funds for all six Manufacturing Extension Partnership programs in Ohio would be cut.
According to CIFT, MEP supports programs “to bolster small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) by providing affordable access to expertise, tools, and resources that foster growth and innovation.”
Among CIFT’s operations is the Northwest Ohio Cooperative Kitchen on Ohio 582, in Wood County.
Singer wrote that the justification given for the cuts was “an audit by the U.S. Department of Commerce of the Ohio Department of Development and the MEP program across the state.”
No report, however, has been provided to CIFT “therefore, we have not had the normal opportunity to review or respond before this decision was made.”
A press release from the office of U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo) reported that “the Department suspended funding without warning and without releasing any audit report or findings to justify such an extreme action. State officials have confirmed that no documentation has been provided for review, leaving local partners in the dark and forcing immediate pauses in technical assistance across the state.”
Kaptur stated: “This impulsive decision is not ‘America First’ — It is a direct blow to family-owned businesses and American entrepreneurs competing against Communist China. It delays critical upgrades, injects uncertainty into local production lines, and undermines the very workers this nation depends on. Congress cannot permit the Executive Branch to impound funds simply because it chooses to. I urge the Department of Commerce to release these dollars immediately.”
Singer wrote that all CIFT’s activities will be paused as of Monday and the staff will “begin winding down activities.” CIFT will suspend all operations starting Dec. 15, 2025.
The Ohio network of six partners has delivered assistance to 14,000 manufacturers across the state, Singer reported.
Congresswoman Kaptur and 85 members of Congress sent a letter to the Department of Commerce calling out prior efforts to freeze these vital funds. Click to read the letter.
Congressman Bob Latta was not a signatory. An email to Latta’s office late Friday (Dec. 12) requesting comment was not answered.
