Detroit Economic Growth Corp. today announced nearly 20 Detroit organizations purchased $926 million in goods and services from other Detroit-based companies in 2014, a 14 percent increase when compared to 2013.
“The survey results show that large institutional buyers are recognizing the capabilities and value that Detroit-based businesses offer them,” says Rodrick Miller, DEGC’s president and CEO.
The organizations are members of the D2D Buyers Council, a program within the DEGC that connects Detroit-based companies to each other as buyers and suppliers. The program hosts events to match buyers and suppliers and maintains a database of Detroit-based companies interested in doing business with each other.
Miller says one its most successful initiatives matches contractors with subcontractors in the construction industry. About 20 percent ($177 million) of the overall total purchases in 2014 went to Detroit-based construction companies. DTE Energy is one of the companies in the program who used Detroit-based contractors for construction work.
“We have been pleased with the capabilities shown by Detroit’s construction companies, and our purchases reflect that,” says Anthony Tomczak, chief procurement officer for DTE Energy.