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Jackson's AMTC to Open State-of-the-Art ManuTech Prototyping CenterLean Rocket Lab, JAMA and the Shop Rat Foundation will cut the ribbon Dec. 14, giving startups, manufacturers, students and apprentices a place to scan, design and build real parts JACKSON, Mich., Nov. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Startups and small to medium-sized manufacturers in the Jackson region will soon be able to go from idea to physical prototype in a single afternoon. The Advanced Manufacturing Training Center (AMTC) consortium, a partnership between the Lean Rocket Lab, Jackson Area Manufacturers Association (JAMA) and Shop Rat Foundation, will open its new ManuTech Prototyping Center with a ribbon cutting on Dec. 14, 2026. The ribbon cutting anchors the ManuTech LIVE Innovation Experience 2026, a public event from 3:30-6 p.m. at the AMTC, 3517 Scheele Drive in Jackson. Attendees will see startups putting the new center to work and technology companies demonstrating their products on the AMTC's live factory floor. The ManuTech Prototyping Center brings a complete digital-to-physical workflow under one roof for both physical products and electronic hardware. Users can capture an existing part, refine it as a digital model, and produce it in more than one material and process. "The ManuTech Prototyping Center will connect digital design with physical production, allowing users to scan objects, develop digital models and produce parts using different manufacturing processes," said Brandon Marken, CEO of Lean Rocket Lab. "Manufacturers need places where they can explore new ideas, see technology in action and understand what's possible before taking the next step. This space will make those opportunities more accessible and give businesses a place to connect innovation with real-world manufacturing needs." The Center's equipment includes a handheld 3D scanner to capture existing parts and objects as precise digital models; a large-format resin 3D printer for high-detail, smooth-finish prototypes; fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printers for fast, durable functional parts and test fixtures; and a computer-aided design workstation using SOLIDWORKS software, the industry-standard engineering software, to modify or design parts from scratch. Additional capabilities for electronics are also being added to the center's current capabilities in the near future. Lean Rocket Lab leads the center, which is built primarily for startups and small to medium-sized manufacturers that need to test ideas without investing in equipment of their own. However, users won't be on their own: Lean Rocket Lab Entrepreneur-in-Residence Steve Tebbetts, who previously ran a prototyping lab for a Michigan OEM, will guide them through the product development process. Because the center sits inside the AMTC, it also strengthens the training programs already housed there. JAMA apprentices and Shop Rat Foundation students will gain hands-on exposure to the same scanning, design and additive manufacturing tools that companies are adopting today. "Manufacturing is changing, and our workforce needs opportunities to learn, adapt and grow alongside that change," said Olivia Steele, executive director of JAMA. "Events like ManuTech LIVE help people see the career possibilities in front of them and understand the role apprenticeship training can play in building a strong manufacturing workforce." The Shop Rat Foundation, which reaches more than 4,000 young people each year, sees the center as a new entry point into technical careers. "Getting our youth excited about how thigs work can open the door to opportunities they may never have considered," said Kelly Kofflin, executive director of the Shop Rat Foundation. "Bringing students, educators and industry together helps make those connections and shows young people that they can have a future in advanced manufacturing." The ManuTech LIVE event will also feature select startups demonstrating technology and products designed to address practical business and industry challenges. Detect-It, will showcase artificial intelligence-powered vision technology for inspection and defect detection, with a potential demonstration involving parts produced on a CNC machine. Jendamark will demonstrate its Odin Workstation, an AI-powered manufacturing execution system designed for assembly processes. And Machine AI Solutions is expected to showcase technology related to machine data and monitoring. Additional participating companies include Veriti, which offers a platform that converts 2D engineering drawings into quotes for machine shops; Tackboard, which provides digital maintenance ticketing software; Strain Guard, which makes a physical product designed for RV owners to help protect cables from damage; and Cerebion, which focuses on cybersecurity for industry. In addition to the Prototypic Center launch, ManuTech LIVE will also feature real-time demonstrations of manufacturing technology within the broader AMTC facility, including a manual machining lab, a welding lab and multiple computer numerical control (CNC) machines. JAMA will also share information on its apprenticeship programs, and the Shop Rat Foundation will highlight its youth STEM programming. ManuTech LIVE is designed for manufacturers, technology companies, students, educators, community leaders and anyone interested in the technologies and training shaping the region's manufacturing future. To learn more about the event or to RSVP, visit www.go.leanrocketlab.org/events/manutech
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