FISCAL YEAR 2017 

ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS 

TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE FOR FIRMS 

PROGRAM 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 
Page 2 of 44

Executive Summary 

This report is provided pursuant to Section 255A of chapter 3 of title II of the Trade Act of 1974, 

as amended (Trade Act),1

 which directs the Secretary of Commerce to provide an annual report 

on the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF) program. 

Through this report, the Secretary is required to provide findings and results, to the extent that 

data are available, on the 19 measures listed in the Table of Contents, classified by intermediary 

organization, state, and national totals. 

The TAAF program funds a national network of 11 Trade Adjustment Assistance Centers 

(TAACs), some of which are university-affiliated and others of which are independent non-profit 

organizations. Using TAAF funds that are matched by firms, these TAACs provide direct 

technical assistance to U.S. firms negatively affected by increased imports in order to help such 

firms develop and implement projects to regain global competitiveness, expand market share, 

and create jobs. Historically, most firms that applied for TAAF certification have been in the 

manufacturing sector. The responsibility for administering the TAAF program has been 

delegated by the Secretary of Commerce to the Economic Development Administration (EDA). 

Key Findings of this Report2

EDA analyzes the extent to which client firms increased their sales, productivity and 

employment levels following: 1) entry into the program (certification) to the completed 

implementation of TAAF-supported projects (program completion), and 2) program completion 

to one and two years after program completion. To measure these outcomes, EDA compares 

average sales, average productivity3 and average employment at these intervals of all firms that 

completed the program in a particular year (known as the “base year”) and provided data to 

EDA. The base year used for this Report is FY 2015. EDA received data for the 151 firms that 

completed the program in FY 2015; of which, 105 firms provided complete data across all 

metrics. Average sales, productivity and employment of those 105 firms was analyzed from 

program completion to FY 2016 and FY 2017. Key findings of this report: 

 From certification to program completion, the 105 firms providing complete data 

reported that average sales had increased by 43 percent, average productivity had 

increased by 14 percent, and average employment had increased by 25 percent. 

 

1

 19 U.S.C. § 2345a. The TAAF program is authorized by chapters 3 and 5 of title II of the Trade Act of 1974 

(Public Law 93-618), as amended by Public Laws 97-35, 98-120, 98-369, 99-272, 99-514, 100-418, 103-66, 105-

277, 107-210, 111-5, 111-344, 112-40, 113-203, and 114-27. 

2

 For the purposes of this Report, data are reported only for the firms that completed the program which all data 

metrics were available. Firms with incomplete data in any metric were excluded in calculating this measure. 3

 Since the certified firms are in various industries, which have a variety of ways to measure productivity, sales per 

employee was chosen as the productivity measure. This measure is used because it can be generally applied to all 

certified firms. 
Page 3 of 44

 From certification to one year after completing the program, the 105 firms reported that 

average sales had increased by 33 percent, average productivity had increased by 5 

percent, and average employment had increased by 26 percent. 

 From certification to two years after completing the program, the firms reported that 

average sales had increased by 30 percent, average productivity had increased by 4 

percent, and average employment had increased by 25 percent. 

 From program completion to one year after completing the program, firms reported that 

average sales had decreased by 7 percent, average productivity had decreased by 8 

percent, and average employment had increased by 0.8 percent. This trend is consistent 

with the manufacturing industry as a whole in FY 2016 as indicated in the industrial 

production index from the Federal Reserve, which showed that real output fell in FY 

2016 before beginning to recover in FY 2017. 

 From program completion to two years after completing the program, these same firms 

reported average sales had decreased by 9 percent, average productivity had decreased by 

9 percent, and average employment had remained unchanged from 2015. While the 

analysis directly below demonstrates an overall trend in recent years of more positive 

results, EDA continues to monitor this post-program completion trend to access program 

performance. 

 Despite entering the program in a distressed state, all 105 firms that completed the 

program in FY 2015 and submitted complete data to EDA were in operation at the end of 

FY 2017. Of the total 151 firms that completed the program in FY 2015, 142 were in 

operation at the end of FY 2017. 

An analysis of the total average sales and employment data collected from FY 2010 to FY 2017 

shows: 

 From certification to program completion, firms reported that average sales had increased 

by 24.7 percent, average productivity had increased by 17.9 percent, and average 

employment had increased by 5.9 percent. 

 From program completion to one year after completing the program, firms reported that 

average sales had increased by 5.8 percent, average productivity had increased by 1.5 

percent, and average employment had increased by 4.2 percent. Average sales increased 

6 of the 8 years analyzed. Average productivity increased 4 of the 8 years analyzed. 

Average employment increased 5 of the 8 years analyzed. 

 From program completion to two years after completing the program, firms reported that 

average sales had increased by 12.2 percent, average productivity had increased by 8.3 

percent, and average employment had increased by 3.6 percent. Average sales increased 

5 of the 8 years analyzed. Average productivity increased 6 of the 8 years analyzed. 

Average employment increased 5 of the 8 years analyzed. 

These data suggest that the decline in post-completion sales and employment for firms that 

completed the program in FY 2015 is an anomaly partly accounted for by general manufacturing 

conditions, which have improved since 2017. EDA continues to monitor post-program 

performance to determine if programmatic changes or a fuller evaluation of the TAAF program 

are warranted. 
Page 4 of 44

It is important to note that TAAF clients are operating in the same economic environment as 

other firms, but are also attempting to adjust to import pressures that may not impact other firms 

as severely, making the success of TAAF-assisted firms notable. It should also be noted that the 

long-term success of these firms depends on achieving a fair and reciprocal global trade 

environment. 

Summary of the TAAF Program 

The mission of the TAAF program is to help import-impacted U.S. firms develop and implement 

projects to regain global competitiveness, expand markets, strengthen operations, increase 

profitability, and create jobs. Historically, most firms that applied for TAAF certification have 

been in the manufacturing sector. The program provides direct technical assistance to support the 

development of business recovery plans, commonly referred to as “Adjustment Proposals” or 

“APs,” under Section 252 of the Trade Act, and matching funds to implement projects outlined 

in the APs. 

The TAAF program funds a national network of 11 TAACs, some of which are universityaffiliated and others of which are independent non-profit organizations, to help import-impacted 

firms in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Firms 

work with the TAACs in a public-private collaborative framework to apply for certification of 

eligibility for TAAF assistance and then prepare and implement strategies to guide their 

economic recovery.4 EDA’s partnership with the TAACs allows firms to receive customized 

assistance from TAAC staff who are knowledgeable about the challenges and opportunities 

facing businesses in their region. 

Projects outlined in APs may cover a range of functional areas to improve a firms’ market 

position and increase their overall competitiveness. These areas include engineering, information 

technology, management process improvement, marketing and sales growth, new product 

development, export expansion, enhanced support systems, staff capacity building, and 

manufacturing quality improvement. The most common types of assistance provided to 

participating firms in FY 2017 were marketing/sales improvement and production/process 

improvement projects. These projects comprised over half of all projects supported throughout 

the year. 

As of September 30, 2017, 524 active firms with combined sales of $6.5 billion and a workforce 

of 37,140 were participating in the TAAF program. In FY 2017, TAACs provided technical 

assistance to 251 firms in preparing petitions, 123 firms in preparing APs, and 481 firms in 

implementing projects within their APs. Meanwhile, EDA certified 111 petitions and approved 

104 APs. 

In FY 2017, the average processing time for petitions was 27 days, and the average processing 

time for APs was 26 days. 

 

4

 The U.S. International Trade Commission on September 22, 2017, made an affirmative injury determination under 

section 202(b)(1) of the Trade Act in its safeguard investigation No. TA-201-7 5, Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic 

Cells (Whether or Not Partially or Fully Assembled into Other Products). Section 202(g) requires that petitions by 

firms in that industry receive expedited review for certification of eligibility to apply for adjustment assistance. 19 

U.S.C. § 2252. Such expedited review occurred in FY 2018 and may be more fully discussed in the next annual 

report to Congress. 
Page 5 of 44

Table of Contents

Program Description ............................................................................................................................... 6 

Results/Findings ....................................................................................................................................... 9 

Data for This Report ............................................................................................................................... 9 

(1) The number of firms that inquired about the program. .................................................................. 10 

(2) The number of petitions filed under Section 251. ......................................................................... 10 

(3) The number of petitions certified and denied by the Secretary. .................................................... 10 

(4) The average time for processing petitions after the petitions are filed. ......................................... 10 

(5) The number of petitions filed and firms certified for each Congressional District in the United 

 States. ............................................................................................................................................. 13 

(6) Of the number of petitions filed, the number of firms that entered the program and received 

 benefits........................................................................................................................................... 17 

(7) The number of firms that received assistance in preparing their petitions. ................................... 18 

(8) The number of firms that received assistance developing business recovery plans. ..................... 19 

(9) The number of business recovery plans approved and denied by the Secretary............................ 20 

(10) Average duration of benefits received under the program nationally and in each region served 

 by an intermediary organization (the TAAC) referred to in Section 253(b)(1) of the Trade Act. 22 

(11) Sales, employment, and productivity at each firm participating in the TAAF program at the 

 time of certification. ...................................................................................................................... 22 

(12) Sales, employment, and productivity at each firm upon completion of the program and each 

 year for the two-year period following completion. ...................................................................... 24 

(13) The number of firms in operation as of the date of this Report and the number of firms that 

 ceased operations after completing the program in each year during the two-year period 

 following completion of the program. ........................................................................................... 35 

(14) The financial assistance received by each firm participating in the program. ............................... 35 

(15) The financial contribution made by each firm participating in the program. ................................ 35 

(16) The types of technical assistance included in the business recovery plans of firms participating 

 in the program. ............................................................................................................................... 36 

(17) The number of firms leaving the program before completing the project or projects in their 

 business recovery plans and the reason the project or projects were not completed. .................... 36 

(18) The total amount expended by all intermediary organizations referred to in Section 253(b)(1) 

 and by each organization to administer the program. .................................................................... 37 

(19) The total amount expended by intermediary organizations to provide technical assistance to firms 

 under the program nationally and in each region served by such an organization. ....................... 38

Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................... 39 

Examples of TAAF Program Benefits to Manufacturing Firms............................................................41 
 

Page 6 of 44

Program Description 

The TAAF program is one of four distinct programs authorized under the Trade Act. The 

other Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) programs are TAA for Workers and TAA for 

Community College and Career Training, which are both administered by the U.S. 

Department of Labor (DOL), and TAA for Farmers, which is administered by the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

Exhibit 1: TAA Programs 

The responsibility for administering the TAAF program was delegated to EDA by the 

Secretary of Commerce. 

The mission of the TAAF program is to help import-impacted U.S. firms develop and 

implement projects to regain global competitiveness, expand markets, strengthen operations, 

increase profitability, and create jobs. Historically, most firms that applied for TAAF 

certification have been in the manufacturing sector. 

The program provides assistance to support the development of business recovery plans, 

commonly referred to as “Adjustment Proposals” or “APs,” under Section 252 of the Trade 

Act, and matching funds to implement projects outlined in the APs. These projects may 

cover a range of functional areas to improve a firm’s market position and increase its overall 

competitiveness, including engineering, information technology, management, market 

development, marketing, new product development, quality improvement and sales. 

Import-impacted U.S. firms with approved APs can then receive direct technical assistance 

through matching funds provided to TAACs to contract with third-party consultants that help 

firms expand markets, strengthen operations and increase competitiveness. Funds are not 

provided directly to firms. 

The national network of 11 independent non-profit or university-affiliated TAACs serve 

import-impacted U.S. firms in all 50 States, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth 

of Puerto Rico. Import-impacted firms work with the TAACs in a public-private 
 

Page 7 of 44

collaborative framework to apply to EDA for certification of eligibility for TAAF assistance 

and to prepare and implement strategies through the APs to guide their economic recovery. 

Exhibit 2: TAACs and their Service Areas5

TAAC Service Areas 

Great Lakes Indiana, Michigan and Ohio 

Mid-America Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska 

MidAtlantic 

Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, 

Virginia and West Virginia 

Midwest Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin 

New England 

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, 

Rhode Island and Vermont 

New York, New Jersey and the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 

New York, New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Puerto 

Rico 

Northwest Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington 

Rocky Mountain 

Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah 

and Wyoming 

Southeastern 

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North 

Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee 

Southwest Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas 

Western Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada 

 

 

5

 On September 25, 2015, through Grants.Gov, EDA published a Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) 

announcing the availability of funding for the TAAF program. The geographic service areas of TAACs reflect 

the cooperative agreements for each of the 11 selected TAACs that began May 1, 2016. 
 

Page 8 of 44

Exhibit 3: Program Phases 

There are three main phases to receiving technical assistance under the TAAF program: 

(1) petitioning for certification, (2) recovery planning and (3) AP implementation. 

Phase I - Petitioning for Certification 

The first step to receiving assistance is the submission of a petition to EDA to be certified as 

a trade-impacted firm. A petition is comprised of Form ED-840P, Petition by a Firm for 

Certification of Eligibility to Apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance, and required supporting 

documentation. Certification specialists in the TAACs work with the firm at no cost to the 

firm to complete and submit a petition to EDA. 

Upon receipt of the petition, EDA performs an analysis of the petition and supporting 

documents to determine if the petition is complete and may be accepted. EDA is required to 

make a final determination on the petition within 40 days of accepting a petition. 

To certify a firm as eligible to apply for adjustment assistance, EDA must determine that the 

following three conditions are met: 

1. A significant number or proportion of the workers in the firm have been or are threatened 

to be totally or partially separated; and 

2. Sales and/or production of the firm have decreased absolutely, or sales and/or production 

of an article or service that accounted for at least 25 percent of total production or sales of 
 

Page 9 of 44

the firm have decreased absolutely, during the 12, 24, or 36 months preceding the most 

recent 12-month period for which data are available;6

 and 

3. Increased imports of articles like or directly competitive with articles produced or 

services provided by the firm have “contributed importantly” to both the decrease or 

threatened decrease in employment and the decline in sales and/or production.

Phase II - Recovery Planning 

Certified firms work with TAAC staff to develop a customized AP for submission to EDA 

for approval. Once an AP has been submitted, EDA is required to make a final determination 

within 60 days. 

Phase III - AP Implementation 

The firm works with consultants to implement projects in an approved AP. For an AP in 

which proposed projects will cost $30,000 or less, the TAAF program provides up to 75 

percent of the cost and the firm is responsible for the balance. For an AP in which proposed 

projects will cost more than $30,000, the TAAF program pays 50 percent of the total cost up 

to $75,000 and the firm pays the remaining amount. After a competitive procurement 

process, the TAAC and the firm generally contract with private consultants to implement the 

AP. 

As projects are implemented, the firm will first pay its match to the consultant, and then send 

a notice to the TAAC stating that it is satisfied with the work conducted so far and that it has 

paid its matching share. The TAAC will then pay the Federal share to the consultant. Funds 

are not provided directly to firms. Firms have up to five years from the date of an AP’s 

approval to implement the approved business recovery strategy contained therein, unless the 

firm receives EDA approval for an extension. Generally, firms complete the implementation 

of their APs over a two-year period. 

Results/Findings 

Data for This Report 

For the purposes of this report, data are reported only for firms for which all data were 

available. Data used in this report were collected through the TAACs on behalf of firms as 

part of their reporting requirements, petitions for certification, and the APs. Complete data 

sets of firm-level data including information on sales, employment, and import impacts are 

needed to do the analysis in this report. However, firms are not required under the Trade Act 

to provide post-completion data to EDA, and some choose not to do so, mainly due to 

privacy concerns. In FY 2015, 151 firms completed the program; with 105 of those firms 

providing the complete data sets necessary for the analysis in this report. This is a higher 

response rate than in previous years. 

 

6

 In some cases, EDA may instead consider whether sales or production has decreased during a six-month 

period of the most recent 12-month period for which data are available as compared to the same six-month 

period of the immediately preceding 12-month period. 
 

Page 10 of 44

(1) The number of firms that inquired about the program. 

In FY 2017, the TAACs received 1,223 inquiries about the program. 

Exhibit 4: Inquiries about the TAAF program by TAAC 

TAAC 

No. of Firms that 

Inquired about the 

TAAF program 

Great Lakes 76 

Mid-America 294 

MidAtlantic 44 

Midwest 51 

New England 57 

New York, New Jersey and Puerto Rico 78 

Northwest 101 

Rocky Mountain 65 

Southeastern 40 

Southwest 136 

Western 281 

Total 1,223 

(2) The number of petitions filed under Section 251. 

(3) The number of petitions certified and denied by the Secretary. 

(4) The average time for processing petitions after the petitions are filed. 

 

Petitions are certified on a rolling basis. A petition filed in one fiscal year may not result in 

certification until the next fiscal year. Therefore, it is possible that some states or TAACs 

will show fewer petitions filed than certified. 

In FY 2017, EDA filed (accepted for investigation) 108 petitions and certified 111 petitions 

under Section 251 of the Trade Act. Due to the technical assistance provided by TAACs 

during the petition process, in addition to the fact that EDA provides firms the opportunity to 

withdraw petitions rather than be denied, only one petition was denied in FY 2017. However, 

seven petitions were withdrawn prior to certification due to the firms’ inability to demonstrate 

eligibility. 

EDA’s average processing time for petitions (from filing [acceptance] to certification) was 

27 days. 

 
 

Page 11 of 44

Exhibit 5: Petitions Filed (Accepted), and Certified by TAAC/State: FY 2017 

TAAC/State Petitions Filed 

(Accepted) 

Petitions 

Certified 

 

Great Lakes 5 5 

IN 3 3 

MI 0 1 

OH 2 1 

Mid-America 18 18 

IA 5 4 

KS 5 5 

MO 7 8 

NE 1 1 

MidAtlantic 12 12 

DC 0 0 

DE 0 0 

MD 1 1 

PA 9 9 

VA 2 2 

WV 0 0 

Midwest 19 18 

IL 14 13 

MN 1 1 

WI 4 4 

New England 14 11 

CT 4 4 

MA 4 2 

ME 2 3 

NH 1 1 

RI 2 0 

VT 1 1 

New York, New Jersey 

and Puerto Rico 12 11 

NJ 0 0 

NY 12 11 

PR 0 0 

Northwest 10 11 

AK 0 0 

ID 0 1 

OR 2 2 

WA 8 8 
 

Page 12 of 44

TAAC/State Petitions Filed 

(Accepted) 

Petitions 

Certified 

 

Rocky Mountain 7 8 

CO 2 3 

MT 1 1 

ND 1 1 

SD 1 1 

UT 1 1 

WY 1 1 

Southeastern 3 5 

AL 1 2 

FL 0 0 

GA 1 1 

KY 0 0 

MS 0 0 

NC 1 2 

SC 0 0 

TN 0 0 

Southwest 8 11 

AR 1 1 

LA 5 5 

NM 1 1 

OK 1 2 

TX 0 2 

Western 0 1 

AZ 0 0 

CA 0 1 

HI 0 0 

NV 0 0 

Total 108 111 

 
 

Page 13 of 44

(5) The number of petitions filed and firms certified for each Congressional District in 

the United States. 

Exhibit 6: Petitions Filed (Accepted) and Certified by Congressional District: FY 2017 

TAAC/State 

Congressional District 

Petitions Filed 

(Accepted) 

Petitions 

Certified 

 

Great Lakes 5 5 

IN 3 3 

2 1 1 

3 1 1 

6 1 1 

MI 0 1 

1 0 1 

OH 2 1 

7 1 0 

15 1 1 

Mid-America 18 18 

IA 5 4 

1 3 2 

2 2 2 

KS 5 5 

1 2 2 

2 2 2 

3 1 1 

MO 7 8 

1 0 1 

2 2 2 

3 1 1 

6 1 1 

7 1 1 

8 2 2 

NE 1 1 

1 1 1 

MidAtlantic 12 12 

DC 0 0 

DE 0 0 

MD 1 1 

2 1 1 
 

Page 14 of 44

TAAC/State 

Congressional District 

Petitions Filed 

(Accepted) 

Petitions 

Certified 

PA 9 9 

1 1 1 

4 1 1 

6 1 1 

8 1 1 

15 2 2 

16 2 2 

17 1 1 

VA 2 2 

9 2 2 

WV 0 0 

Midwest 19 18 

IL 14 13 

1 1 1 

2 1 1 

4 1 1 

5 1 1 

7 3 3 

8 1 0 

9 2 2 

11 1 1 

14 1 1 

16 1 1 

17 1 1 

MN 1 1 

2 1 1 

WI 4 4 

3 1 1 

4 1 1 

5 2 2 

New England 14 11 

CT 4 4 

1 1 1 

3 1 1 

5 2 2 

MA 4 2 

4 1 0 
 

Page 15 of 44

TAAC/State 

Congressional District 

Petitions Filed 

(Accepted) 

Petitions 

Certified 

6 1 2 

8 1 0 

9 1 0 

ME 2 3 

1 0 1 

2 2 2 

NH 1 1 

2 1 1 

RI 2 0 

2 2 0 

VT 1 1 

At-Large 1 1 

New York, New 

Jersey and Puerto 

Rico 12 11 

NJ 0 0 

NY 12 11 

1 2 1 

20 1 1 

22 1 1 

23 3 3 

24 1 1 

25 2 2 

26 1 1 

27 1 1 

PR 0 0 

Northwest 10 11 

AK 0 0 

ID 0 1 

1 0 1 

OR 2 2 

2 1 1 

5 1 1 

WA 8 8 

1 1 1 

4 1 1 

6 1 1 

7 2 2 
 

Page 16 of 44

TAAC/State 

Congressional District 

Petitions Filed 

(Accepted) 

Petitions 

Certified 

8 1 1 

9 1 1 

10 1 1 

Rocky Mountain 7 8 

CO 2 3 

2 1 2 

3 1 1 

MT 1 1 

At-Large 1 1 

ND 1 1 

At-Large 1 1 

SD 1 1 

At-Large 1 1 

UT 1 1 

1 1 1 

WY 1 1 

At-Large 1 1 

Southeastern 3 5 

AL 1 2 

7 1 2 

FL 0 0 

GA 1 1 

6 1 1 

KY 0 0 

MS 0 0 

NC 1 2 

10 1 1 

11 0 1 

SC 0 0 

TN 0 0 

Southwest 8 11 

AR 1 1 

3 1 1 

LA 5 5 

1 1 0 

3 1 2 

4 1 1 
 

Page 17 of 44

TAAC/State 

Congressional District 

Petitions Filed 

(Accepted) 

Petitions 

Certified 

6 1 1 

7 1 1 

NM 1 1 

3 1 1 

OK 1 2 

1 0 1 

5 1 1 

TX 0 2 

2 0 1 

35 0 1 

Western 0 1 

AZ 0 0 

CA 0 1 

52 0 1 

HI 0 0 

NV 0 0 

Total 108 111 

(6) Of the number of petitions filed, the number of firms that entered the program and 

received benefits.7

For this metric, benefits are defined as technical assistance provided to firms certified in FY 

2017 in preparing a business recovery plan (AP) that resulted in EDA approval of that AP in 

FY 2017. 

In FY 2017, of the 108 petitions accepted and 111 petitions certified by EDA, 81 firms met 

this definition of benefits received. Many of the remaining firms will receive benefits during 

FY 2018, especially those that were certified as eligible for TAAF assistance near the end of 

FY 2017. 

 

Exhibit 7: Petitions Certified and APs Approved: FY 2017 

TAAC 

No. of Firms Receiving 

Benefits (Certified and 

Approved AP in FY 2017) 

Great Lakes 5 

Mid-America 13 

MidAtlantic 8 

 

7

 EDA defines “entering the program” as receiving a certification. 
 

Page 18 of 44

TAAC 

No. of Firms Receiving 

Benefits (Certified and 

Approved AP in FY 2017) 

Midwest 14 

New England 9 

New York, New Jersey and 

Puerto Rico 7 

Northwest 5 

Rocky Mountain 7 

Southeastern 4 

Southwest 8 

Western 1 

Total 81 

(7) The number of firms that received assistance in preparing their petitions. 

In FY 2017, 251 firms received assistance in preparing petitions. Firms may receive 

assistance in all phases of preparing petitions more than once in a single year. Petition 

assistance rendered may not result in the submission of a petition, or may result in the 

submission of a petition in a later fiscal year. 

Exhibit 8: Petition Assistance Activity: FY 2017 

TAAC Petition Assistance 

Great Lakes 20 

Mid-America 31 

MidAtlantic 23 

Midwest 52 

New England 16 

New York, New Jersey and 

Puerto Rico 21 

Northwest 24 

Rocky Mountain 11 

Southeastern 28 

Southwest 20 

Western 5 

Total 251 

 
 

Page 19 of 44

(8) The number of firms that received assistance developing business recovery plans. 

In FY 2017, 123 firms received assistance in developing APs. Additionally, 481 firms 

received assistance in implementing projects in their APs. Firms may receive assistance in 

developing and implementing APs more than once in a single year. Additionally, AP 

assistance rendered may not result in the submission or implementation of an AP in the 

current fiscal year. 

Exhibit 9: AP Development Activity: FY 2017 

TAAC 

AP Development 

Assistance 

Great Lakes 10 

Mid-America 18 

MidAtlantic 11 

Midwest 22 

New England 13 

New York, New Jersey and Puerto 

Rico 10 

Northwest 11 

Rocky Mountain 9 

Southeastern 5 

Southwest 12 

Western 2 

Total 123 

Exhibit 10: AP Implementation Activity: FY 2017

TAAC 

AP Implementation 

Assistance 

Great Lakes 38 

Mid-America 40 

MidAtlantic 50 

Midwest 88 

New England 51 

New York, New Jersey and Puerto 

Rico 29 

Northwest 39 

Rocky Mountain 54 

Southeastern 32 

Southwest 40 
 

Page 20 of 44

TAAC 

AP Implementation 

Assistance 

Western 20 

Total 481 

(9) The number of business recovery plans approved and denied by the Secretary. 

In FY 2017, EDA approved 104 APs. While EDA did not deny any APs in FY 2017, EDA 

did find that some APs submitted required clarification. In these cases, EDA worked with the 

TAAC and firm to make any necessary revisions to make the AP acceptable to EDA. EDA’s 

average processing time for APs, including the time needed to work with firms to make 

revisions, was 26 days. 

Exhibit 11: APs Approved by TAAC/State: FY 2017 

TAAC/State No. of APs Approved 

 

Great Lakes 9 

IN 4 

MI 3 

OH 2 

Mid-America 16 

IA 4 

KS 3 

MO 6 

NE 3 

MidAtlantic 9 

DC 0 

DE 0 

MD 1 

PA 7 

VA 1 

WV 0 

Midwest 16 

IL 11 

MN 1 

WI 4 

New England 13 

CT 4 

MA 4 

ME 2 

NH 1 
 

Page 21 of 44

TAAC/State No. of APs Approved 

RI 1 

VT 1 

New York, New Jersey and 

Puerto Rico 7 

NJ 0 

NY 7 

PR 0 

Northwest 5 

AK 0 

ID 0 

OR 1 

WA 4 

Rocky Mountain 8 

CO 3 

MT 1 

ND 1 

SD 1 

UT 1 

WY 1 

Southeastern 7 

AL 1 

FL 0 

GA 3 

KY 0 

MS 0 

NC 3 

SC 0 

TN 0 

Southwest 11 

AR 1 

LA 5 

NM 1 

OK 1 

TX 3 

Western 3 

AZ 0 

CA 2 

HI 0 

NV 1 

Total 104 
 

Page 22 of 44

(10) Average duration of benefits received under the program nationally and in each 

region served by an intermediary organization (the TAAC) referred to in Section 

253(b)(1) of the Trade Act. 

For this metric, EDA defines benefits as technical assistance provided to firms from the time 

of petition certification to the time of program completion. Nationally, firms received on 

average 54 months of benefits under the TAAF program. 

Exhibit 12: Average Duration of Benefits Received: FY 2017 by TAAC (Region) 

TAAC 

Average No. of Months Firms 

Received Benefits Under TAAF 

program by TAAC 

Great Lakes 46

Mid-America 42

MidAtlantic 75

Midwest 63

New England 39

New York, New Jersey and Puerto 

Rico 71

Northwest 60

Rocky Mountain 59

Southeastern 34

Southwest 57

Western 52

Average for All TAACs 54 

(11) Sales, employment, and productivity at each firm participating in the TAAF 

program at the time of certification.8

As of September 30, 2017, 524 active firms with combined sales of $6.5 billion and a 

workforce of 37,140 were participating in the TAAF program. A firm that has an approved 

AP, has not completed all projects in its AP, and is still engaged in the TAAF program is 

considered “active.” 

 

 

8 Ibid. Footnote 3.
 

Page 23 of 44

Exhibit 13: Sales, Employment, and Productivity at the time of Certification for All Firms 

Participating in the TAAF Program in FY 2017 by TAAC and State: 

TAAC/State 

No. of Active 

Firms in FY 

2017 

Total Sales at 

Certification 

Total 

Employment at 

Certification 

Average 

Productivity at 

Certification 

Great Lakes 40 $469,058,460 3,228 $145,309 

IN 10 $207,177,849 1,677 $123,541 

MI 20 $155,803,363 942 $165,396 

OH 10 $106,077,248 609 $174,183 

Mid-America 64 $1,118,630,980 4,516 $247,704 

IA 4 $38,384,728 243 $157,962 

KS 12 $57,803,262 620 $93,231 

MO 46 $991,882,540 3,383 $293,196 

NE 2 $30,560,450 270 $113,187 

MidAtlantic 58 $610,251,999 3,840 $158,920 

DC 0 $0 0 $0 

DE 0 $0 0 $0 

MD 2 $4,202,883 67 $62,730 

PA 52 $575,399,198 3,538 $162,634 

VA 4 $30,649,918 235 $130,425 

WV 0 $0 0 $0 

Midwest 82 $1,000,181,561 5,191 $192,676 

IL 59 $709,366,286 3,490 $203,257 

MN 7 $31,593,249 248 $127,392 

WI 16 $259,222,026 1,453 $178,405 

New England 42 $328,955,420 1,779 $184,910 

CT 13 $129,518,418 538 $240,741 

MA 13 $61,643,922 368 $167,511 

ME 4 $30,580,939 172 $177,796 

NH 2 $48,168,927 235 $204,974 

RI 5 $17,454,613 162 $107,745 

VT 5 $41,588,601 304 $136,805 

New York State 33 $180,990,712 1,380 $131,153 

NJ 1 $12,823,283 90 $142,481 

NY 32 $168,167,429 1,290 $130,362 

PR 0 $0 0 $0 

Northwest 48 $481,322,647 2,203 $218,485 

AK 3 $584,365 3 $194,788 

ID 6 $67,185,826 612 $109,781 

OR 15 $253,036,313 737 $343,333 

WA 24 $160,516,143 851 $188,621 
 

Page 24 of 44

TAAC/State 

No. of Active 

Firms in FY 

2017 

Total Sales at 

Certification 

Total 

Employment at 

Certification 

Average 

Productivity at 

Certification 

Rocky Mountain 54 $1,535,313,010 8,078 $190,061 

CO 28 $193,206,187 1,215 $159,017 

MT 1 $1,052,703 19 $55,405 

ND 5 $34,895,138 225 $155,090 

SD 4 $509,277,257 2,902 $175,492 

UT 13 $702,400,786 3,386 $207,443 

WY 3 $94,480,939 331 $285,441 

Southeastern 27 $215,272,187 2,779 $77,464 

AL 2 $6,272,112 39 $160,823 

FL 2 $68,954,928 317 $217,523 

GA 8 $8,983,163 575 $15,623 

KY 1 $5,767,685 51 $113,092 

MS 1 $17,726,454 187 $94,794 

NC 7 $24,378,696 690 $35,331 

SC 5 $78,815,478 867 $90,906 

TN 1 $4,373,671 53 $82,522 

Southwest 56 $406,864,439 3,212 $126,670 

AR 6 $83,524,453 517 $161,556 

LA 16 $93,257,601 248 $376,039 

NM 3 $18,765,319 198 $94,774 

OK 11 $102,641,476 1,311 $78,293 

TX 20 $108,675,590 938 $115,859 

Western 20 $110,923,511 934 $118,762 

AZ 2 $11,975,508 84 $142,566 

CA 16 $92,171,182 778 $118,472 

HI 0 $0 0 $0 

NV 2 $6,776,821 72 $94,123 

Total 524 $6,457,764,926 37,140 $173,876 

(12) Sales, employment, and productivity at each firm upon completion of the program 

and each year for the two-year period following completion. 9

EDA analyzes the extent to which client firms increased their sales, productivity and 

employment levels following: 1) entry into the program (certification) to the completed 

implementation of TAAF-supported projects (program completion), and 2) program 

completion to one and two years after program completion. To measure these outcomes, 

 

9

 Firms have completed the program when they have completed implementation of the TAAF-supported 

projects that the firm chose to pursue. 
 

Page 25 of 44

EDA compares average sales, average productivity10 and average employment at these 

intervals of all firms that completed the program in a particular year (known as the “base 

year”) and provides complete data. The base year used for this Report is FY 2015, with FY 

2016 and FY 2017 being the first two post-completion years. Of the 151 firms that 

completed the program in FY 2015, 105 submitted complete data on sales, employment, and 

productivity for FY 2016 and FY 2017. 

Exhibit 14a: Summary of Average Sales, Employment, and Productivity at Firms from Certification, 

Completion of the Program, and the One-Year and Two-Year Period Following Completion. 

Certification to Program 

Completion Average Sales 

Average 

Employment 

Average 

Productivity 

Certification $16,782,802 96.0 $174,821 

Completion (FY 2015) $23,924,125 120.0 $199,368 

Percent Change (+/-) 42.6% 25.0% 14.0% 

Certification to One Year 

Post Program Completion Average Sales 

Average 

Employment 

Average 

Productivity 

Certification $16,782,802 96.0 $174,821 

1st Year Following 

Completion (FY 2016) $22,302,381 121.0 $184,317 

Percent Change (+/-) 32.9% 26.0% 5.4% 

Certification to Two Years 

Post Program Completion Average Sales 

Average 

Employment 

Average 

Productivity 

Certification $16,782,802 96.0 $174,821 

2nd Year Following 

Completion (FY 2017) $21,791,728 120.0 $181,598 

Percent Change (+/-) 29.8% 25.0% 3.9% 

Program Completion to 

One Year Post Completion Average Sales 

Average 

Employment 

Average 

Productivity 

Completion (FY 2015) $23,924,125 120.0 $199,368 

1st Year Following 

Completion (FY 2016) $22,302,381 121.0 $184,317 

Percent Change (+/-) -6.8% 0.8% -7.5% 

 

10 Ibid. Footnote 3. 
 

Page 26 of 44

Program Completion to 

Two Years Post 

Completion Average Sales 

Average 

Employment 

Average 

Productivity 

Completion (FY 2015) $23,924,125 120.0 $199,368 

2nd Year Following 

Completion (FY 2017) $21,791,728 120.0 $181,598 

Percent Change (+/-) -8.9% 0.0% -8.9% 

An analysis of the total average sales and employment data collected from FY 2010 to FY 2017 

shows: 

 From certification to program completion, firms reported that average sales had 

increased by 24.7 percent, average productivity had increased by 17.9 percent, and 

average employment had increased by 5.9 percent. 

 From program completion to one year after completing the program, firms reported 

that average sales had increased by 5.8 percent, average productivity had increased by 

1.5 percent, and average employment had increased by 4.2 percent. Average sales 

increased 6 of the 8 years analyzed. Average productivity increased 4 of the 8 years 

analyzed. Average employment increased 5 of the 8 years analyzed. 

 From program completion to two years after completing the program, firms reported 

that average sales had increased by 12.2 percent, average productivity had increased 

by 8.3 percent, and average employment had increased by 3.6 percent. Average sales 

increased 5 of the 8 years analyzed. Average productivity increased 6 of the 8 years 

analyzed. Average employment increased 5 of the 8 years analyzed. 

These data suggest that the decline in post-completion sales and employment for firms that 

completed the program in FY 2015 is an anomaly partly accounted for by general 

manufacturing conditions, which have improved since 2017. EDA continues to monitor 

post-program performance to determine if programmatic changes or a fuller evaluation of the 

TAAF program are warranted. 

It is important to note that TAAF clients are operating in the same economic environment as 

other firms, but are also attempting to adjust to import pressures that may not impact other 

firms as severely, making the success of TAAF-assisted firms notable. It should also be noted 

that the long-term success of these firms depends on achieving a fair and reciprocal global 

trade environment. 

 
 

Page 27 of 44

Exhibit 14b: Summary of Average Sales, Employment, and Productivity at Firms from Certification, 

Completion of the Program, and the One-Year and Two-Year Period Following Completion – Fiscal 

Years 2010 – 2017. 

Certification to Program 

Completion (FY 2010-

2017) 

Total Average 

Sales 

Total Average 

Employment 

Total Average 

Productivity 

Certification $105,541,979 677 $155,897 

Completion $131,597,345 717 $183,539 

Percent Change (+/-) 24.7% 5.9% 17.7% 

Certification to One Year 

Post Program Completion 

(FY 2010-2017) 

Total Average 

Sales 

Total Average 

Employment 

Total Average 

Productivity 

Certification $105,541,979 677 $155,897 

1st Year Following 

Completion $139,286,154 728 $191,327 

Percent Change (+/-) 32.0% 7.5% 22.7% 

Certification to Two Years 

Post Program Completion 

(FY 2010-2017) 

Total Average 

Sales 

Total Average 

Employment 

Total Average 

Productivity 

Certification $105,541,979 677.0 $155,897 

2nd Year Following 

Completion $147,705,532 743.0 $198,796 

Percent Change (+/-) 39.9% 9.7% 27.5% 

Program Completion to 

One Year Post Completion 

(FY 2010-2017) 

Total Average 

Sales 

Total Average 

Employment 

Total Average 

Productivity 

Completion $131,597,345 717 $183,539 

1st Year Following 

Completion $139,286,154 728 $191,327 

Percent Change (+/-) 5.8% 1.5% 4.2% 

 
 

Page 28 of 44

Program Completion to 

Two Years Post 

Completion (FY 2010-

2017) 

Total Average 

Sales 

Total Average 

Employment 

Total Average 

Productivity 

Completion $131,597,345 717 $183,539 

2nd Year Following 

Completion $147,705,532 743 $198,796 

Percent Change (+/-) 12.2% 3.6% 8.3% 

Exhibit 14c: Number of Firms that Increased/Decreased Sales, Employment and Productivity from 

Certification, Completion of the Program, and the One-Year and Two-Year Period Following 

Completion 

Comparison From 

Certification to Post 

Program Completion 

# of Firms with 

Increase 

# of Firms with 

Decrease 

# of Firms with 

No Change Total 

Sales Certification to 

Completion 67 38 0 105 

Employment Certification 

to Completion 61 41 3 105 

Productivity Certification 

to Completion 74 31 0 105 

Sales Certification to One 

Year After Completion 83 22 0 105 

Employment Certification 

to One Year After 

Completion 60 38 7 105 

Productivity Certification 

to One Year After 

Completion 72 33 0 105 

Sales Certification to 

Two Years After 

Completion 76 29 0 105 

Employment Certification 

to Two Years After 

Completion 62 41 2 105 

Productivity Certification 

to Two Years After 

Completion 67 38 0 105 

Sales at One Year After 

Completion 46 56 3 105 

Employment at One Year 

After Completion 48 44 13 105 
 

Page 29 of 44

Comparison From 

Certification to Post 

Program Completion 

# of Firms with 

Increase 

# of Firms with 

Decrease 

# of Firms with 

No Change Total 

Productivity at One Year 

After Completion 56 49 0 105 

Sales at Two Years After 

Completion 42 63 0 105 

Employment at Two 

Years After Completion 45 46 14 105 

Productivity at Two 

Years After Completion 47 58 0 105 

Please note: For the final row of the table in Exhibit 14c, all total averages are calculated 

using the data in the column above (i.e., vertical calculation of average), except for the last 

four columns (total averages for productivity), which instead calculate total average 

productivity using the total average sales and total average employment at the bottom of the 

table (i.e., horizontal calculation of average). 
Page 30 of 44

Exhibit 14d: Sales, Employment, and Productivity at Each Firm at Certification, Completion of the Program Period Following Completion 

TAAC/Firm ID 

Sales at 

Certification 

Sales at 

Completion 

(FY 2015) 

Sales 

1st Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2016) 

Sales 

2nd Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2017) 

Average 

Employment 

at 

Certification 

Average 

Employment 

at 

Completion 

(FY 2015) 

Average 

Employment 

1st Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2016) 

Average 

Employment 

2nd Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2017) 

Average 

Productivity 

at 

Certification 

Average 

Productivity 

at 

Completion 

(FY 2015) 

GLTAACCMP-001 $238,020 $257,000 $204,000 $159,000 9 3 3 3 $26,447 $85,667 GLTAACCMP-002 $25,542,464 $33,000,000 $33,490,565 $31,737,000 286 300 286 298 $89,309 $110,000 GLTAACCMP-003 $686,821 $1,500,000 $1,432,000 $1,302,000 8 10 10 9 $85,853 $150,000 GLTAACCMP-004 $14,999,842 $33,018,000 $36,464,000 $40,000,000 62 96 105 110 $241,933 $343,938 GLTAACCMP-005 $4,006,469 $5,324,000 $5,053,530 $4,680,798 36 76 67 68 $111,291 $70,053 GLTAACCMP-006 $14,584,987 $17,600,000 $18,600,000 $18,000,000 132 136 150 110 $110,492 $129,412 GLTAACCMP-007 $16,403,668 $19,219,000 $20,300,000 $21,500,000 137 185 180 205 $119,735 $103,886 GLTAACCMP-008 $15,056,348 $28,000,000 $31,000,000 $35,000,000 93 163 165 125 $161,896 $171,779 GLTAACCMP-009 $1,391,411 $1,500,000 $1,636,459 $1,561,666 10 13 13 13 $139,141 $115,385 GLTAACCMP-010 $613,906 $1,180,000 $850,000 $740,000 6 6 6 4 $102,318 $196,667 GLTAACCMP-011 $15,763,683 $17,031,000 $17,000,000 $18,000,000 118 112 115 125 $133,591 $152,063 GLTAACCMP-012 $21,591,273 $52,000,000 $68,000,000 $63,748,150 107 205 286 201 $201,788 $253,659 GLTAACCMP-013 $4,527,483 $3,902,141 $3,393,000 $2,581,929 29 21 18 15 $156,120 $185,816 GLTAACCMP-014 $10,487,391 $12,218,000 $12,000,000 $12,000,000 95 85 94 89 $110,394 $143,741 GLTAACCMP-015 $86,666,000 $120,000,000 $100,000,000 $100,400,000 458 530 660 680 $189,227 $226,415 GLTAACCMP-016 $26,590,596 $55,316,761 $76,000,000 $48,900,000 111 230 299 84 $239,555 $240,508 GLTAACCMP-017 $44,943,744 $61,300,000 $58,231,272 $61,258,874 285 460 432 455 $157,697 $133,261 GLTAACCMP-018 $23,726,780 $38,800,000 $37,432,000 $39,000,000 120 180 160 180 $197,723 $215,556 GLTAACCMP-019 $36,833,013 $22,000,000 $22,000,000 $12,650,000 155 95 105 105 $237,632 $231,579 GLTAACCMP-020 $423,562 $428,884 $496,000 $599,000 2 3 3 3 $211,781 $142,961 GLTAACCMP-021 $7,042,585 $6,000,000 $5,763,915 $7,733,061 37 39 37 47 $190,340 $153,846 
Page 31 of 44

TAAC/Firm ID 

Sales at 

Certification 

Sales at 

Completion 

(FY 2015) 

Sales 

1st Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2016) 

Sales 

2nd Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2017) 

Average 

Employment 

at 

Certification 

Average 

Employment 

at 

Completion 

(FY 2015) 

Average 

Employment 

1st Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2016) 

Average 

Employment 

2nd Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2017) 

Average 

Productivity 

at 

Certification 

Average 

Productivity 

at 

Completion 

(FY 2015) 

GLTAACCMP-022 $6,348,965 $10,000,000 $8,800,000 $8,486,221 24 48 45 47 $264,540 $208,333 GLTAACCMP-023 $30,300,553 $32,000,000 $37,000,000 $45,000,000 146 121 165 126 $207,538 $264,463 GLTAACCMP-025 $365,025,000 $401,500,000 $392,500,000 $394,433,000 2,015 2,132 2,140 2,262 $181,154 $188,321 GLTAACCMP-026 $21,887,413 $50,000,000 $50,000,000 $31,000,000 112 230 225 225 $195,423 $217,391 GLTAACCMP-027 $7,679,411 $5,776,000 $6,300,000 $5,400,000 34 54 55 53 $225,865 $106,963 MamTAACCMP-001 $2,474,311 $8,002,000 $6,143,818 $7,200,000 43 45 38 43 $57,542 $177,822 MamTAACCMP-003 $9,039,745 $22,398,295 $22,398,293 $21,359,688 66 62 65 66 $136,966 $361,263 MamTAACCMP-005 $1,123,000 $4,100,000 $5,293,604 $5,280,000 16 26 26 21 $70,188 $157,692 MamTAACCMP-007 $7,480,113 $7,422,536 $8,190,071 $15,561,400 73 78 61 92 $102,467 $95,161 MamTAACCMP-008 $19,371,000 $27,569,604 $29,555,279 $35,097,684 185 151 181 182 $104,708 $182,580 MamTAACCMP-009 $1,420,455 $1,447,000 $1,434,423 $1,675,686 11 8 7 8 $129,132 $180,875 MamTAACCMP-010 $5,046,000 $10,700,000 $10,400,000 $11,000,084 40 64 71 67 $126,150 $167,188 MamTAACCMP-011 $8,884,548 $9,443,984 $9,432,126 $10,621,000 80 76 77 79 $111,057 $124,263 MamTAACCMP-012 $7,537,000 $6,800,000 $6,372,232 $5,014,405 52 35 34 28 $144,942 $194,286 MamTAACCMP-013 $4,930,000 $4,511,806 $4,107,993 $2,971,444 24 25 21 15 $205,417 $180,472 MamTAACCMP-014 $3,582,614 $3,784,895 $4,520,000 $4,084,369 24 35 35 45 $149,276 $108,140 MamTAACCMP-015 $2,236,000 $3,700,000 $3,900,000 $4,100,000 49 42 43 42 $45,633 $88,095 MamTAACCMP-016 $1,220,168 $886,676 $1,494,572 $1,231,578 11 13 11 8 $110,924 $68,206 MATAACCMP-001 $4,050,320 $5,365,368 $5,478,126 $4,762,000 32 29 31 34 $126,573 $185,013 MATAACCMP-002 $8,194,926 $9,940,000 $10,340,330 $8,638,059 82 74 70 74 $99,938 $134,324 MATAACCMP-003 $3,574,300 $5,406,716 $4,671,084 $4,760,000 26 41 37 32 $137,473 $131,871 MATAACCMP-004 $9,645,673 $12,255,460 $11,481,414 $10,670,174 48 46 56 58 $200,952 $266,423 MATAACCMP-005 $4,811,250 $5,538,000 $5,144,810 $4,288,851 44 48 49 49 $109,347 $115,375 
Page 32 of 44

TAAC/Firm ID 

Sales at 

Certification 

Sales at 

Completion 

(FY 2015) 

Sales 

1st Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2016) 

Sales 

2nd Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2017) 

Average 

Employment 

at 

Certification 

Average 

Employment 

at 

Completion 

(FY 2015) 

Average 

Employment 

1st Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2016) 

Average 

Employment 

2nd Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2017) 

Average 

Productivity 

at 

Certification 

Average 

Productivity 

at 

Completion 

(FY 2015) 

MATAACCMP-006 $7,397,692 $5,200,000 $7,165,027 $7,975,888 26 26 31 39 $284,527 $200,000 MATAACCMP-007 $11,098,231 $12,989,686 $11,360,345 $9,503,179 50 70 70 67 $221,965 $185,567 MATAACCMP-008 $58,286,051 $63,568,000 $62,367,000 $63,296,430 369 364 329 336 $157,957 $174,637 MWTAACCMP-002 $8,970,960 $8,770,250 $9,029,958 $8,800,000 40 29 30 30 $224,274 $302,422 MWTAACCMP-003 $7,561,000 $10,700,000 $11,400,000 $13,817,000 47 67 69 75 $160,872 $159,701 MWTAACCMP-004 $12,750,000 $14,000,000 $12,744,000 $12,694,000 105 93 94 95 $121,429 $150,538 MWTAACCMP-005 $8,141,000 $7,849,916 $7,900,000 $8,428,356 57 56 57 65 $142,825 $140,177 MWTAACCMP-006 $13,074,687 $12,166,467 $7,400,000 $8,500,000 84 69 48 55 $155,651 $176,326 MWTAACCMP-008 $2,150,000 $3,798,000 $4,200,000 $3,550,000 39 63 68 41 $55,128 $60,286 MWTAACCMP-009 $24,507,622 $42,196,940 $26,000,000 $29,000,000 171 211 250 262 $143,319 $199,985 MWTAACCMP-010 $14,046,925 $12,000,000 $13,500,000 $13,100,000 93 75 75 75 $151,042 $160,000 MWTAACCMP-011 $7,338,136 $18,090,000 $23,100,000 $24,340,000 105 87 105 98 $69,887 $207,931 MWTAACCMP-012 $32,349,000 $46,462,000 $47,000,000 $43,400,003 84 89 90 88 $385,107 $522,045 MWTAACCMP-013 $1,527,245 $5,870,000 $5,500,000 $5,500,000 24 94 92 92 $63,635 $62,447 MWTAACCMP-014 $7,400,000 $8,450,000 $7,050,000 $6,073,000 50 49 46 45 $148,000 $172,449 MWTAACCMP-015 $2,854,000 $2,722,794 $3,100,000 $2,500,000 36 33 24 16 $79,278 $82,509 NETAACCMP-010 $6,346,500 $7,800,000 $7,036,000 $7,964,000 88 87 82 80 $72,119 $89,655 NETAACCMP-014 $1,371,000 $1,965,348 $3,369,160 $4,048,890 9 15 20 22 $152,333 $131,023 NETAACCMP-019 $6,478,151 $7,318,713 $5,651,000 $6,155,000 57 47 43 39 $113,652 $155,717 NETAACCMP-020 $1,923,766 $8,300,000 $8,100,000 $8,182,000 12 33 34 28 $160,314 $251,515 NETAACCMP-021 $5,651,211 $7,715,736 $8,000,000 $7,636,500 88 97 95 89 $64,218 $79,544 NETAACCMP-029 $4,495,541 $4,674,400 $5,926,862 $6,764,000 40 36 40 46 $112,389 $129,844 NWTAACCMP-001 $318,891 $550,000 $500,000 $650,000 6 7 7 10 $53,149 $78,571 
Page 33 of 44

TAAC/Firm ID 

Sales at 

Certification 

Sales at 

Completion 

(FY 2015) 

Sales 

1st Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2016) 

Sales 

2nd Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2017) 

Average 

Employment 

at 

Certification 

Average 

Employment 

at 

Completion 

(FY 2015) 

Average 

Employment 

1st Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2016) 

Average 

Employment 

2nd Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2017) 

Average 

Productivity 

at 

Certification 

Average 

Productivity 

at 

Completion 

(FY 2015) 

NWTAACCMP-002 $3,609,396 $4,300,000 $3,800,000 $3,600,000 22 28 24 28 $164,063 $153,571 NWTAACCMP-003 $884,353 $1,200,000 $1,300,000 $1,300,000 4 3 5 3 $221,088 $400,000 NWTAACCMP-004 $13,279,415 $12,300,000 $12,100,000 $10,000,000 72 65 68 70 $184,436 $189,231 NWTAACCMP-005 $4,409,285 $1,544,446 $2,126,110 $3,234,603 20 8 14 17 $220,464 $193,056 NWTAACCMP-006 $7,338,306 $7,468,957 $14,774,852 $6,600,000 40 37 45 39 $183,458 $201,864 NWTAACCMP-007 $6,945,387 $18,700,000 $13,100,000 $15,600,000 42 70 63 70 $165,366 $267,143 NWTAACCMP-008 $20,315,727 $30,500,000 $28,400,000 $28,700,000 73 98 107 100 $278,298 $311,224 NWTAACCMP-009 $1,208,258 $768,396 $1,230,615 $1,108,291 6 11 10 9 $201,376 $69,854 NWTAACCMP-010 $1,323,373 $1,750,236 $2,215,000 $3,200,000 14 27 19 30 $94,527 $64,824 NYNJPRTAAC-CMP-001 $745,536 $735,344 $580,299 $567,568 10 8 8 8 $74,554 $91,918 NYNJPRTAAC-CMP-003 $12,416,843 $9,962,099 $9,838,487 $9,699,544 33 44 42 43 $376,268 $226,411 NYNJPRTAAC-CMP-004 $4,588,575 $12,928,717 $13,683,749 $16,865,207 31 69 73 80 $148,019 $187,373 NYNJPRTAAC-CMP-009 $6,961,334 $14,174,886 $14,008,027 $13,823,295 90 121 114 116 $77,348 $117,148 RMTAACCMP-001 $328,918,000 $583,000,000 $414,811,000 $410,580,000 622 1,656 1,382 1,489 $528,807 $352,053 RMTAACCMP-002 $315,272 $588,000 $573,731 $499,584 5 12 11 8 $63,054 $49,000 RMTAACCMP-003 $11,716,759 $11,538,774 $12,200,000 $9,943,889 86 75 78 76 $136,241 $153,850 RMTAACCMP-004 $23,868,820 $24,963,000 $24,418,000 $23,636,000 217 190 180 190 $109,995 $131,384 RMTAACCMP-005 $4,070,180 $4,210,000 $4,100,000 $3,226,000 15 23 26 21 $271,345 $183,043 RMTAACCMP-006 $33,243,720 $13,052,034 $12,500,000 $13,467,328 132 125 106 107 $251,846 $104,416 RMTAACCMP-007 $6,547,098 $12,477,977 $9,800,000 $9,918,106 49 79 61 59 $133,614 $157,949 RMTAACCMP-008 $1,518,225 $2,107,048 $1,951,948 $2,089,668 16 17 17 19 $94,889 $123,944 RMTAACCMP-009 $23,845,594 $41,548,033 $47,847,594 $36,008,752 159 164 164 123 $149,972 $253,342 RMTAACCMP-010 $877,283 $593,000 $473,000 $592,792 9 3 1 1 $97,476 $197,667 
Page 34 of 44

TAAC/Firm ID 

Sales at 

Certification 

Sales at 

Completion 

(FY 2015) 

Sales 

1st Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2016) 

Sales 

2nd Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2017) 

Average 

Employment 

at 

Certification 

Average 

Employment 

at 

Completion 

(FY 2015) 

Average 

Employment 

1st Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2016) 

Average 

Employment 

2nd Yr. 

Following 

Completion 

(FY 2017) 

Average 

Productivity 

at 

Certification 

Average 

Productivity 

at 

Completion 

(FY 2015) 

RMTAACCMP-011 $3,327,060 $1,580,000 $1,100,000 $740,000 19 9 5 5 $175,108 $175,556 SETAAC-CMP002 $466,382 $1,044,219 $1,099,271 $924,335 12 12 10 14 $38,865 $87,018 SETAAC-CMP003 $799,672 $3,191,293 $3,749,690 $4,500,000 20 28 31 37 $39,984 $113,975 SETAAC-CMP004 $3,093,726 $2,500,000 $2,500,000 $5,000,000 16 22 23 37 $193,358 $113,636 SETAAC-CMP005 $32,298,706 $69,207,483 $67,000,000 $72,000,000 348 560 622 670 $92,812 $123,585 SETAAC-CMP006 $6,957,536 $24,726,000 $27,250,000 $29,500,000 49 136 119 92 $141,991 $181,809 SETAAC-CMP008 $10,128,382 $12,800,000 $12,963,700 $13,250,000 58 83 80 90 $174,627 $154,217 SWTAACCMP-001 $1,560,626 $4,143,702 $4,122,259 $2,896,690 46 30 42 25 $33,927 $138,123 SWTAACCMP-002 $1,935,948 $3,049,890 $4,790,000 $4,020,772 26 25 28 35 $74,460 $121,996 SWTAACCMP-003 $982,499 $3,815,800 $3,589,000 $3,304,500 17 21 32 34 $57,794 $181,705 SWTAACCMP-005 $11,004,128 $40,476,626 $40,268,403 $31,643,000 241 318 325 320 $45,660 $127,285 SWTAACCMP-007 $6,889,987 $19,650,236 $17,852,911 $14,676,562 107 95 86 95 $64,392 $206,845 SWTAACCMP-010 $3,046,061 $7,638,357 $7,700,000 $7,200,000 32 45 49 53 $95,189 $169,741 SWTAACCMP-011 $4,567,159 $6,997,247 $6,400,000 $4,310,000 39 31 28 29 $117,107 $225,718 SWTAACCMP-012 $2,169,194 $9,500,000 $3,828,041 $3,839,608 27 52 23 25 $80,341 $182,692 Total Average $16,782,802 $23,924,125 $22,302,381 $21,791,728 96 120 121 120 174,821 199,368 
 

Page 35 of 44

(13) The number of firms in operation as of the and the number of firms that ceased 

operations after completing the program in each year during the two-year period 

following completion of the program. 

As of September 30, 2017, 524 active firms with combined sales of $6.5 billion and a workforce 

of 37,140 were participating in the TAAF program. While not all firms complete the program 

(e.g., 43 exited the program prior to completion in FY 2017, 7of which went out of business 

and/or were sold), the 105 of the 151 firms that completed the program in FY 2015 and provided 

complete data on their post-completion performance were in operation at the end of FY 2017. 

(14) The financial assistance received by each firm participating in the program. 

(15) The financial contribution made by each firm participating in the program. 

Financial assistance is not provided directly to firms. In FY 2017, firms received $6.9 million 

worth of technical assistance provided to prepare petitions and to develop and implement APs 

(often through business consultants and other experts). EDA funds the TAACs, which either 

provide technical assistance themselves or pay a portion of the cost to secure specialized business 

consultants, for which firms pay a matching share. The firms represented in this report paid 

$3.6 million to match $6.9 million in TAAF funds towards the development and implementation 

of APs. 

Exhibit 15: Summary of TAAC Assistance and Matching Firm Contributions: FY 2017 

TAAC 

Total TAAC 

Assistance11

Financial 

Contribution 

by the Firms 

Great Lakes $462,943 $201,578 

Mid-America $793,487 $654,993 

MidAtlantic $1,062,776 $600,924 

Midwest $735,799 $474,786 

New England $575,159 $369,849 

New York, New Jersey and 

Puerto Rico $318,030 $151,308 

Northwest $814,492 $222,272 

Rocky Mountain $863,413 $372,917 

Southeastern $526,416 $192,556 

Southwest $367,358 $229,908 

Western $416,153 $118,819 

Total $6,936,026 $3,589,910 

 

 

11 This does not include the amount expended by the TAACs for outreach to potential new firms. 
 

Page 36 of 44

(16) The types of technical assistance included in the business recovery plans of firms 

participating in the program. 

Types of technical assistance included in the business recovery plans of firms participating in the 

program include financial, management, marketing/sales, production and support systems. 

 

Exhibit 16: Types of Technical Assistance in APs: FY 2017 

Project 

Classification Sample Types of Projects 

Financial 

 Accounting systems upgrade 

 Cost Control tracking system 

 Automatic Data Processing development 

Management 

 Strategic business planning 

 Succession management 

 Management development 

Marketing/Sales 

 Sales process training 

 Market expansion and feasibility 

 Website design and upgrade 

Production 

 Lean manufacturing and certification 

 New Product Development 

 Production and Warehouse automation 

Support Systems 

 Enterprise Resource Planning 

 Management Information Systems 

upgrades 

 Computer Aided Design software 

(17) The number of firms leaving the program before completing the project or projects in 

their business recovery plans and the reason the project or projects were not 

completed. 

In FY 2017, the number of firms leaving the program before completing the project or projects in 

their business recovery plans (AP) was 43; 17 of which went out of business and/or were sold. 

The reasons the project or projects were not completed include: 

 Business decision to exit after completing part of the AP – 3

 Business decision to exit prior to completing any AP projects – 5

 Firms out of business – 5

 Firms sold – 12

 Five-year time limit expired before completing all projects – 18 

 
 

Page 37 of 44

(18) The total amount expended by all intermediary organizations referred to in Section 

253(b)(1) and by each organization to administer the program. 

Exhibit 17: Summary of Expenditures by TAAC Across Budget Categories: FY 2017 

TAAC 

Personnel 

(including 

Fringe 

Benefits) 

Contracts 

(Federal 

Share) Travel 

Equipment 

and Supplies Other 

Indirect 

Costs12

Total TAAC 

Expenditures 

Great Lakes $391,985 $217,096 $9,993 $6,746 $4,634 $125,965 $756,419 

Mid-America $378,616 $561,533 $13,474 $2,423 $44,999 $199,358 $1,200,403 

MidAtlantic $540,660 $680,915 $23,085 $18,906 $213,151 $0 $1,476,717 

Midwest $491,853 $503,369 $2,519 $8,511 $124,115 $0 $1,130,367 

New England $373,599 $418,737 $10,939 $14,249 $83,173 $0 $900,697 

New York, New 

Jersey and Puerto 

Rico $347,892 $167,021 $2,377 $6,893 $41,537 $81,511 $647,231 

Northwest $462,242 $348,834 $28,566 $10,105 $162,678 $0 $1,012,425 

Rocky Mountain $582,977 $374,047 $2,721 $0 $65,908 $155,704 $1,181,357 

Southeastern $535,803 $222,351 $5,486 $8,046 $0 $151,320 $923,006 

Southwest $413,352 $232,856 $26,474 $3,223 $14,515 $94,717 $785,137 

Western $391,283 $230,593 $12,581 $3,736 $8,747 $124,852 $771,792 

Total $4,910,262 $3,957,352 $138,215 $82,838 $763,457 $933,427 $10,785,551 

 

12 TAACs with zero dollar indirect costs are non-profit organizations that report their indirect cost expenditures on 

the Other budget category. Indirect (facilities and administrative) costs are those incurred for a common or joint 

purpose benefitting more than one cost object (e.g., a particular project, facility, function, or product). 
 

Page 38 of 44

(19) The total amount expended by intermediary organizations to provide technical 

assistance to firms under the program nationally and in each region served by such an 

organization. 

In FY 2017, TAACs expended $6.9 million to provide technical assistance to firms in preparing 

petitions and developing and implementing APs. 

Exhibit 18: TAAC Expenditures to Provide Technical Assistance: FY 2017 

TAAC 

Total TAAC 

Expenditures13

Great Lakes $462,943 

Mid-America $793,487 

MidAtlantic $1,062,776 

Midwest $735,799 

New England $575,159 

New York, New Jersey and 

Puerto Rico $318,030 

Northwest $814,492 

Rocky Mountain $863,413 

Southeastern $526,416 

Southwest $367,358 

Western $416,153 

Total $6,936,026 

 

 

13 Ibid. Footnote 12. 
 

Page 39 of 44

Conclusion 

EDA analyzes the extent to which client firms increased their sales, productivity and employment 

levels following: 1) entry into the program (certification) to the completed implementation of 

TAAF-supported projects (program completion), and 2) program completion to one and two years 

after program completion. To measure these outcomes, EDA compares average sales, average 

productivity14 and average employment at these intervals of all firms completing the program in a 

particular year (known as the “base year”). The base year used for this Report is FY 2015 (for 

which complete data across all metrics were available for 105 of the 151 firms that completed the 

program), as this allows EDA to compare these measures looking back both one and two years 

from the date of this FY 2017 Report. 

Key findings of this report: 

 From certification to program completion, firms reported that average sales had increased 

by 43 percent, average productivity had increased by 14 percent, and average employment 

had increased by 25 percent. 

 From certification to one year after completing the program, firms reported that average 

sales had increased by 33 percent, average productivity had increased by 5 percent, and 

average employment had increased by 26 percent.

 From certification to two years after completing the program, firms reported that average 

sales had increased by 30 percent, average productivity had increased by 4 percent, and 

average employment had increased by 25 percent.

 From program completion to one year after completing the program, firms reported that 

average sales had decreased by 7 percent, average productivity had decreased by 8 

percent, and average employment had increased by 0.8 percent. This trend is consistent 

with the manufacturing industry as a whole in FY 2016 as indicated in the industrial 

production index from the Federal Reserve, which showed that real output fell in FY 2016 

before beginning to recover in FY 2017. 

 From program completion to two years after completing the program, these same firms 

reported average sales had decreased by 9 percent, average productivity had decreased by 

9 percent, and average employment had remained unchanged from 2015. While the 

analysis directly below demonstrates an overall trend in recent years of more positive 

results, EDA continues to monitor this post-program completion trend to access program 

performance. 

 Despite entering the program in a distressed state, all 105 firms that completed the 

program in FY 2015 and submitted complete data to EDA were in operation at the end of 

FY 2017. Of the total 151 firms that completed the program in FY 2015, 142 were in 

operation at the end of FY 2017. 

 

14 Ibid. Footnote 3. 
 

Page 40 of 44

An analysis of the total average sales and employment data collected from FY 2010 to FY 2017 

shows: 

 From certification to program completion, firms reported that average sales had increased 

by 24.7 percent, average productivity had increased by 17.9 percent, and average 

employment had increased by 5.9 percent. 

 From program completion to one year after completing the program, firms reported that 

average sales had increased by 5.8 percent, average productivity had increased by 1.5 

percent, and average employment had increased by 4.2 percent. Average sales increased 6 

of the 8 years analyzed. Average productivity increased 4 of the 8 years analyzed. 

Average employment increased 5 of the 8 years analyzed. 

 From program completion to two years after completing the program, firms reported that 

average sales had increased by 12.2 percent, average productivity had increased by 8.3 

percent, and average employment had increased by 3.6 percent. Average sales increased 5 

of the 8 years analyzed. Average productivity increased 6 of the 8 years analyzed. 

Average employment increased 5 of the 8 years analyzed. 

These data suggest that the decline in post-completion sales and employment for firms that 

completed the program in FY 2015 is an anomaly partly accounted for by general manufacturing 

conditions, which have improved since 2017. EDA continues to monitor post-program 

performance to determine if programmatic changes or a fuller evaluation of the TAAF program 

are warranted. 

It is important to note that TAAF clients are operating in the same economic environment as other 

firms, but are also attempting to. adjust to import pressures that may not impact other firms as 

severely, making the success of TAAF-assisted firms notable. It should also be noted that the 

long-term success of these firms depends on achieving a fair and reciprocal global trade 

environment. 

 
 

Page 41 of 44

Examples of How the TAAF Program Is Helping U.S. 

Manufacturing Firms Compete Against Increasing Imports

The 11 TAACs work with individual firms to develop a deep understanding of their unique 

competitive strengths and weaknesses and, based on this understanding, build and implement 

competitiveness strategies customized for each particular firm. 

Great Lakes Trade Adjustment Center (GLTAAC) 

A $35 million, 200-worker Michigan valve maker had steadily lost business to imports as its 

products became increasingly commoditized. It needed to diversify to rebuild sales, but first it 

needed market intelligence to direct its efforts. After qualifying for TAAF in 2014, the firm used 

the program to identify new applications in new markets for its products. Within a year, the new 

business that resulted accounted for more than 10 percent of total sales. This firm completed the 

TAAF program in FY 2017, is stabilized and now well-positioned for strong, long-term growth. 

A $20 million Ohio food processing machine maker entered the TAAF program in late 2014. It 

was losing sales to large multinational competitors both at home and abroad. To combat this, the 

firm needed to better differentiate itself by tailoring a sales strategy to leverage its strengths in 

quality and service. The firm undertook a comprehensive sales and marketing initiative through 

the program to do so. Results so far include sales over $35 million and the addition of 30 jobs. 

The firm will complete the program in 2018. 

Mid-America Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (MamTAAC) 

A Kansas manufacturer of sheet metal fabrication for the HVAC industry entered the TAAF 

program in 2010 and completed the TAAF program in 2015. TAAF funds were used on support 

systems (office automation and accounting) to make the company more cost effective combined 

with marketing efforts (designing catalog database and sales analysis) to attract new customers to 

replace those lost to import competition. Since participating in the program, the company’s 

annual sales increased from $12.5 million to $57 million. 

A Missouri manufacturer of industrial heating products, electric heating elements, heater modules 

and process ovens entered the TAAF program in 2013 and completed the TAAF program in 2016. 

The company used TAAF funds on marketing/sales projects to identify market trends, distribution 

channels and new partners worldwide; and installed new software to improve processes and 

products. Between the time of entrance to completion of the TAAF program, sales increased 86 

percent and employment increased by 15 percent. 

MidAtlantic Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (MATAAC) 

A Pennsylvania maker of specialty tires entered the TAAF program in 2011 presenting declines 

of 15 percent in sales, 12 percent in employment and 40 percent in profits. Management 

implemented a dozen projects covering upgrades in marketing, sales, leadership development, 

website design, e-commerce, organizational development, etc. Since completing the program in 

2016, results so far include 15 percent sales growth, 11 percent job growth, 87 percent profit 

growth and a 3 percent increase in productivity. 

A Virginia maker of printed circuit boards entered the TAAF program in 2013 presenting declines 

of 15 percent in sales, 12 percent in employment and 36 percent in productivity. Profits were 
 

Page 42 of 44

under water. The firm is still active having implemented projects thus far covering upgrades to the 

sales business process, website and ISO certification. Results so far include 12 percent sales 

growth, five percent job growth, and a six percent increase in productivity. The firm is now 

profitable. 

Midwest Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (MWTAAC) 

A Minnesota electronic circuit test fixture manufacturer entered the TAAF program in 2010 after 

a 10 percent decline in employment and an over five percent decline in sales. Competing imports 

for similar products were increasing in the U.S. market by over 21 percent when qualifying. 

TAAF assistance was used to increase employee capacity while improving the marketing plan and 

strategy. The firm exited the program in 2016 having increased its employment by 17 percent 

while increasing annual sales by 79 percent when compared to data prior to entering the TAAF 

program. 

A Wisconsin millwork and hardwood flooring manufacturer was losing customers to cheaper 

Canadian and Chinese competitors in 2012, and experienced a 23 percent decline in workers and 

27 percent decline in domestic sales as a result. Competing imports were up by over 26 percent at 

the time the firm qualified for TAAF. The company utilized TAAF assistance to improve 

manufacturing capacity while increasing quality and reducing waste. As a result of the 

improvement projects, the firm increased employment by 25 percent and domestic sales by 24 

percent when exiting in 2017. 

New England Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (NETAAC) 

A Massachusetts firm that performs anodizing, chemical conversion coating and painting of 

components experienced a decline in sales in 2013 due to foreign competition from China. TAAF 

projects included market research, sales strategies, management information system, process 

improvements and AS9100 certification. As a result, new customers were obtained in the 

aerospace and automotive industries. At program exit in 2016, sales had increased by 22 percent 

and employment increased by 33 percent. 

A Rhode Island firm that manufactures metal wire forms and stampings entered the TAAF 

program in 2011, due to losing business mostly to China. Projects included sales and marketing, 

branding, website design, SEO and market research. A major focus was placed on the “Made in 

USA” promotion and exporting. At time of program exit in 2016, company sales grew by 26 

percent and 6 workers were added. The firm now exports to Mexico, Canada, Hong Kong and 

China. 

The Trade Adjustment Assistance Center serving New York, New Jersey and the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (NYNJPRTAAC) 

A New York original equipment manufacturer in the aircraft, automotive and industrial 

equipment markets entered the TAAF program in 2011. The firm had losses in sales and 

employment due to direct competition from Chinese manufacturers. The firm received TAAF 

technical assistance to complete a strategic business/sales plan. Upon completing the program in 

June 2017, annual gross revenues have increased 36 percent since certification and the firm is in 

the process of acquiring another building, which should add 15 new jobs. 

A mining and fossil fuel extraction manufacturer in New York entered the TAAF program in 

2010. The firm had losses in sales and employment due to competition from China. A new 

website project generated a lot of interest among current customers and new potential customers. 
 

Page 43 of 44

New customer quotes have increased 20 percent from the previous year. To date, both sales and 

employment have shown steady improvements and the firm completed all adjustment assistance 

in 2017. 

Northwest Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (NWTAAC) 

An Idaho manufacturer of building vents that lost business to imports from China, Canada, and 

Mexico entered the TAAF program in 2010. A strategy was developed to improve product design 

and marketing. TAAF projects included product engineering and website development. The firm 

multiplied in size. By 2017, the firm had increased sales by 283 percent and employment by 102 

percent with further gains in sales, employment, and productivity projected for the coming years. 

A Washington manufacturer of wood windows that lost business to imports from Canada and 

China entered the TAAF program in 2012. A strategy was developed to focus on a niche 

market. TAAF technical assistance was employed for industry certification and website redesign. 

The company recovered and grew. In 2017, after six years of TAAF implementation, the firm had 

increased sales by 61 percent and increased employment by 36 percent. The firm expects 

continued gains in sales, employment, and productivity for the coming years. 

Rocky Mountain Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (RMTAAC)

A North Dakota manufacturer of commercial furniture had suffered a 45 percent decline in sales 

and 19 percent decline in employment before entering the TAAF program in 2011. TAAF 

technical assistance was used to implement strategic marketing projects to reach developers of 

commercial properties and related furniture purchasing groups, as well as update the firm’s 

website and marketing materials. The firm exited the program in 2016 with sales nearly tripled 

and more than 45 jobs created. 

A South Dakota manufacturer of precision machined aluminum components entered the TAAF 

program in 2012 after experiencing a 9 percent decline in sales due to increased Chinese import 

competition. The firm implemented a succession of lean manufacturing initiatives over the next 

five years that significantly increased the company’s production capacity, improved product 

quality, and reduced waste. Before completing the program in 2017, the firm’s sales had 

increased by more than 35 percent and employment increased by 21 percent with the addition of 

30 jobs. 

Southeastern Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (SETAAC) 

An Alabama manufacturer of home décor was certified for TAAF at the end of 2013 when it was 

faced with declining sales to customers who favored purchasing imported products from China. 

Realizing a seven percent decline in sales and employment, the firm’s recovery strategy was to 

focus on redesigning its website and installing a computer network system. Since completing the 

program in 2015, the firm’s annual sales have increased over $3.1 million and they have added 32 

employees. 

A North Carolina manufacturer of furniture made from reclaimed wood was having difficulty 

remaining competitive against foreign imports. Experiencing a decline in sales of over 30 percent 

and an employment decline of 25 percent, the firm was certified for TAAF in 2015. With this 

assistance, the firm was able to launch a new website, implement a search optimization campaign, 

and improve their online design catalog. Since completing the program in 2017, the firm’s gross 

revenues have grown by 20 percent and have added two additional employees. 

 
 

Page 44 of 44

Southwest Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (SWTAAC) 

A Louisiana manufacturer of automotive glass, glazing and glass fabrication was being impacted 

by cheaper imports from China, South Korea, and Canada. Sales had declined by 22 percent and 

the company had laid off 10 percent of its skilled production workforce. The firm entered the 

TAAF program in March 2011 and completed all of their projects in the areas of marketing, 

management information systems and lean training. Employment has increased by seven percent 

and sales have increased by 200 percent. The firm exited the program in September 2016. 

A Louisiana producer of high-quality seafood products was impacted by cheaper imports from 

China, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Sales had declined by 14 percent and the firm’s 

employment had declined by 33 percent. The firm entered the TAAF program in March 2011 and 

successfully completed all of its projects in the areas of marketing/sales tools, management 

information systems software implementation, and training. Since exiting the program in 

September 2015, employment has increased by 162 percent and sales have increased by 42 

percent. 

Western Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (WTAAC) 

A California manufacturer of medical tubing and commercial hose and tubing was impacted by 

cheaper imports from China during 2013 to 2014. Domestic sales and employment decreased by 

six percent. The firm entered the TAAF program in 2015. Since receiving technical assistance, the 

firm has implemented four projects in information technology and production. Sales increased by 

30 percent and employment increased by 11 percent. 

A California firm is a school equipment producer of high quality visual display products. From 2010 

through 2011 the firm suffered from import competition from China. Sales and employment 

decreased by 16 percent and five percent respectively. The firm entered the TAAF program in 

2011. The firm implemented five marketing projects. Upon exiting the program in 2016, sales 

had increased by 10 percent and productivity had increased by 17 percent. 

.