Michigan

Michigan's Tool & Due Recovery Zone attempts to help struggling diemakers.

To date, 55 small shops have created coalitions to qualify for up to 15-year tax breaks. The most recent additions were announced just before Christmas. "It's been really tough the last five years," Morren said Tuesday. "In the last month or so, things have really been turning around."

Until last year, the program to boost small tool-and-die shops was limited to those with no more than 50 employees.

That cap rose to 75 after larger diemakers complained of an unfair advantage by their competitors.