Joe Brown is a lifelong Michigan resident — the first 20 years in Rochester, Mich. — and has provided a voice for the American manufacturing base — primarily in tooling.

After graduating from Michigan State University he wanted to stay and work in the place he considered home. He spent six years at a Sterling Heights, Mich., tool, die and mold component supplier and went through the MBA program at Wayne State University before venturing out on his own to start a sales, marketing and public relations company, Lintrio Marketing LLC, for the domestic tooling industry.

He launched a website in January 2008 to gain attention for and commit to the preservation of an industry he feels has been abused, misunderstood and suffered through a lack of representation. For the past year he has been an editorial contributor for Tool & Die Authority, a publication from one of the largest tooling associations in the U.S.

Brown received his BA from Michigan State University and was elected into Beta Gamma Sigma-International Business Honors Society.

Joe Brown can be contacted at jbrown@lintrio.com or through www.toolanddieing.com