Downtime on the shop floor isn't a help desk ticket — it's a production crisis. Beltline IT provides managed IT services designed around the operational realities of West Michigan manufacturing: ERP systems, OT/IT network separation, CMMC compliance for DoD suppliers, and 24/7 infrastructure monitoring that keeps your lines running.
We'll review your current environment and identify your biggest operational and security risks — no obligation.
🔒 No spam. No sales pressure. Honest assessment.
A lawyer's laptop going offline is an inconvenience. A CNC machine controller losing network connectivity during a production run can mean scrapped parts, missed shipments, and a very difficult conversation with a Tier 1 customer. Manufacturing IT requires a fundamentally different risk posture than general commercial IT support.
West Michigan's manufacturing corridor — from the automotive Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers concentrated in Wyoming and Kentwood to the precision machining, furniture, and food equipment manufacturers throughout Kent and Ottawa counties — operates in an environment where unplanned downtime has a direct, quantifiable cost per minute. Our manufacturing clients typically measure downtime impact in the $1,500 to $8,000 per hour range depending on facility size and production rates.
Beyond downtime, West Michigan manufacturers increasingly face a second front: the expanding security and compliance requirements attached to DoD contracts under CMMC 2.0, the growing OT security threat landscape as shop floor equipment becomes networked, and the IT complexity created by ERP systems that touch every corner of operations from purchasing to shipping.
Most general-purpose MSPs treat your Epicor, SAP, or Infor installation as a black box — "call the vendor" is the default answer to anything beyond desktop support. Beltline IT works directly with the infrastructure underlying your ERP: the SQL Server instances, the application servers, the network shares, the Active Directory integration, and the backup strategy that protects your production database. We coordinate with your ERP vendor on infrastructure-layer issues so you have one accountable point of contact, not a finger-pointing match between your MSP and your software vendor.
As PLCs, HMIs, SCADA systems, and industrial IoT sensors join the same network as your business systems, the attack surface expands dramatically. The 2021 Colonial Pipeline and 2023 attacks on water utilities are visible examples of what happens when IT and OT networks are poorly segmented. For West Michigan manufacturers — particularly those with aging shop floor equipment running Windows 7 or XP-based controllers that cannot be patched — proper network segmentation between the OT network and the business IT network is a fundamental security control. We design and implement segmented architectures using VLANs, firewalls, and unidirectional security gateways appropriate to your environment.
Every service listed is available under a single flat monthly agreement — no project overages for standard managed work.
End-to-end management of workstations, servers, network, and infrastructure. Unlimited helpdesk, 24/7 NOC monitoring, patch management, and a quarterly vCIO review aligned to your operational priorities.
EDR, email security, DNS filtering, MFA, dark web monitoring, and security awareness training. For manufacturers with DoD contracts, we layer on CMMC-required controls including access management and audit logging.
Azure infrastructure, Microsoft 365, hybrid cloud for ERP environments, and remote access solutions for engineering and management teams. Microsoft Cloud Partner — certified architects on staff.
Automated local + cloud BDR for ERP databases, file servers, and machine configuration backups. Monthly restore tests with proof-of-recovery reports. RTO <4 hours for critical systems.
Full M365 administration: Teams, SharePoint, Exchange Online, Conditional Access, and Intune device management for field engineers, remote workers, and office staff.
CMMC 2.0 Level 1 and Level 2 gap assessments, SSP and POAM development, and ongoing compliance maintenance for manufacturers holding or pursuing DoD prime or subcontract work.
The Department of Defense began enforcing CMMC 2.0 in 2025. If your facility holds prime or subcontract DoD work involving Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), Level 2 certification is a contract condition — not optional. West Michigan has a dense population of Tier 1/2 automotive and defense suppliers navigating exactly this requirement.
We map your current environment against all 110 NIST SP 800-171 practices required for CMMC Level 2 certification, identify deficiencies, and build a prioritized System Security Plan (SSP) and Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M) for remediation.
We design and implement VLAN-based segmentation between your operational technology (PLCs, HMIs, SCADA) and your business IT network, aligned to ICS-CERT and NIST ICS security guidelines. Aging shop floor equipment that can't be patched gets isolated properly — not ignored.
Manufacturers are the #1 ransomware target by industry. We document your security controls in a format that directly supports cyber insurance applications and renewals, and help you meet the increasingly strict technical requirements underwriters now mandate for mid-market manufacturers.
We'll spend 60-90 minutes reviewing your current IT environment — infrastructure, ERP health, network architecture, backup status, and compliance posture. You'll leave with a plain-English summary of your biggest risks and a prioritized remediation roadmap. No sales pressure. No obligation.
Typically completed within 5 business days of your inquiry. Results delivered as a written report.