§ 191. Establishment and purposes. 1. The commissioner is hereby
authorized and directed to establish an industrial effectiveness program
within the department for the purposes specified in this section. The
commissioner shall appoint such employees as are necessary to carry out
the provisions of this article, including professional staff with
demonstrated expertise in private industrial management and operations.

2. The purposes of the industrial effectiveness program shall be:

(a) to assist industrial firms with the introduction of improved
management and labor practices and production processes in order to
enhance their productivity and competitiveness;

(b) to aid in the development of new markets and ownership structures
in order to improve the long-term viability of industrial firms;

(c) to identify and assist industrial firms that are, or are likely to
be, in severe financial difficulty;

(d) to develop strategies for mobilizing state and community resources
to respond to the needs of distressed industrial firms and to
manufacturing plant closings and partial closings; and

(e) to assist industrial firms in obtaining financing from publicly
sponsored financing assistance programs and from private lending
institutions.