Grant Thornton LLP has been named a sponsor of the National Center for the Middle Market (NCMM), the nation’s leading research institution dedicated to helping medium-sized companies prosper by providing insights and analyses that drive growth, jobs and competitiveness in the middle market.

Through the multi-year sponsorship, Grant Thornton will join The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business – a founding partner of the NCMM – in determining the strategic direction of the organization.

“The U.S. middle market includes 200,000 companies employing 44.5 million people; it generates more than $10 trillion in annual revenues,” said Mike McGuire, chief executive officer of Grant Thornton. “Yet few organizations are devoted to producing meaningful informative research to help medium-sized companies. That’s why we are so excited to sponsor the NCMM – to drive growth for the middle market.”

“Grant Thornton will help us continue our five-year track record of funding and publishing journal-quality research – as well as outreach and education,” said Thomas A. Stewart, executive director of the NCMM. “What’s more, Grant Thornton’s acumen in the middle market will greatly enhance our work.”

Grant Thornton points to cybersecurity as an example of the challenges facing middle-market companies. To this end, Grant Thornton cybersecurity leaders will be joining the NCMM as a presenter at an April educational briefing hosted by the bipartisan Congressional Caucus for Middle Market Growth. The briefing will examine the impact of cybersecurity on medium-sized companies and their investors.

Additional areas Grant Thornton expects to help the NCMM study include talent management, innovation, growth, customer focus, operational excellence and globalization.

The National Center for the Middle Market is a partnership of The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, SunTrust Banks, Inc. and Grant Thornton LLP. The Center was founded in 2011 and is the nation’s leading research institution dedicated to helping middle market companies to be more competitive through research, advocacy and educational initiatives.