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Introduction

“Industry cluster” is an economic development concept championed by Dr. Michael
Porter of the Harvard Business School. A cluster is defined as a concentration of
companies and industries in a geographic region that are interconnected by the markets they serve and the products they produce, as well as the suppliers, trade associations and educational institutions with which they interact.

The Wabash Valley Advanced Manufacturing Cluster is an organization formed by and for manufacturers located in the Wabash Valley. The organization covers an eight county area which includes Clay, Parke, Putnam, Sullivan, Vermillion, and Vigo counties in Indiana and Clark and Edgar counties in Illinois.

The purpose of the Wabash Valley Advanced Manufacturing Cluster is to provide
members with the opportunity to solve issues that all face by establishing common goals, principles, and a cohesive plan of action. The Wabash Valley Advanced Manufacturing Cluster also serves as one voice in promoting the Wabash Valley as an area of manufacturing excellence and high productivity.

The Wabash Valley Advanced Manufacturing Cluster Vision.

The first platform addressed by the Wabash Valley Advanced Manufacturing Cluster has been workforce development. Cluster members realize that companies will locate and expand in the Wabash Valley only if they have access to highly skilled workers. Working with each other and with the public sector in a spirit of collaboration and cooperation, the Wabash Valley Advanced Manufacturing Cluster has launched several demand-driven initiatives aimed at enhancing the availability of skilled workers in the Wabash Valley. These initiatives include; training area teachers in critical thinking processes, doubling the amount of funding awarded to the region for incumbent worker training between 2002 and 2004, launching a manufacturing career awareness campaign, developing a skills certification program, hosting area teachers as summer interns, advocating public policy that supports workforce readiness, and partnering with the WorkOne system to connect job seekers to opportunities in manufacturing.

Members of the Wabash Valley Advanced Manufacturing Cluster have developed an overall vision and perspective for the region’s economic future, focused on high productivity and manufacturing excellence. Building on the already strong private-public partnerships of the region, the continued success of the Wabash Valley Advanced Manufacturing Cluster will accelerate regional economic growth and enhance the quality of life for area citizens.