A University of Wyoming-based program is forming an alliance with a national organization to cultivate new business growth in the state.
Manufacturing-Works, with its main office located at UW, is joining the National Composite Center's (NCC) member network to use the center's resources to grow high-technology jobs, says Larry Stewart, Manufacturing-Works director.
Manufacturing-Works, in partnership with the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, the Wyoming Business Council and UW, provides assistance, training and engineering solutions to technology-based companies and manufacturers. The organization's goal is to help companies create wealth, Stewart adds.
The program, which has served Wyoming manufacturers the past 13 years, is a statewide manufacturing assistance program with main offices at UW. Branch offices also are located in Casper, Cheyenne, Douglas, Jackson, Powell, Riverton and Rock Springs. Manufacturers are provided low-cost technical assistance -- mostly through on-site consultation in the areas of engineering, operations, management and marketing. It also conducts seminars, industry roundtables and objective equipment and software demonstrations.
"In order to diversify our state and create jobs we need to develop manufacturing and assist technology to market," says George Rex, Manufacturing-Works alliance manager. "By tying into the advanced materials market through NCC, we will be able to establish high-tech companies poised for growth."
Manufacturing-Works plans to use NCC's incubation services to grow Wyoming companies and then transplant that technology back to Wyoming. NCC has acquired nearly $40 million in infrastructure and equipment for a wide range of composite processes and capabilities and is the only total economic development solution for advanced materials in the United States, Rex says.
"NCC recognized early the vital importance of investing in and supporting advanced materials technologies-related companies to help grow, not only the local economy, but bring that same capability to other states like Wyoming," says Lou Luedtke, NCC president and CEO. "Through this network we have built a unique atmosphere for problem solving -- a difficult combination to find in a traditional incubator," he adds. "Typically, incubators tend to be either science or business oriented with little practical manufacturing experience. NCC and its partners provide it all."
Luedtke says research shows that in the first three years of company formation, 90 percent of start-up businesses fail. In the university incubation setting, the failure-rate percentage falls to 70 percent.
For more about Manufacturing-Works, visit the UW Web site at www.manufacturing-works.com, call the main office at 1-800-343-1423 or call Rex at (307) 760-2505.
Posted on Monday, February 09, 2009
