Case Selected as Director of Manufacturing Works

A Cheyenne-based businessman with diverse experience in sales, management, business analysis and negotiation has been chosen to lead a Wyoming program that helps manufacturers achieve success.

Rocky Case, most recently employed in the health care industry by GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, is the new center director of Manufacturing Works, a partnership of the University of Wyoming, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Wyoming Business Council.

“As a fifth-generation Wyomingite, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to make a difference for the future of this incredible state and its prosperity,” Case says. “Manufacturing Works has a bright future as a major player in the economic diversification of Wyoming. I am humbled to be on this great journey.”

Born and raised in Cheyenne, Case holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from UW and is a 2006 graduate of Leadership Cheyenne.

“I am so pleased that Mr. Case is joining us. His commitment to the mission of Manufacturing Works is inspiring, and his experience in the private and public sectors will serve him well in this leadership role,” UW Vice President for Research and Economic Development Ed Synakowski says. “I look forward to supporting Rocky in serving Wyoming’s manufacturers.”

In his role with GlaxoSmithKline, Case educated health care providers on a number of premium pulmonary products, with the primary goal of optimizing sales for the company. He also was a regional peer educator, developing strategic plans with regional teams to drive individual and collective success. He was part of a team that created plans for a new respiratory portfolio that ultimately led to a drug that yielded $1 billion in sales in less than a year.

Before that, he worked for Reynolds Polymer Technology, an innovative plastics manufacturing firm that produces high-quality, glass-like plastic for use in design, sculpture, construction, aviation and aquatics. Traveling extensively, he led a team of 10 independent sales representatives and worked closely with Apple designers to craft up the model of the Apple sign that dons the front of every Apple storefront. Other products produced by Reynolds on which he worked closely include a statue inside the Palazzo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Sea World large mammal tanks and the walkout plank at the Grand Canyon.

“My experience and background come from a variety of complex industries and roles,” Case says. “In all of these experiences, my focus has been to weave the bigger picture with employee commitment and customer needs. I firmly believe that all three must be working in tandem for ultimate success.”

Manufacturing Works provides technical and business assistance to manufacturing companies across the state. It is part of the Wyoming Business Resource Network, with offices in Laramie, Cheyenne, Casper, Sheridan and Afton. Other components of the Wyoming Business Resource Network include the Wyoming Technology Business Center; the Wyoming Technology Transfer and Research Products Center; and the Wyoming Small Business Development Center Network, which includes the Market Research Center, the Wyoming Procurement Technical Assistance Center and the Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative.

Manufacturing Works promotes innovation, manufacturing and industrial competitiveness to build a stronger and more prosperous Wyoming through enhanced economic security and improved quality of life. Services to manufacturers include broad technical assistance, engineering solutions, general business assistance, marketing assistance and financial counseling.

“The expertise and resources Manufacturing Works provides to small businesses will be critical for the Wyoming Business Council to leverage as we seek to add value to our core industries and activate new economic sectors like advanced manufacturing,” says Shawn Reese, CEO of the Wyoming Business Council. 

Manufacturing Works is part of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network, which has centers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. MEP is administered by NIST, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.