Advanced manufacturing summit heads to northeast Indiana

The regional summit, Manufacturing Success: Case Studies and Resources to Transform Your Business, will take place from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Walb Student Union at IPFW. It is designed for manufacturing interests in the 13-county region around Fort Wayne.

"Taking the manufacturing summit to regional sites allows busy manufacturers to take a short break and learn about success stories and the resources that are available to them," said John Sullivan, director of the Purdue Center for Advanced Manufacturing. "In addition to the networking and sharing of ideas, we expose attendees to information and resources they can put to use immediately."

William Testa, vice president and director of regional programs for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, will be the keynote speaker.

"Attendees will learn about trade and inflation issues and other topics straight from the Fed," Sullivan said. "It will be a very informative session."

Summit session topics include "Advanced Manufacturing Initiatives," "Manufacturing Environment - Challenges and Opportunities" and "Regional Manufacturing Resources."

A team of planners made up of northeast Indiana economic development officials and manufacturers crafted the agenda.

"We ask the local people whether they want to be industry-specific or to hear about specific companies or forecasts," Sullivan said. "They drive the event because they have the contacts."

At the summit, Fort Wayne-area manufacturers will gain new insights about financing, consulting, training and other resources that are available, said IPFW Chancellor Michael Wartell.

"One of the main objectives of our mission as an institution of higher education is to improve the lives of our constituents," he said. "This summit is a prime example of how we can improve the overall picture for manufacturing in this area, which, in turn, can improve the lives of the citizens of northeast Indiana."

At the summit, after remarks from Wartell and Fort Wayne Mayor Graham Richard, Sullivan will discuss advanced manufacturing initiatives. Then three manufacturers will offer "transformation case studies" that tell the story of their companies' turnaround.

With one in five jobs in Indiana tied to manufacturing, organizers predict a big turnout.

"This event is designed for manufacturers in our region to better understand the economic landscape, advanced manufacturing tools, and how these tools have been successfully applied," said Sean Ryan, director of the Purdue Office of Engagement in Fort Wayne. "We are also trying to increase awareness of resources available to business and how they can access assistance to improve their competitiveness."

For the first time, the summit will feature "office hours" by agencies and entities that serve an economic development role for private industry. Among the not-for-profit entities that will be available to meet briefly with manufacturers are: the Purdue Manufacturing Extension Project, Technical Assistance Program, the Purdue Office of Engagement, IVY Tech Community College, Partners for Workforce Solutions and the Indiana Economic Development Corp.

The office hours will give attendees a chance to speak privately about concerns and ideas.

"In the past, during question and answer sessions, we've found that attendees are not forthcoming," Sullivan said. "In reviewing why we had so little follow-up and additional questions, it was because questions might have been about something proprietary or something better handled one-on-one. So we are going to try office hours to provide more networking and contacts."

The summit is free and includes lunch. More information, including online registration, is available. Participants also can register the morning of the event.

For more information about the summit, contact Steve Shade, managing director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing, at sashade@purdue.edu or call (765) 494-1279.

The northeast Indiana summit is the fourth regional advanced manufacturing summit, held in addition to the annual summit at the West Lafayette campus. Other regional summits were staged in New Albany and South Bend/Elkhart in 2005 and in Anderson/Muncie in 2004.

In addition to the Center for Advanced Manufacturing, the Nov. 8 summit is sponsored by IPFW and the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership.

Purdue's Center for Advanced Manufacturing, one of 10 primary centers within Discovery Park, supports research to develop and improve manufacturing processes, productivity and materials in conjunction with Indiana manufacturers. Discovery Park is Purdue's hub for interdisciplinary research and enterprise.

Writer: Jay Cooperider, (765) 494-2077, jcoop@purdue.edu

Sources: John Sullivan, (765) 494-1279, john.p.sullivan.1@purdue.edu

Michael Wartell, (260) 481-6103, wartell@ipfw.edu

Sean Ryan, (260) 399-1662, ryans@ipfw.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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