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Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky are one of the first twelve communities identified today by US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker as a designated Manufacturing Community, part of the federal Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) initiative.

The program is designed to accelerate the resurgence of manufacturing in communities nationwide by supporting the development of long-term economic development strategies that help communities attract and expand private investment in the manufacturing sector and increase international trade and exports, according to a news release.

Northern Kentucky entities that will participate are identified as part of the Southwestern Ohio Aerospace Region, which includes the City of Cincinnati and the City of Dayton.

“The 12 Manufacturing Communities announced today represent a diverse group of communities with the most comprehensive economic development plans to attract business investment that will increase their competitiveness,” said Secretary Pritzker in the announcement. “IMCP is a critical part of our ‘Open for Business Agenda’ to strengthen the American manufacturing sector and attract more investment to the United States. Innovative programs like IMCP encourage American communities to work together to craft  strong, clear, strategic plans to attract manufacturing investment and jobs to transform themselves into globally competitive commercial hubs.”
 
“IMCP is one of the main programs at the center of the Administration’s efforts to support job creation and accelerate manufacturing growth to make our communities more globally competitive,” said U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Jay Williams. “These 12 Manufacturing Communities are diverse, public-private consortiums that have put in place best practice economic development strategies that can be replicated by other American communities – including all those who applied for the IMCP designation.”
 
From the 70 communities that applied, these 12 were selected by an interagency panel, based on the strength of their economic development plans, the potential for impact in their communities, and the depths of their partnerships across the public and private sector to carry out their plans.

Regional entities involved:
 
Core partners: City of Cincinnati, City of Dayton, the Dayton Development Coalition (DDC), Regional Economic Development Initiative Cincinnati (REDI), Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Workforce and higher education: University of Cincinnati, Wright State University, Miami University, Northern Kentucky University, Sinclair Community College, Cincinnati State Technical & Community College, Gateway Community and Technical College, Southwest Ohio Regional Workforce Investment Board, Area 7 Workforce Investment Board, Partners for a Competitive Workforce, Employers First Regional Workforce Network Supply Chain: TechSolve, University of Dayton Research Institute, National Composites Center, Kentucky Alliance Manufacturing Extension Partnership Research: Air Force Research Lab, University of Dayton School of Engineering, GE Episcenter, Wright State University Research Institute, University of Cincinnati Research Institute and College of Engineering and Applied Science, Ohio Center for Intelligent Propulsion and Advanced Life Management, Ohio Center for Advanced Propulsion and Power, Northern Kentucky Center for Applied Informatics Infrastructure: Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments, Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, Ohio Department of Transportation, Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority Capital access: Wright Brothers Institute, JobsOhio, CityWide, Hamilton County Development Company