The Center for Manufacturing Excellence (CME) is an Illinois non-profit organization,  located on the Carl Sandburg College campus in Galesburg, IL, that is dedicated to enhancing  the competitiveness of local manufacturing companies. The CME housed in a new, 30,000 square foot facility specially designed to educate and train manufacturing employees,  represents the culmination of a remarkable three years of planning by a partnership of the business community,  Carl Sandburg College, Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Galesburg Business & Technology Center.

Business leaders throughout Western Illinois have found themselves in critical need of highly trained manufacturing workers. Strong local economic growth, changes in local demographics, and the growing sophistication  of required skills for manufacturing has caused a shortage of qualified manufacturing workers.  In turn, this shortage has led to foregone opportunities for business expansion. The CME is designed to unite  the business community and the educational community behind innovative efforts to increase the size and quality of  the local manufacturing labor base.

The CME's programs stress industry driven needs, quality  of instruction, and flexibility of educational and training program delivery. Major CME activities include:

· enhancing formal manufacturing oriented educational opportunities
· enriching the manufacturing job training capacities of the region
· expanding the number and quality of performance-based
  manufacturing certifications
· encouraging entrepreneurial business startups
· improving manufacturing productivity through new technology
  demonstrations

Particular emphasis is placed on machining, welding, electronic maintenance,  and design skills for the fabricated metals, machinery manufacturing, primary metals, and durable goods manufacturing industries located in the 10 counties in the CSC district.

The CME Steering Committee secured more than $1.9 million in investment capital from  approximately 60 local businesses, major regional employers, individuals, and the State of  Illinois. Two thirds of the funding for the CME came from the private sector demonstrating  their strong commitment.

Groundbreaking for the CME facility was held in the fall of 1998 with the first  training programs offered at the facility in March of 1999.  A capital equipment campaign is ongoing to secure the most advanced  equipment possible with which to train the region's future labor force.