The Meaning of a “Manufacturing Community”

What constitutes being a part of the AMCC network is broad and inclusive and comes in two categories, AMCC Member Communities and BFFs.  

“BFFs” of course means Best Friends Forever; a term the AMCC community has been affectionately using for years to describe agencies and NGO experts who have — and continue to — embrace and accelerate the advance of this bottom-up model of achieving sustainable development in America.

An AMCC Manufacturing Community is a regional collaboration of public and private stakeholders dedicated to building and implementing a regional economic development plan with an important manufacturing component. Examples of AMCC member collaborations are IMCP and DMCSP designated manufacturing communities, as well as new BBBRC designated communities. 

To be an AMCC manufacturing community, the regional collaboration should have:

1. A written agreement of some kind reflecting the regional collaboration;

2. A SWOT analysis to inform a regional economic development plan with an important manufacturing component;

3. A regional economic development plan with an important manufacturing component;

4. Interest in inserting DEI and environmental sustainability into their implementation plans.

AMCC communities have the expectation to be willing to:

1. Engage with their peer communities collaboratively by committing one representative or group of stakeholders to attend at least half of the weekly AMCC national calls. 

2. Participate on weekly calls and share best practices by providing a 10-15 minute virtual presentation once per year on the progress, successes, and challenges of their regional collaboration.

3. Quarterly, share with their regional stakeholders useful AMCC briefings, resources and other information shared on AMCC calls, briefings, emails and website.

Reminder! AMCC is all about no membership dues, no fees, no hassle. All federal, state or community designated regions with an important manufacturing component can join and learn from their peer regions as we all work together towards the revitalization of national manufacturing. Not sure if you qualify? Email David Van Siclen at david.vansiclen@amccmail.org to learn more.

An AMCC BFF is a public or private entity that the AMCC Advisory Board deems an important stakeholder for strengthening American manufacturing and the ecosystem of support it needs. Examples of BFFs include federal agency representatives, national NGOs, and private entities that are willing to add open source value to manufacturing communities. 

To be an AMCC BFF, the stakeholder must be willing to:

1. Commit a representative or group of representatives to attend at least half of the weekly AMCC national calls, held every Monday at 11:30am ET.

2. Participate on AMCC calls when present and once per year provide a 10-15 minute virtual presentation on the open source value of their work and how it supports manufacturing communities. 

3. Quarterly, share within their organization useful AMCC briefings, resources and other information shared on AMCC calls, briefings, emails and website, and/or share with AMCC resources that it may distribute that support its member communities. 

Are you willing to lend your effort to help American manufacturing ecosystems succeed? Email David Van Siclen at david.vansiclen@amccmail.org to get involved.