The Cascadia Manufacturing Network (CMN), formerly known as the Columbia-Willamette Manufacturing Partnership, is a coalition of industry leaders dedicated to finding and pursuing opportunities for the manufacturing sector in the Portland and Southwest Washington metro area. The group is united in its commitment to tackling industry challenges and turning opportunities into positive outcomes. Through collaboration, advocacy, and innovation, they aim to strengthen manufacturing careers, businesses, and the broader industry.
The CMN follows the Next Generation Sector Partnership model to overcome issues and embrace opportunities. The industry-led, community-supported partnerships strengthen the regional economy and connect people to quality jobs.
The CMN is committed to fostering authentic, sustained industry leadership while coordinating efforts across education, workforce, and economic development partners. By harnessing the strengths of both public and private sectors, CMN aims to create a work environment where individuals don’t just find jobs but build lifelong careers supported by a strong network of opportunities and a culture of belonging.
Partners include industry leaders, community organizations, chambers of commerce, economic development councils, K-12, community colleges and universities. The holistic approach supports a regional manufacturing industry sustainable into the future.
Working in collaboration, the region’s manufacturers identified and created four CMN action teams: Image, Talent, Business to Business (B2B), and Advocacy.
Image Action Team
The Image Action Team is shifting the outdated perception of manufacturing by showcasing its modern, clean, and innovative side. Their goal is to tell powerful stories that attract and inspire the next generation of talent.
Here’s how they are making that happen:
- Promoting manufacturing as innovative, secure, and full of opportunity
- Sharing real stories through LinkedIn and YouTube
- Showcasing diverse voices and unique career paths
- Aiming to inspire and attract future talent with a fresh narrative
Talent Action Team
This team is focused on growing a stronger, more connected workforce by sharing resources and creating career pathways. From training to retention, they are laying the groundwork for long-term success.
Their key focus areas include:
- Organizing collaborative training sessions across companies
- Supporting certifications, leadership growth, and employee retention
- Improving communication and fostering continuous improvement
- Expanding K–12 outreach to build early interest in manufacturing careers
Business-to-Business (B2B) Action Team
The B2B Action Team is creating a culture of cooperation by encouraging companies to share resources and support one another. Their belief: by working together now, everyone becomes stronger later.
They are doing this by:
- Facilitating talent, supply and benefits sharing across organizations
- Encouraging companies to collaborate and lean on one another
- Building trusted relationships within the industry
- Promoting healthy competitiveness through shared growth
Advocacy Action Team
This team is focused on building a stronger manufacturing future in Oregon and Washington by working closely with government, education and community partners.
Their advocacy efforts center around:
- Securing funding and investment for manufacturing businesses
- Partnering with community organizations to strengthen the workforce
- Supporting policy and advocacy initiatives for regional impact
- Crafting a unified message to better reach youth and existing workers
The CMN meets quarterly to convene on each action team’s achievements, challenges and next steps in meeting their goals.
Recently, the CMN met for its quarterly meeting at the Portland Community College OMIC Training Center in Scappoose, Oregon. In this meeting, local manufacturers shared stories of how they have tackled talent issues in their industries. Brett Ferguson of Vision Plastics, Inc., shared how their company has successfully improved employee retention by implementing quality job strategies. Sierra Trass of the Columbia Economic Team presented the results of their Community Connection project, which gave a look at the future of the manufacturing workforce and what businesses will need to keep growing.
The CMN also meets monthly for Hot Topic Happy Hours. These Happy Hours are non-facilitated, casual, peer-to-peer networking/informational sessions that follow shared rules of engagement and foster connections. All are invited to Hot Topic Happy Hours and are encouraged to share the information with networks and friends.
How the Cascadia Manufacturing Network Came to Be
This industry-led network was born out of the long-standing collaboration between the three workforce boards that make up the Columbia-Willamette Workforce (CWWC): Clackamas Workforce Partnership, Workforce Southwest Washington, and Worksystems. For more than a decade, the CWWC has worked together to support high-demand industries—including construction, healthcare, and manufacturing—by convening industry panels and developing workforce plans.
In 2020, our CEOs challenged us to rethink our approach—to go beyond traditional workforce strategies and truly center industry in the conversation. This led us to adopt and pilot the nationally-recognized Next Generation Sector Partnerships model.
What makes this model different is its industry-first philosophy. Business leaders from the manufacturing sector come together to identify common challenges and opportunities, set a collaborative, business-led agenda, and work together to move that agenda forward.
The conversation is about business goals, innovation, and collective impact, with workforce, education, and community partners aligning around what the industry says it needs. This model puts manufacturers at the center, leading the way and shaping solutions that are relevant, actionable, and sustainable.
The Cascadia Manufacturing Network is always seeking local manufacturing partners to collaborate and help shape the future of the industry.
Want to get involved? Start by connecting with CMN on social media! Follow them on Facebook at @CascadiaManufacturing and on Instagram at @cascadiamfgnetwork.
You can also join the conversation and share your insights in their LinkedIn group — click here to join.
For inquiries, partnerships, or to get involved with the CMN, reach out to Alyssa Joyner, Workforce Southwest Washington’s Senior Project Manager for Manufacturing, at ajoyner@workforcesw.org.
