Industry Clusters

At Forward Sheridan, we facilitate the gathering of "like" businesses into "Industry Clusters."  The clustering of businesses offers opportunities to work as a group to effect the changes needed to help their industry.  Forward Sheridan works with these clusters to expand knowledge of other businesses within the cluster, which can offer more opportunities to outsource to each other and, more importantly, to come together for the common good on issues:

• effect change in local or state government policy that meets the common good of a particular industry cluster
• create websites, blogs, and wiki to bring greater attention to the community and to individual businesses within the clusters (locally, regionally, nationally, worldwide)
  
• recruit candidates for employment with commonly needed skill sets by attending employment fairs or through outside advertising efforts
• recruit other businesses to the area to meet common needs of existing businesses
  
• create critical mass to support specific employee training programs and/or curriculum needed in the local community colleges or school systems
  
• establish advisory councils, mentorship programs, and opportunities for interaction with students and teachers to support a steady flow of employees into the industry
  

At Forward Sheridan, we are currently working with one cluster and developing two additional clusters.

• StartWest - a knowledge-based cluster of approximately 40 businesses began in the fall of 2006.  This cluster has recently partnered with the Wyoming Technology Business Center as part of their statewide e2e (entrepreneur to entrepreneur) networking initiative
  
• Energy cluster
  
• Arts cluster
  

If you are interested in joining any of the industry clusters above, please contact Jay Stender at (307) 673-8004.