The South Bend - Elkhart Region is full of manufacturing companies that are poised to grow, and Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) students at the University of Notre Dame are finding innovative ways to contribute to that growth.

Earlier this year, Notre Dame’s Industry Labs and the Mendoza College of Business joined together to kick off the Notre Dame - U.S. Competitiveness Initiative. This pilot program brings together the Notre Dame EMBA and MBA programs, Northern Indiana companies, and manufacturing in areas that are critical to government priorities and national security.

During the session, participants and professionals explored opportunities in entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA) — purchasing an existing business and assuming its leadership — as well as in business development. The program leadership’s goal is to inspire Notre Dame graduate students to take a lead in regional manufacturing growth and ETA opportunities, which advances Notre Dame’s mission with strategic relationships built in the regional economy.

Nick Berente, senior associate dean for academic programs and James H. Sweeny III and Alicia Sweeny Collegiate Professor of IT, Analytics, and Operations at the Mendoza College of Business, and Maria Gibbs, executive director of Industry Labs, introduced the program for the day, welcoming a full room of EMBA, MBA and ESTEEM candidates and graduates, and regional company representatives.

“Northern Indiana is an area primed for continued economic growth. The University of Notre Dame is excited to encourage some of our best and brightest students to consider ways to support the onshoring of critical manufacturing to support the nation’s security needs, all while helping to ensure the continued professional and economic growth of the region,” said Berente.Because of Notre Dame’s history with the U.S. military and the large population of military veteran graduate students, the program participants and regional companies are primed to find opportunities in the national security supply chain.

“We have dozens and dozens of profitable companies passed down through generations that don’t have the next generation interested in taking over that business. One of their only options is to sell to a private equity firm or an outside owner. That can be a good result for the seller, but losing that local ownership is a problem for the region,” said Gibbs. “This can be an opportunity for EMBAs and MBAs with a mindset of growth to explore working with these companies to expand regional leadership.”

Throughout the launch event, industry partners including Chris Curtis, president of RC Industries, and Gary and Joel Neidig, president and co-CEO of Integrating Manufacturing, Technology, and Engineering (ITAMCO), gave presentations on their experiences contracting with defense agencies.

David Severance and Matt Kaufmann, both research assistants with Industry Labs and Notre Dame MBA candidates in the Class of 2026, brought their military experience and knowledge to the program. Severance, a U.S. Marine veteran, and Kaufmann, on active duty in the U.S. Army, presented their findings to the pilot group.

“This experience with the MBA and regional research has changed my perspective on what’s going on around here and opportunities in the local area,” Severance said. “You think as an MBA candidate, you go to your school and then you get a job in the big city. But this experience has flipped that worldview for me. This really opened my eyes to just how much of an impact manufacturing has in the South Bend region.”

Kaufmann echoed Severance’s comments.

“When you look up government contracts locally, you start seeing these huge manufacturers like AM General and ITAMCO, and the companies filling these contracts are all within a 30-mile radius of the Notre Dame campus,” said Kaufmann.

ND-U.S. Competitiveness Initiative success

Since the event, both Kaufmann and Severance have continued to grow their professional relationships with CP Industries, a company located in Granger, Indiana, that has expertise in tooling and gaging component products. By May 2025, they had won multiple U.S. Department of Defense contracts for CP Industries and were approved to look at more advanced technical packages on their website.

“Our initial approach is to keep it simple at CP Industries, and keep it where they can be successful. We do get ambitious with some of the contracts up for bids that we see, but we aren’t engineers, and we seek to understand if the work fits their vision,” said Severance. “We want to stick to what the company knows best, and find ways to innovate and improve upon that to bring in more contracts and business in the future.”

Since they began working with CP Industries, Severance and Kauffman have seen more potential in the areas of expertise and capabilities.

“Many companies disqualify themselves initially when we initiate these conversations,” said Severance. “Many think they can’t take on a project for a tank or an F-16, so they do not believe they are a fit for these contracts. The Department actually has contracts for everything from a lawn mower to a tank, and most companies in production fall somewhere between those two. A lot of firms can find a space and a need to fill in the contracting world.”

Moving Forward

The event served as an initial connecting point for industry and potential future business leaders in the region. Berente and Gibbs are seeking to continue to connect Notre Dame graduate business students with regional partners to showcase the opportunities near campus. To learn more or get involved, please email industrylabs@nd.edu.

Industry Labs collaborates with companies in the South Bend - Elkhart region to turn geographic proximity into strategic advantage, forming long-term partnerships with regional companies that drive innovation, economic resilience, and real-world impact for both industry and the University. To inquire about potential partnerships, please visit: Industry Labs.

About iNDustry Labs

iNDustry Labs at the University of Notre Dame helps companies unlock a competitive advantage for the South Bend - Elkhart Region. iNDustry Labs forms long-term partnerships with regional companies that drive innovation, economic resilience, and real-world impact for both industry and University.

Learn more by visiting industrylabs.nd.edu.

Contact: Christina Clark, Research Communications Specialist

iNDustry Labs | Notre Dame Research | University of Notre Dame

cclark26@nd.edu | 574.631.2665

Originally published by Christina Clark at industrylabs.nd.edu on October 01, 2025.