Columbus has ridden the manufacturing boom, especially the rising fortunes of engine manufacturer Cummins, over the past three years. A whopping 37 percent of its workforce is involved in manufacturing, which saw job growth of 14.9 percent in the past year. One site-development and relocation magazine named Columbus No. 1 in cities that "have found a way to thrive in the midst of adversity."
But Columbus isn't celebrating. The worldwide slowdown in manufacturing has begun to make its impact felt in Indiana. Cummins trimmed its revenue forecast by $1 billion in its latest quarterly report and has begun laying off professional staff at its Columbus headquarters. The layoffs are part of planned cuts of up to 1,500 workers worldwide. More than almost any other metro, Columbus's future hangs on what happens to manufacturing in the coming months.
