NWSCDC

Eaton Corp., a leading supplier of power conversion instruments and controls for the U.S. Navy's ships and submarines, sees community success as fundamental to business success. So, rather than relocating from a declining industrial section of Milwaukee, Eaton decided it could better compete if it stayed and fostered the strength of the local neighborhood where its roots were deep. Eaton credits its strong alliance with the Northwest Side CDC as the cornerstone of the company's success. The two joined forces to recruit entrepreneurs to the area who provide customized products for Eaton's highly specialized needs. Eaton and Northwest Side CDC developed a community-based crime prevention program that was the key to enhancing security for the company and the surrounding area. Together, they have also created a school-to-work program that keeps youth off the streets and teaches them job skills while sending 60 percent of graduates to college. They also devised a pioneering welfare-to-work strategy that places 74 percent of trainees into well-paid jobs. Since 1994, Eaton's sales have increased 170 percent and its workforce by 50 percent. The company's reputation for providing highly reliable advanced technology products has grown along with the neighborhood's image as a place with prosperous businesses and job opportunities.