The manufacturing market in the Midwest, which is among the most diverse in the U.S., enjoys a comparably diverse collection of associations and buying groups that can serve its special needs.

According to a new report from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the time has never been better for manufacturers to band together in order to uncover new competitive advantages.

Despite a strong national economy and nearly a year of continued growth in the manufacturing sector, the NAM report on the cost of doing business in the U.S. (which was published on Sept. 1) finds that sharp increases in structural, non-production costs (up 42 percent since 2003) are having a negative impact on manufacturers.