Consumer Product Manufactur-ing (CPM) has won the Enterprise competition at Undergraduate Expo no less than four times over the past six years. What is the secret to their success? Actually, there is no single secret, but a number of factors continue to make the CPM Enterprise attractive to students and sponsors. Website www.cpmenterprise.mtu.edu

Project Variety.

CPM's purpose is to explore the steps required to design and manufacture products that are new to the consumer market. Typically, CPM students begin a new project by brainstorming product ideas. The ideas are reviewed and constrained to those that can be designed, prototyped, and tested at Michigan Tech. This review process further prioritizes the ideas by looking at the end business and consumer benefits. Manufacturing requirements, market and IP research, consumer use studies, and profitability analyses assist in selecting a class project. The result is a business plan or project proposal to a potential sponsor.

By following this process, CPM students learn to combine traditional engineering work with an awareness of business and economic motives. CPM students talk directly with sponsors to secure funding for proposed projects. Our current sponsoring partner is the local Keweenaw Brewing Company, with locations in Houghton and South Range.

Student Ownership.

CPM students pick their projects and define the path to suc-cess. Their ideas are valued and encouraged within the Enterprise. A lot of effort by the students goes into improving *their* CPM Enterprise and positioning it for future success.

Accountability.

CPM students are accountable to each other and to their team leaders and executive officers. An environment is created in which each person is expected to contribute so that the big goals are achieved. The students also learn the importance of keeping CPM management and their sponsor regularly informed about progress.

Mentoring.

The faculty co-advisors to CPM, Tony Rogers and Sean Clancey, mainly act to facilitate the students' efforts. The advisors are mem-bers of the Enterprise. They offer advice and suggestions, but it is the prerogative of the stu-dents to adopt their own path and goals. They are free to fail or succeed, in a low-stress environment, and their track record is overwhelmingly positive.

Inclusiveness.

CPM currently has approximately 15 students from several majors, the majority of whom are chemical, mechanical, and biomedical engineers. Technology and business students also regularly join. About one-half of our students are women, and CPM continues to attract students from under-represented groups.

Flexibility.

Practical experience is obtained by students interested in the consumer products industry without requiring the commitment of a formal co-op. Smaller, in-depth senior design projects for up to three students allow CPM to pursue complementary areas of con-sumer product research in addi-tion to the main class projects. These reinforce CPM's vision of being a consumer product "idea incubator".

Fun.

CPM students have discovered many ways to bond as a group. They participate in Winter Carnival with their popular cotton-candy giveaway, hold recruiting events that double as social gatherings, play games, and generally have a good time. Work and play are impor-tant components of the CPM student experience. And, of course, winning the Enterprise competition at the Expo is rewarding and fun! Anyone interested in knowing more about CPM should visit our website, www.cpmenterprise.mtu.edu, or contact Tony Rogers (tnrogers@mtu.edu, 906-487-