PLAINFIELD, Ind. – The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how crucial supply chains are to businesses, companies, economies, and people. Logistics, the coordination and moving of resources and goods from Point A to the final destination, is an integral part of supply chain management.

The Vincennes University Logistics Training and Education Center (LTEC) has moved to a new home in the innovative MADE@Plainfield higher education center. The new location will allow VU to better serve students and industry partners such as Amazon.

MADE@Plainfield is a remarkable collaboration among VU, the Town of Plainfield, Plainfield Community School Corporation, Ivy Tech Community College, WorkOne Indy, Hendricks College Network, and Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening on July 29 marked the official opening of the collaborative project that brings lifelong learning to individuals throughout Central Indiana.

According to VU President Dr. Chuck Johnson, "For more than a decade, VU has had a great relationship with the Town of Plainfield and has served the needs of a wide range of employers in the area. By relocating VU’s Logistics Training and Education Center to MADE@Plainfield, the University is poised to become even more integral to Plainfield’s future growth and success. We are grateful to the Plainfield community and its leadership for their vision and commitment to education and workforce development, and I look forward to welcoming more Trailblazers from Central Indiana to the VU family through our training programs in logistics, healthcare, and potentially other fields based on the changing needs of industry."

Johnson at ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration

VU is building on the 10-year success it has had in Plainfield, training thousands of Hoosiers for careers in the transportation, distribution, and logistics fields.

"With Vincennes University already having an educational presence in Plainfield, and our established relationship, it was an easy transition when we began discussing the MADE@Plainfield project,” said Robin Brandgard, Town of Plainfield Town Council President. "The courses they offer benefit the overwhelming need of training for our local workforce and we are excited to continue building on this partnership."

Indiana is a state leader in the world of logistics due to its central location, business friendliness, and solid transportation infrastructure. More than $650 billion in goods annually move through Indiana, according to Conexus Indiana, a non-profit and government-funded agency specializing in the logistics and supply chain field for Indiana businesses. 

VU’s LTEC plays a valuable role in helping goods move. It provides a one-of-a-kind experience by combining classroom instruction with hands-on learning. In addition to developing the knowledge employers want, students also put into action what they learn and apply their education using the latest equipment and technology.

As warehouse and distribution become more and more automated, VU is positioning itself to provide additional automation and robotics training for both high school students and adults with the relocation to the 100,000-square-foot MADE@Plainfield building.

The LTEC is one of the homes of a distinctive educational partnership between Amazon and VU. VU is the first university to collaborate with Amazon to launch the Mechatronics and Robotics Apprenticeship (MRA) program, which offers training to apprentices in automation and robotics.

The LTEC’s footprint will be very similar to the one it had in its former 30,000-square-foot warehouse in Plainfield. It will have more than double the previous classroom capacity in a state-of-the-art education facility filled with leading-edge technology in classrooms and laboratories. Also added are robotics cells and automation areas. It will have two new lab spaces in support of Industrial Maintenance, Mechatronics, and Robotics. It is retaining its already industry-leading warehousing lab.

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