Oct. 7th marks the fifth annual Manufacturing Day, where thousands of people around the world meet to share information about the manufacturing industry. Manufacturing Day provides an opportunity for industry leaders and professionals to address the skilled labor shortage, showcase modern manufacturing technology, attract future generations of professionals, improve the public image of manufacturing, and secure the ongoing well-being of the entire industry. The event is also designed to amplify the voices of individual manufacturers by uniting their concerns into one loud, resonating voice. By bringing so many industry leaders and professionals together under one tent, Manufacturing Day facilitates the discovery of solutions to common industry issues.
Manufacturing Day is supported by a group of four main organizations. These are: Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International, National Association of Manufacturers, Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and Manufacturing Institute. However, manufacturing companies all across the United States will host activities in which local youth can participate. For example, Miller Welding & Machine Company, located in Brookville, Pennsylvania, will offer a tour of their two facilities from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Attendees will get to experience high-tech manufacturing in real time. They’ll also get to learn the nuts and bolts of different welding processes from the company’s crew leaders and executive team.
Victory Tailgate, an online retail store located in Orlando, Florida, is another company that will host an event on Manufacturing Day. Victory Tailgate specializes in sewing and printing. On Manufacturing Day, students will have a chance to meet the company’s CEO and see the benefits of choosing a career in manufacturing. Starting at 1:00 p.m., Victory Tailgate will also offer tours in order to explain the concept of mass customization manufacturing. Attendees will be permitted to walk through all seven production departments, as well as use products created by Victory Tailgate.
Purple Platypus, located in Irvine, California, specializes in 3D advanced prototyping solutions. Purple Platypus distributes professional 3D printing technologies to manufacturers in Southern California. Their products cater to a wide array of industries, such as the medical, architectural, automotive, aerospace, toy, and electronic industries. On Manufacturing Day, the company will offer a tour of their showroom, giving students the opportunity to learn how 3D printing is revolutionizing the manufacturing world.
Blaser Swisslube, a family-owned Swiss company, specializes in cutting and grinding fluids. Blaser Swisslube will stage a facility tour and presentation at its Goshen, New York headquarters on October 7th at 9 a.m. The event is open to the public, including students. Attendees will receive a tour of the manufacturing facility, as well as the laboratory where the company performs quality control on their products and tests customer samples.
The official date of this year’s Manufacturing Day is October 7, but events can take place on any day of the year. For example, the 2016 Georgia Manufacturing Summit will take place in Atlanta on Wednesday, October 26th. The summit will include several break-out training sessions that will address the challenges faced by local manufacturers. Organizers expect about 500 industry professionals to attend. Graco in Minneapolis, Minnesota is another company that is celebrating Manufacturing Day on a different date. Graco is a supplier of fluids and coatings in both industrial and commercial applications. On October 13, the company will offer local high school students a 90-minute program that includes a facility tour, hands-on demonstrations, and a career fair where they can converse with representatives from local colleges and Graco employees. However, this event is by invitation only.
Manufacturing Day events aren’t limited to the United States. Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce, located in Ontario, Canada, will host a “launch” event on October 7 to attract exporters to their company. The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Likewise, Hunter Industries, located in Tijuana, Mexico, will offer a facility tour and presentation that will include an overview of the Hunter Industries culture and an inside view of their innovative manufacturing operations. The event will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Registration for this event is limited to 15 visitors, and a U.S. passport is required for entry.
This is only a bite-sized sampling of the countless events scheduled to celebrate the manufacturing industry. To see a full list of participating manufacturers, plus relevant contact information for each event, visit www.mfgday.com.