MFG Day is under way around America

Day-long emphasis on raising awareness about manufacturing’s role in economy has wide support among industry leaders

By Bob Vavra, CFE Media October 4, 2013

Manufacturing Day, better known now as MFG Day, is being celebrated at plants around the country on Oct. 4 to call attention to the work being done in America’s manufacturing plants, and to call attention to manufacturing as a career choice.

The official Website for the day’s events, MFGDay.com, notes there are more than 700 events planned around the country on Oct. 4. These are events largely designed to open the doors of manufacturing plants to invite students, parents, teachers and the community at large to see first-hand what modern manufacturing plants and techniques look like.

The major sponsors of the 2013 MFDG Day include Shell, the Alliance for American Manufacturing, the Association for Manufacturing Technology, IHS GlobalSpec, Precision Metalforming Association, SPI (the plastics industry trade association), the Association for Manufacturing Excellence and the SME Educational Foundation. The day was created by Fabricators and Manufacturers Association executive director Ed Youdell, and is produced by FMA, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Manufacturing Institute and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

“For those of us dedicated to maintaining the strength and competitiveness of the American manufacturing sector, every day is MFG Day” said National Tooling and Machining Association president Dave Tilstone in a press release.  “But Oct. 4 is an important opportunity to share our passion for manufacturing with our communities, especially the next generation of Americans who will ensure that manufacturing continues to be an engine that drives the economy and innovation here at home.”

Precision Metalforming Association president Bill Gaskin offered a similar view in a press release touting his association’s participation in MFG Day. “MFG Day is important for PMA member companies because it allows them to raise awareness in their communities about 21st century manufacturing,” said Gaskin. “Our members can show off their modern facilities that utilize computers, robots and automation. We know that counteracting outdated misperceptions with the reality of today’s high tech manufacturing is the best way to address challenges like the skills gap that threaten the American manufacturing sector’s growth.”

In his blog at LNSresearch.com, Mike Roberts of LNS Research said the day’s events were designed to raise awareness in communities large and small about just what modern manufacturing looks like. “Today’s manufacturing careers are far from those followed by most people’s grandfathers. There are opportunities across a broad range of high-tech areas, from electronics and mechanical engineering to software, IT and networking as well as industrial engineering, process engineering and project management,” Roberts wrote. “These cutting-edge skills are in demand, right here in the U.S. And as manufacturing technology continues to pervade deeper into plants and global supply chains, the number of opportunities is poised to grow. The NTMA member-sponsored events on Oct. 4 include:

  • Boston Tooling & Machining Association (BTMA), Boston, MA and NTMA’s Cleveland, OH Chapter and Pittsburgh, PA Chapter will be part of statewide networks of manufacturers that will open their doors to students, teachers and parents for events that will highlight the importance of manufacturing to the nation’s economy.
  • Indiana Chapter, NTMA, Indianapolis, IN will celebrate MFG Day with an event at the Lincoln College of Technology.  The day will feature the inaugural launch of the school’s CNC Machining & Manufacturing Technology Program and include a tour of Lincoln’s CNC facility, equipment demonstrations, and more.
  • Michiana Chapter, NTMA, Michiana, IN is collaborating with Purdue University Manufacturing Extension Partnership by scheduling local high school student shop tours of local NTMA Member companies on MFG Day.
  • NW Pennsylvania Chapter, NTMA will host a special MFG Day event as part of its ongoing “Home Town Manufacturing,” a program that invites students, parents, school administrators and teachers to local NTMA member companies to show them “advanced technology, clean workplaces, and seriously cool parts” throughout the year.
  • San Diego Chapter NTMA, San Diego, CA will host a San Diego Manufacturing Day Breakfast to highlight the importance of the manufacturing industry for North County.  

PMA member companies also will host events at their facilities. Some of those manufacturers include: