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What is National Manufacturing Day?

Manufacturing Day is a coordinated occasion during which U.S. manufacturers open their doors to demonstrate the potential of modern manufacturing and foster interest in manufacturing careers. Held annually on the first Friday of October (October 3, 2014), Manufacturing Day was created to correct public perception, which doesn’t do manufacturing justice.

Manufacturing environments, which include highly trained, well-paid employees who work on state-of-the-art equipment, are commonly thought of as antiquated factories designed for low-skilled workers. Manufacturing Day addresses this misperception by giving all manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort, exactly what manufacturing is – and what it isn’t. 

This change in perception is the first step in addressing one of the main challenges faced by manufacturers today – a gap in skilled labor. Manufacturing Day is an opportunity to connect directly with job seekers and students to begin to address the skilled labor shortage.

National Manufacturing Day in Quincy

John Wood Community College will host a Manufacturing Expo Friday, October 3 at the College’s Workforce Development Center, located at 4220 Kochs Lane in Quincy. The public is invited to attend from 12 to 3 p.m. free of charge.

More than 17 percent of Adams County employees are in the manufacturing sector, which is full of head-of-household careers for individuals with the right skills.

During the expo, participants will learn about the new technology used in the manufacturing industry through demonstrations and interactive displays. Robots, 3D printers, virtual welding, computer numeric control machines and state-of-the art electrical technology will be featured inside the JWCC Workforce Development Center.

JWCC instructors will demonstrate how a product is taken from concept and computer animation to its 3D prototype and production using new equipment used by regional employers.

Representatives from Midwest Patterns, Gardner Denver, Doyle Manufacturing, Kohl Wholesale, Trinity Containers, Dot Food, Michelmann Steel, MSC Industrial Supply Co., and Manchester Tank will showcase products and models during the expo. Dependable Education Products Company (DEPCO) will offer interactive demonstrations in Motor Controls, engineering, industrial electronics, advanced manufacturing and robotics. The expo will also feature Lincoln Electric’s virtual welder simulator.

Earlier in the day, more than 300 area high school students will visit the expo as part of a regional manufacturing career exploration effort. Students will visit the JWCC Workforce Development Center and tour ten manufacturing sites arranged by the Great River Economic Development Foundation. Students from QHS, Camp Point Central, Liberty, QND, Southeastern, Unity, Pittsfield in Illinois and, Highland in Missouri will tour regional manufacturing companies including Craig Industries, Manchester Tank, Knapheide, Prince Agri Products, ADM, Awerkamp Machinery, GatesAir, Hollister Whitney, Quincy Metal Fabricators, and Gardner Denver.

Information about JWCC career and technical programs, as well as admissions and financial aid will also be available. 

The event is a collaborative effort among JWCC, GREDF, Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois and the West Central Education Regional Education for Employment System #240. 

Click here to view a pdf of the Manufacturing Day Statistics below.

[share] Great River Economic Development Foundation, John Wood Community College and the Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois will hold a press conference celebrating National Manufacturing Day this Friday, October 4, 2013, at 9:30am at Prince Agri Products’ facility located at 221 Prince Agri Way in the South Quincy Development District.

Megan Backs, Great River Economic Development Foundation; Dean Warras, Prince Agri Products; Jacqui Bevelheimer, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; Mike McLaughlin, Adams County Board; Mark Pfleiger, West Central Region & Quincy Area Vocational Technical Center; Blanche Shoup, Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois; and Dr. John Letts, John Wood Community College, will each make brief remarks. Mayor Kyle Moore will make an official proclamation recognizing October 4, 2013, as Manufacturing Day in the City of Quincy.

The premiere of the “Manufacturing Our Future” public service announcement (PSA) series will conclude the press conference. The television and radio commercials are aimed to close the gap between the perception held about manufacturing and the reality of the industry today, which operates in clean environments and has high-paying careers for people with the right skills.

The production of the PSAs was funded by a Perkins grant received by JWCC to promote careers in manufacturing. WGEM, KHQA, Star Radio, Y101 will air the announcements in support of the community effort to educate the public about the new world of manufacturing.

A Manufacturing Expo is also set for October 24 at JWCC’s Workforce Development Center in Quincy. The event will feature demonstrations and products made by the 100 manufacturers in the region.

A tour of Prince Agri Products’ state-of-the-art manufacturing facility will be available to those in attendance at the conclusion of the press conference (no cameras or recording devices allowed during the tour). A map with directions to the Prince Agri Products facility from Radio Road is attached.

A press packet including manufacturing statistics will be available at the press conference. For more information, contact Megan Backs at GREDF, 217.223.4313.