Page 6 - MetalForming July 2014

Editorial
Brad F. Kuvin
Manufacturing Day is on the Way— Make a Difference
Coming up quickly is the third annual Manufacturing Day, October 3, 2014, when hundreds of industry-leading organizations will do their part to promote careers in manufacturing to students, community leaders and others. There’s absolutely no better way for metalforming and fabricating companies to begin to narrow the skills gap than by participating in this annual image-polishing exercise. And, it’s becoming increasingly simple to join in the festivities, thanks to the enormous stash of resources housed on the Manufacturing Day website.
Companies joining the Manufacturing Day celebration can host plant tours and infor- mational sessions, to spread the word about the exciting and rewarding opportunities that exist for the next generation of workers in our industry. This is your chance to address common misperceptions about manufacturing, and connect with future generations to help ensure the ongoing prosperity not just of your company, but of the entire industry.
“Manufacturing Day is important because it allows metalforming companies to raise awareness in their communities about 21st century manufacturing,” says PMA President Bill Gaskin. “Our members can show off their use of computers, robots and automation, counter- acting outdated misperceptions with the reality of today’s high tech manufacturing.”
I urge all readers to consider participating—there’s strength in numbers, and we simply must get the word out. The time is now—start with a visit to the Manufacturing Day website.
“There’s no better way for metalforming companies to begin to narrow the skills gap than by participating in this annual image- polishing exercise.”
Among the resources you’ll find there:
• Descriptions of the three types of recommended Manufacturing
Day events—plant tour, a manufacturing community (collaborative efforts by manufacturers sharing an industrial park), and educa- tional fair (typically housed by a community or technical college).
• A Manufacturing Day Host Toolkit, with a detailed event checklist on how to set up an event, organize a facility tour, prepare displays and literature and plan to host media representatives.
• The Manufacturing Day Social Media Playbook, a download- able roadmap to organizing your use of website banners, creating
event listings and other outlets for promoting your event.
• Seven tips for making an openhouse a success, including creating a hands-on display
and suggestions for creating and sending out invitations to elected officials, potential cus- tomers and the media.
• Six tips on how to best share your company’s story with attendees/people from outside your industry, including avoiding the use of jargon and presenting interesting facts and anecdotes.
Among the PMA member companies that participated in Manufacturing Day 2013 fes- tivities, by hosting special events at their facilities: ACE Clearwater Enterprises, Torrance, CA; Automation Tool & Die, Brunswick, OH; Clips & Clamps Industries, Plymouth, MI; Penn United, Saxonburg, PA; Pentaflex, Springfield, OH; Rockford Toolcraft, Rockford, IL; and Select Industries, Dayton, OH. Please consider joining these forward-looking companies on what may be the most important mission you can embark on, to help ensure that our industry remains vital and globally relevant for the foreseeable future.
Editor bkuvin@pma.org
4 MetalForming/July 2014
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