Tour a local factory on Manufacturing Day

Around the nation, manufacturers of every kind, from boiler fabricators, to chip makers, to biotech labs, will open their doors for the purpose of introducing to the public the people, processes, and facilities that constitute America’s vibrant manufacturing industry, despite the often bandied cry that good manufacturing jobs have all but vacated the U.S.

Though the closing of the NUMMI plant in 2010 affected the total number of manufacturing jobs in our local area, the general downward trend in manufacturing turned around in the same year and the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows consistent growth in the manufacturing sector for the Fremont area and California in general ever since.

Manufacturing Day is sponsored by four manufacturer’s associations, the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and the Manufacturing Institute, and is the first Friday of every October, which falls this year on October 7. It is a day that “addresses common misperceptions about manufacturing by giving manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort, what manufacturing is—and what it isn’t” (www.mfgday.com).

When representatives are asked what they hope visitors will take away from these open houses, they unanimously agree that what they want is the public’s fresh appreciation for a kind of industry built on the application of cutting-edge technology, innovation, and sustainability.

Alom in Fremont is an example of a business that doesn’t fit neatly into peoples’ idea of a factory. They manufacture high-tech electronics, print commercial advertising aids, duplicate media, orchestrate order and inventory management, provide logistics, and much more. In other words, they build, ship, support, design, report on and supply products and services to fit a client’s individual needs. Paul Hendryks, Director of Marketing Communications hopes that in addition to building community goodwill, the tour “will inspire young adults” to think about the diversity of career choices that a company like theirs can offer.

While the tech industry gets a lot of attention, especially around Silicon Valley, it’s important to realize that simply developing technology is only one aspect of our local economy. The application of that technology has its ramifications, too. According to Hendryks, “technology is embedded in the advanced manufacturing found in California and America. Automation and technology give us an advantage in competing with global manufacturers.”

Manufacturing also includes the synthesis of commercially and scientifically important materials such as biochemicals. AnaSpec, Inc. manufactures “integrated protemic and genomic solutions,” that is, reagents of the kind used in scientific research and pharmaceutical development. One of their products, for instance, is a “quick polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) kit used to amplify tiny samples of DNA for genetic studies or forensic identification. Director of Sales, Marketing, and Business Development for AnaSpec, Dr. Raman Afshar, one goal of the tour is to demonstrate “the capabilities of what we can do here,” for the benefit of younger visitors who might be considering a scientific career.” Another is to inspire the public’s imagination and communicate how biotech represents an important employment opportunity “in its own backyard.”

An important topic that comes up repeatedly when speaking to manufacturer’s representatives, is pride the industry takes providing high quality goods and services. Despite the costs of manufacturing in the U.S>, and the regulatory climate, the hurdles are worth it, and a good location can make a huge difference. Sonic Manufacturing technologies, a regional contract manufacturer has been in Fremont since its inception twenty years ago, and its customer base, according to Head of Sales and Marketing, Manmeet Wirk, is located within a hundred mile radius. “Fremont is very centrally located with respect to the Bay Area,” says Wirk, who emphasizes the importance of being “easily available to my customers.” The location also places it in proximity to a highly-educated and technologically skilled workforce. In essence, local manufacturing leverages geographic location for increased benefits to clients and employees.

Heavy industrial manufacturing is alive and well at Nationwide Boiler, Inc. Though a seemingly old technology, steam plays a vital role, and Marketing Manager Chelsey Ryker, wants visitors to the factory understand how “boilers come in contact with the products they use every day…they are a very large piece of other manufacturing processes.” She points out that “food processing, paper products, and hospital sterilization” are just a few of the many areas industrial steam boilers have a part in. At the facility tour, visitors will get an education about these important devices and hopefully have anew appreciation for the modern application of this tried and true technology.

What the public may not realize, and will have a chance to discover on October 7, is that within the manufacturing sector there exist strong initiatives to provide not only the best products, but the best work environments and skills education. The Manufacturer’s Institute, for example, one of the day’s sponsors continually studies the industry, looking for opportunities to improve the connection between skills educators and employers. Moreover, that task includes not only to providing guidance about what students need to know in today’s manufacturing environments, but why the careers are desirable, satisfying and vital to the economy. Manufacturing day is the opportunity for industry representative to demonstrate to the public the pride they take in their employees, their products, and the role they play in our community.