Made In America: National Manufacturing Day Planned For Oct. 2

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NATIONAL MANUFACTURING DAY PLANNED FOR OCT. 2
A national “Manufacturing Day” is scheduled for Oct. 2 as a grassroots effort by U.S. manufacturers to improve public perception of manufacturing in America by coordinating awareness-raising activities at a variety of locations across the country on October 2, 2015.

A panel of co-producers comprised of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the Manufacturing Institute (MI), the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and guest producer Industrial Strength Marketing (ISM) provide the centralized support necessary to coordinate this nationwide array of simultaneous events.

The group has developed a website where local organizers can register to host a Manufacturing Day event, get a host “toolkit,” and find educational, marketing materials and resources for planning purposes. To date, there are 364 Manufacturing Day events planned across the U.S. this fall, organizers say. To learn more, click here.

YOUNG MANUFACTURERS ACADEMY CAMPS PLANNED THIS WEEK
The Gene Haas Foundation has awarded $65,000 in grants to various Arkansas colleges to conduct Young Manufacturing Academies (YMA) from Aug. 3-7, according to Kathy Looman, Executive Director of the foundation.

In addition to a $15,000 grant awarded to the Associated Industries of Arkansas Foundation to support this year’s Young Manufacturing Academies, the foundation has made additional direct awards totaling $50,000 to: Arkansas Northeastern College in Blytheville, Northwest Technical Institute in Springdale, Southeast Arkansas College in Pine Bluff, North Arkansas College in Harrison, National Park Community College in Hot Springs, and College of the Ouachitas in Malvern. These funds will provide operational support, supplies and curriculum for these Academies and promote technical learning opportunities for students.

Young Manufacturers Academies are designed to reach young people from grades 6 through 11 who are interested in technical professional careers in manufacturing. More than 600 young people participated in YMAs in 2014.

MITSUBISHI SHUTDOWN ENDS UAW’S RELATIONSHIP WITH FOREIGN AUTOMAKERS
The upcoming closure of a Mitsubishi Motors auto plant means that foreign automakers will soon make cars in the U.S. without the United Auto Workers union, according to ManufacturingNet.com.

The Japanese company indicated late last week that it will close its lone U.S. plant in Normal, Illinois in November following years of declining output. Production of the Outlander sport-utility vehicle will shift to Japan as the company increases its focus on Asian markets.

The UAW union represents some 900 workers at the Normal facility, just a fraction of its more than 100,000 members employed in U.S. auto plants. Once the Normal plant closes, however, the union’s workers will make cars exclusively for Detroit’s Big Three: Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler.

RECORD NUMBER OF ‘MADE IN AMERICA’ JAPANESE CARS SOLD IN U.S.
The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) USA office released new data last week spotlighting the positive economic contributions Japanese automakers are making to the United States. These 2014 figures represent record-high numbers for the percentage of North American-built Japanese-brand vehicles sold in the U.S., U.S. production, exports from U.S. plants, and purchases of American-made auto parts by Japanese automakers.

“On the verge of a historic trade deal, Japanese automakers are strengthening their commitment to the United States. This is proven by the fact that an unprecedented 74% of Japanese-brand vehicles sold in the U.S. are built in North America,” said Ron Bookbinder, General Director of JAMA USA.

Bookbinder said the statistics released indicate that JAMA member companies are an integral part of the U.S. economy, leading to more U.S. jobs and more U.S. exports. The JAMA USA office also released data in June showing record-high employment numbers and cumulative investment in U.S. manufacturing plants.