Twelve years ago, in 2012, the Fabricators and Manufacturers’ Association (FMA) founded Manufacturing Day (MFG Day). MFG Day is a national movement to show the public (students, parents, and all others) just what modern manufacturing is all about because as they say, “It’s not your father’s machine shop anymore”.  MFG Day is always the first Friday in October so this year we are celebrating all things manufacturing on October 4, 2024.

In addition to MFG Day, many states and manufacturing associations (including the International Trade Administration) consider the first week in October National Manufacturing Week or the entire month of October Manufacturing Month. But it doesn’t stop there for FlexTrades, we celebrate manufacturing all year long and hope you will too.

Below are ways in which you can do so!

  1. Open your manufacturing doors to the public. You can find tips and tricks to do so
    1. If you’re an employee, encourage your employer to open their doors!
  2. Partake in trade shows as a visitor or manufacturer. Here’s a list of this year’s tradeshows, with a few left that you could still attend.
  3. Visit or participate in a tour (or two) of manufacturing facilities. Find events to attend or ways to host an event at com
  4. Know the industrial revolutions to understand how manufacturing has changed and why it’s so great!
  5. Talk to the kids you know and tell them what’s it like, share your knowledge of manufacturing and discuss the vast opportunities within a manufacturing career. Show them some of these great How It’s Made videos so time on their electronics is also spent learning!
  6. Share positive messages about manufacturing on your social media accounts.
  7. Follow and reshare positive messages from manufacturers and those in manufacturing on your social media accounts.
  8. Shop and buy American made products.
  9. Donate or volunteer to the Nuts and Bolts Foundation (also known as Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs ® – NBT). NBT is on a mission to bridge the skills gap in manufacturing, keep American manufacturing alive and strong, and provide students the opportunity to learn how they can do great things working in manufacturing.
  10. Donate your time and knowledge by visiting technical or trade schools to spread awareness about manufacturing and opportunities in manufacturing. Bring brochures with you (here’s an example).
  11. Encourage your coworkers or employees to share their own stories with each other.
  12. Curate an Employee Appreciation Day – managers can genuinely thank their workforce, provide pizza for lunch, organize a cookout, send thank you cards, give gift cards, sponsor a team outing, or film a video of thanks. The options are endless.

And as you celebrate, keep in mind the words of Alan Mulally, an American aerospace engineer and manufacturing executive, former executive vice president of Boeing, CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes and former President and Chief Executive Office of the Ford Motor Company. Alan is well versed in manufacturing and once said:

“No country is every successful in the long term…without a really strong and vibrant manufacturing base”.

Happy MFG Day (or week or month)!