Manufacturing Month from a Fresh Perspective

Molly at the bus.

Molly just started at the Valley Industrial Association and GCAMP office last week - and right out of the gate it was #MFGDAY2022 . Molly wrote a reflection on her first week that was really cool, as being new to Manufacturing. Check it out...

"Today is Illinois Manufacturing Day, part of the larger celebration of Manufacturing Month. I was lucky enough to attend IMEC Illinois and Illinois Manufacturers' Association #makersonthemove bus tour hosted at Phoenix - Phoenix Closures Naperville location.

It is only my third day in the manufacturing world. I have familiarity with healthcare, food, and education sectors, but not manufacturing. Or so I thought.

As it turns out, ours is a world that survives on “stuff.” From the keyboard on which I’m typing to the chair I’m sitting on, life as we know it would not exist without parts. Therefore, it only makes sense to appreciate those in this industry who work so hard day in and day out to improve quality of life for people everywhere. “Makers on the Move” is doing exactly that.

On the tour, we got to hear a powerful group of people reflect on manufacturing excellence, from Bill Foster (congressman) to Phoenix Closures’ very own Giles Miller.

Not only is manufacturing an incredible industry, it is arguably an even more amazing community. Having no history of manufacturing knowledge, it has always seemed like a faceless industry to me. Today I began to realize just how wrong I was. People are the life and blood of manufacturing. Without these workers’ efforts, visions, and connections, laypeople’s dreams would simply not be built.

I realize the people of this industry, like the manufacturing businesses they represent, are constantly in motion. As I heard today, every day is manufacturing day. Different companies, associations, and partnerships are always moving, evolving, and growing. Before today I wouldn’t have known what went on in that warehouse tucked behind the highway, yet now I have an idea of the dynamic world quietly building our country’s very future.

There are so many people and projects that deserve all the recognition we can possibly squeeze into the month of October. It is Illinois manufacturing month and I really couldn’t have picked a better time to join this world. This is an exciting time of celebration, growth, and producing a better tomorrow."


Kathy Gilmore

Kathy Gilmore
President
Valley Industrial Association/GCAMP

Categories: People Events