Manufacturing Day 2020 is here!

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us were aware of the enormous role manufacturing plays in our country’s safety, resilience, ability to innovate, and economic sustainability. But for those outside of our manufacturing ecosystems, the pandemic has brought to light a new understanding through stories of essential workers needing PPE, of the workers on the factory floor deemed essential, and of makers and manufacturers innovating new product lines. We are experiencing a moment of awakening that manufacturing matters to our country. At the same time, calls for racial equity and inclusion have rung out across the nation, illustrating the need to make equity an intentional part of the rebuilding and growth of manufacturing.

This current context puts a new emphasis on Manufacturing Day. At UMA, we see today as an opportunity to tell the powerful story of manufacturing. By sharing what it looks and feels like now, we help communities understand manufacturing at all scales, and frame the sector not only as an engine of economic opportunity, but also as a way to build wealth in all communities through jobs, ownership, and entrepreneurship. Our members across the country are hosting events to help connect communities to manufacturing.

Here are some events from our partners:

• The Bay Area Urban Manufacturing Initiative (BAUM): Supported by UMA, SFMade, MFG:SJ, the Bay Area Urban Manufacturing Initiative, and BAUM’s 30+ partner cities and counties have created a robust series of events, starting today, for the next week. All of their events are free and many are open to the public. The importance of local manufacturing to the Bay Area’s economy and to the region’s physical safety has become increasingly clear this year. In addition to ensuring that workers and citizens have the essential products needed to survive, local manufacturers have set a shining example of creative problem-solving: retooling to offer new products; displaying deep caring for their employees; modeling responsibility to the greater community through donations and volunteering; and, above all, leading with vision and heart. Join us in paying tribute to the work that manufacturers do every day to create a safe and robust Bay Area during 2020 Bay Area Manufacturing Week.

• Industry and Inclusion Cohort Spotlight: Here are two members of UMA’s Industry and Inclusion Cohort who are offering MFG day events:
• Northland Workforce Training Center in Buffalo is partnering with Insyte Consulting, New York’s Manufacturing Extension Partner Center, to offer a half-day event about the importance of manufacturing and to introduce students to the sector’s career opportunities. The event will recognize NY State manufacturers and build awareness of available educational and training opportunities.
• LIFT Manufacturing USA Institute: LIFT is offering a virtual tour of their Detroit-based facility. Attendees will get to explore equipment used for research, development, and prototyping, as well as learn about how LIFT connects materials, processes, and systems to drive American manufacturing into the future.

Similarly, our UMA team is working to recast the narrative of manufacturing, each day. Here are some panel highlights where we’ve uplifted the stories and programs of our members:

• ESHIP Summit: Lee Wellington (UMA’s Founding Executive Director) and Katy Stanton (UMA’s Programming and Operations Director) co-presented at the 2020 Kauffman Foundation ESHIP Summit. They shared their insights at the virtual event titled: “Building Local Brands For Urban Manufacturing Ecosystems.” They discussed how Local Branding Initiatives build collaborative ecosystems to support local manufacturing communities, as well as the growing national movement for manufacturing as an equitable economic development strategy. UMA shared place-based case studies of Local Branding Initiatives that are creating more robust ecosystems for manufacturing companies of all sizes, acting as stewards of equitable economic development, and helping support local COVID-19 recovery efforts.

• 2020 DC Retail Summit: Our Recovery. The Washington DC Economic Partnership hosted the DC Retail Summit to discuss the new normal, reopening, and recovery, and the importance of diverse businesses. Lee participated in a panel discussion titled: “Restoring the Creative & Gig Economy” to share thoughts on the intersection of manufacturing, the gig economy, and the future of retail.
• Plan C Live. Make Magazine and Nation of Makers hosted a discussion that included UMA, Right to Start, Hacker Lab, and Recast City. Directors of these initiatives came together to discuss how COVID-19 has impacted local and global systems of manufacturing and economies. You can watch the full session here.

It’s your work that inspires and connects us to each other, and demonstrates the power of manufacturing as a strategy to promote wealth creation, inclusive communities, and racial equity. We’re so grateful for your leadership.

With hope more progress towards an equitable future on this Manufacturing Day and always,
The UMA Team