McPherson County Stakeholders know that Manufacturing matters to our County!

To celebrate the County’s industrial success, MIDC and McPherson Chamber of Commerce wanted to join the Nation in celebrating Manufacturing Day, which took place October 5th, 2018.  Because of the County’s concentration of successful and growing manufacturers, MIDC and the Chamber requested a proclamation to designate the WHOLE month of October as “Manufacturing Month.”  The event was an opportunity for our manufacturers and industries to highlight their operation and their workforce to energize and engage a future pipeline of skilled workers.

This year, nine McPherson County industrial businesses participated. The open houses drew nearly 800 people, combined, including students from area high schools and technical schools, soldiers who were soon to transition out of service from Fort Riley, potential job seekers, and interested/curious community members.

Thank you Archrock, Battenfeld-Cincinnati (American Maplan), Bradbury, Chemstar, CertainTeed, John’s Manville, Moridge Manufacturing, and Viega for opening your doors to invite people to experience all the potential of modern manufacturing. We have no doubt that your efforts will help foster interest in McPherson County’s high tech and excellent paying industrial careers.

To kick off this month’s activities, MIDC hosted the first ever McPherson County Manufest which was a celebration of McPherson County’s industrial businesses and their abundance of technical careers.   The event was open to high school juniors, seniors, their parents as well as students at several technical colleges.  Eleven McPherson County Businesses came out to talk about opportunities at their companies as well as demonstrate what they make/do through a tradeshow type exhibit.  Several students from the local high school and area technical colleges provided a live demonstration of their industrial competencies in the following trades: CAD/ 3D print, construction trades, robotics,  automation engineering, machining and welding. The event also featured presentations from Dr. Randy Watson, Kansas’s Commissioner of Education discussing how the Kansas school system is being revamped to better prepare students for successful careers in industrial businesses as well as from employees who had recently graduated and were making successful contributions to McPherson County businesses. These personal testimony’s from the employees provided a realistic preview of all  the rewards that a career in manufacturing could afford students who choose a career in one of McPherson County’s industrial businesses.

Our annual celebration of McPherson County’s industrial businesses allowed students, teachers, parents and job seekers to see for themselves that manufacturing provides clean, safe, high-tech environments in which to pursue challenging,  well-paid careers.  By providing this opportunity, we anticipate more young people will want to follow a manufacturing/industrial career path.