Manufacturing Day addresses common misperceptions about manufacturing by giving manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort, what manufacturing is — and what it isn’t.

The National Association of Manufacturers

On Friday October 5th, 2018, numerous Bay Area manufacturers welcomed the public into their facilities, to help raise community awareness of manufacturing in our region. This is part of the nation-wide event MFG Day, which takes place on the first Friday of October. The event is six years in the running, with 2,749 events taking place this year, mostly in the US but with several in Canada and Mexico too.

Earn & Learn East Bay and the Contra Costa County Office of Education coordinated a day-long event bringing together over 220 students from 8 high schools and 7 employers. In the morning, students visited one to two companies and then spent the afternoon at their feeder community college learning about related programs. Participating manufacturers: Benchmark, Bishop Wisecarver, Granberg, Lennar, Dow, Fresenius, and Quick Mount PV. Participating High Schools: Antioch, Monte Vista, Deer Valley, Mt. Diablo, Concord, John Swett, Ygnacio Valley, and Pittsburg.

Several other Bay Area manufacturers opened their doors to the public such as Scandic Springs, Urban Bloc, ALOM, and with AMBayArea member Manex Consulting: Fetch Robotics, Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions, Evolve Manufacturing Technologies, Littlefuse, Vander-Bend Manufacturing, United Mechanical and Metal Fabricators, and Mizuho America.

Best Day Ever!  A fun and exciting event for local students learning about ALOM during a MFG Day tour.  The students were amazed and surprised to learn about supply chain and the technology we use to support customers. Especially, when they found out ALOM is a woman owned company, smiles on the girls faces – priceless…
Students visiting ALOM's facility in Fremont

Several manufacturers orchestrated their MFG Day event to take place on November 8th, working with Laney College and 200 students from the Oakland Unified School District

Manufacturers: AB&I Foundry, OCHO Candy, Everett Graphics, Creative Wood Products, Nor Cal Metals Fabrication, Fathom, Rainin, and Key Source International.

High Schools: Castlemont, Fremont, Dewey, Oakland, McClymonds, Lighthouse, UFSA, Metwest, MPA, Skyline, and Oakland Tech.

Students gained exposure to the art and science of manufacturing. They learned about the rapidly evolving world of manufacturing careers, where craft and technology continue to blend to add value to raw materials.