WHY CELEBRATE THE 10TH ANNUAL ‘MADE IN NEW JERSEY’ MANUFACTURING DAY?
Manufacturing Day is a national celebration. Recognized by states, businesses, and schools throughout the country. It’s a day to celebrate the domestic manufacturing industry and the value of these incredible organizations. Manufacturing is easy to overlook, especially in a state like New Jersey.
‘MADE in New Jersey’ Manufacturing Day was developed to highlight the New Jersey manufacturers that contribute so much to not only the state but the entire nation. New Jersey might be named the Garden State, but there are over 10,500 manufacturing businesses that call the state, home. Primarily thought of as a service-based economy, manufacturing contributed over $175.3 billion to the state’s GDP. Manufacturing combined with life sciences industries brings in more than 30% of the total GDP for New Jersey.
There are so few opportunities for the entire industry to come together, discuss their progress, collaborate to overcome their challenges, and connect with partners, potential suppliers, and representatives from the state and federal government. This event is designed to provide this opportunity for the businesses that attend. 2022 marks the 10th annual ‘MADE in New Jersey’ Manufacturing Day and each year the event evolves to meet the growing needs of the industry. With dozens of supporting organizations and hundreds of manufacturers, this event has come incredibly far from its origin.
‘MADE in New Jersey’ Manufacturing Day is a content-driven event that includes the best parts of a tradeshow, educational conference, and awards ceremony.
On the first Friday in October, New Jersey manufacturers can experience critical breakout sessions focused on topics and themes that will have a direct impact on their business. See below for the sessions being delivered at the 10th Annual ‘MADE in New Jersey’ Manufacturing Day:
- Mitigating Supply Chain Disruptions – Strategies, Tactics, Real-world Examples
- Cyber Security Made Simple – The Threats and How to Avoid Them
- Strategies for Manufacturers to Improve Cashflow
- Best Ways to Retain Your Current Workforce
- ‘Year of Women in Manufacturing’ – Collaborating to Drive Forward Progress
- How Manufacturers can Work to Rebuild the Talent Pipeline
- Reaching More Customers and New Markets
- Bridging the Divide – Connecting Manufacturers and New Jersey Policy Makers
High-school robotics teams came out to showcase their creations and their engineering prowess. These events help bring young adults and industry together. Building a bridge between academia is incredibly challenging for a manufacturer to manage on their own. Adding these portions to ‘MADE in New Jersey’ Manufacturing Day provides a direct way for manufacturers to connect and engage with students and local high schools to create those relationships.
Exhibitors from businesses both inside the industry and those that directly support the industry are a vital part of this celebration. Their support not only ensures NJMEP can develop the event, but each adds unique value to the trade-show aspect of the event. These organizations not only sponsor the event but actively contribute to the run of show. From sharing expertise to providing manufacturers with additional resources, the exhibitor room is filled with value.
Last but not least, ‘MADE in New Jersey’ Manufacturing Day honors and celebrates the stand-out manufacturing businesses found throughout the state. Manufacturers were nominated for the Manufacturer of the Year awards in unique categories at the beginning of the year. After a rigorous selection process, finalists are chosen in each of the six unique categories. This year two new awards were added to the Manufacturer of the Year award ceremony, “Leaders in Life Sciences” which is being presented by the Healthcare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ), and the “Rising Stars Award”, in celebration of the ‘Year of Women in Manufacturing’ initiative to bring attention to the incredible women manufacturing leaders that drive the industry forward.
Finally, on the day of the event, the Manufacturer of the Year awards are named. To see who took home the awards, read the NJMEP Manufacturing Matters Issue #3.
Continued Support for a Strong Domestic Manufacturing Base
Manufacturing is making headlines. A renewed effort to bring more manufacturing back to the United States can be seen nationwide. However, without providing the industry the ability to collaborate and connect with public and private partners, they will not be able to sustain a strong industrial base.
The workforce continues to be a persistent challenge. There is a limited talent pool that needs to be rejuvenated. Women are incredibly underrepresented in the manufacturing space, even though they hold key leadership positions and are a driving force for the industry. Supply chain challenges continue to loom. The industry still hasn’t received the recognition it deserves. All these issues put unfair pressure on the domestic manufacturers that have contributed so much to the state and national economy. A single day is not going to be the entire solution but this event is the catalyst for progress.
‘MADE in New Jersey’ Manufacturing Day is NJMEP’s way of ensuring the industry can connect on a large scale. Without these opportunities, manufacturing will remain in silos. Engaging in events like this provides incredible value to all involved and industry leaders must continue to come out, connect, and collaborate with their peers. There’s no telling the value that can be uncovered from all the opportunities being presented at New Jersey’s largest manufacturing networking event of the year, ‘MADE in New Jersey’ Manufacturing Day.