U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker will visit Wilmington, Del. on Friday, October 2 to celebrate National Manufacturing Day. She will be hosted by U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Governor Jack Markell, and U.S. Congressman John Carney (D-Del.-At Large), and will tour two of Delaware’s most creative manufacturers.

Manufacturing is critical to America’s economy, comprising 12 percent of GDP. Since 2010, the sector has added 900,000 jobs and in the past five years, manufacturers have experienced the sector’s first sustained job growth since the 1990s. These are good paying jobs – an entry-level manufacturing engineer can expect to earn $60,000, and the average manufacturing worker earns more than $77,000 annually, about $15,000 more than the average worker across all sectors. Manufacturing is also expanding the national economy –for every dollar invested in manufacturing, the sector generates $1.37 for the economy.

Yet for far too many young students and their parents, manufacturing seems like an outdated career that offers little promise of upward mobility. As the federal agency that serves as the architect for America’s manufacturing policy, we at the Department of Commerce know that in the 21st century, a career in manufacturing is nothing like the jobs held by previous generations. Today, manufacturing includes jobs such as computer programmers, engineers, designers, machinists, and more.

“To lead in the global economy, we must engage the next generation of workers and excite our youth about the potential of a career in manufacturing,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. “At the Department of Commerce, we created Manufacturing Day to help the public, and young people in particular, understand that manufacturers are innovative, inventive businesses, where workers develop and use the latest technology and build lasting, middle class careers. The commitment of our nation’s manufacturers to host events on Manufacturing Day provides Americans with a better understanding of modern manufacturing, and highlights the importance of a strong manufacturing sector to our nation’s long-term economic health.”

Secretary Pritzker’s tour will start at Newark-based Accudyne. Established in 1996, Accudyne designs and develops one-of-a-kind equipment and processes for each customer’s specific requirements. The tour will take guests through the design, fabrication, assembly, and testing phases of one of their products. The second manufacturing facility they will tour will be at fifth-generation manufacturer and women-owned business, M. Davis. Founded in 1870 as a tinsmith shop, M. Davis today is a full-service industrial construction company, providing design and build, fabrication, engineering and maintenance for national and international clients in industries that include oil and gas, chemical, food and beverage, and pharmaceutical.

The day will end with a roundtable discussion of manufacturing in Delaware, the role it plays in the region and the challenges businesses face in attracting qualified talent, access to capital and access to markets abroad.

Manufacturing Day is a national event. On October 2, more than 2,000 manufacturers nationwide are opening their doors to teachers, parents, and students to demonstrate the potential of 21^st century manufacturing, tout the transformation of manufacturing into an industry of innovation, and foster interest in the rewarding careers available in this growing sector.

Additionally, top Commerce Department officials are taking part in events with manufacturers of all sizes across the country. A schedule of these events can be found below.

To learn more about Manufacturing Day events happening across the country, visit www.mfgday.com.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE SENIOR OFFICIAL PARTICIPATION NATIONWIDE

September 30 event:

• Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Michelle Lee, and Chandra Brown, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing, participated in a National Alliance for Jobs and Innovation discussion on “The Impact of 3D Printing on Intellectual Property Production and Protection in the Manufacturing Sector” in Washington, D.C.

October 2 events:

• Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology Dr. Willie May will visit the Northrop Grumman facility in Charlottesville, Virginia on October 2. He will tour the facility and join local STEM students for a workshop to build 3D printed hands for children with handicaps.
• Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Eric Hirschhorn will tour Micron Technologies in Manassas, Virginia. Micron Technologies has designed and manufactured electronic memory and semiconductor technologies for the past 35 years.
• National Director of the Minority Business Development Agency Alejandra Castillo will participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Center for Advanced Manufacturing at Ben Franklin High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This new public, magnet high school will provide industry credentialed training in the manufacturing process to students.
• Assistant Secretary for Industry and Analysis Marcus Jadotte will speak at the Michigan Manufacturing Day Kick-Off at the Michigan Science Center in Detroit. Organized by U.S. Manufacturing Council members, the event will bring together 200 students, teachers, and manufacturing leaders to kick-off Manufacturing Day. He will also speak at the Detroit Manufacturing Systems event and tour with Senator Debbie Stabenow, hosted by Manufacturing Council member Andra Rush.
• Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing Chandra Brown will travel to San Diego, California where she will deliver opening remarks at the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation Manufacturing Day kick-off event. She will then visit local manufacturers including D&K Engineering, Hunter Industries, and Taylor Guitars.  She will end the day with a tour of San Diego City College and a discussion with students about their Manufacturing Engineering Technology Program. 
• Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Matt Erskine will tour the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He will be visiting active manufacturing sites and the Navy Yard's museum that encapsulates the rich manufacturing history of the site. He will also be making a special announcement.
• Phil Singerman, Associate Director for Innovation & Industry Services at NIST, will travel to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to visit MANTEC, a non-profit organization that promotes manufacturing and innovation in south central Pennsylvania. MANTEC is hosting a series of workshops on manufacturing excellence and continuous improvement.