editorial E
Through the Eyes of a Child
tip-toeing through a haunted house, I found myself staring in amazement at a new addition to my family’s annual fall festival stop—a blacksmith operation. The attraction itself wasn’t what was amazing. The amazement was the large audience of children that stood staring with mouths ajar at the artist showcasing the forging process used to manufacture horseshoes. T ese children weren’t just watching the artist in action. T ey posed questions. T ey asked about
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The amazement was the large audience of children that stood staring with mouths ajar at the artist showcasing the forging process used to manufacture horseshoes.
the temperature the metal is heated to. T ey asked about the types of metal that can be forged. T ey asked about creating more complex metal parts. I had to bite my tongue more than a few times to make sure I didn’t jump in and add my two cents.
eave it to the annual family pilgrimage to the pumpkin farm to give you a fresh perspective. After watching the pig races, eating some roasted corn and
Among the children interacting with the
blacksmith was my soon to be 10-year-old daughter Abigail. Once the show-and-tell with the blacksmith was over, Abbey raced to the adjoining tent to manufacture her own metal component—a medallion with her name imprinted in it. She sat at the table and planned out the design. She carefully went through the steps to ensure precision and accuracy (pictured below). I couldn’t help but smile as the proud papa. T is experience once again reaffi rmed the
opportunities available to us to secure a new generation of manufacturers. Yes, we struggle to excite and entice high school and college graduates to join us. We have to fi ght through the cloud of misperception about manufacturing as a career that has been formed by popular culture, stereotypes and media. But, these prospective employees still have the bright-eyed optimism of their younger counterparts at the blacksmith demonstration. We just need to strike them a little harder with a message that appeals to them. Whether that message is long-term career opportunities, fi nancial stability or cool manufacturing technology, it must be geared to overcome misperceptions. A lot of words are written on this editorial page about the importance of positive PR, especially within your community. We must seize the opportunity now to ensure tomorrow.
Alfred Spada, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
My soon to be 10-year-old daughter Abigail manufactures her own medallion.
If you have any comments about this editorial or any other item that appears in Metal Casting Design & Purchasing, email me at
aspada@afsinc.org.
Nov/Dec 2012 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | 7
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