Dean Phillips
Production Enhancement Engineer Link Systems
SME Member Since 2005 SME SPEAKS GUEST EDITORIAL Why Manufacturing Day? T
he night before SME Nashville Chapter 43’s October 2, 2015, Manufacturing Day event “Celebrating Manu- facturing & Education in Nashville,” we were at the
Adventure Science Center trying to iron out the fi nal details for the big event. During setup, we were contemplating how the layout would work for the Tennessee Chamber of Com- merce. Where would the tables go for the Tech Fair? How would the caterers be setting up in the lobby for the break- fast? How could we add an additional 45 lunches for the local STEM school? Where would the students have lunch if it rained? (And the forecast was calling for rain!) Fast-forward to Friday evening, and the event comes
off without a hitch! The awards have all been given out; the robotics and welding simulator competitions have ended. The attendees have left the tech fair, and everyone else has cleared out from the daylong seminar on manufacturing. While I was still absorbing how it had all ended so suc-
cessfully, a guest walked up to me and essentially changed my perceptions of manufacturing and its overall impact. This individual (a general manager for a worldwide printing bags manufacturer in Tennessee) stopped me and asked if I was involved in the event. Scared he might have a complaint, I sheepishly admitted I was. He shook my hand vigorously and thanked me over and over! I wasn’t sure what to think, but thanked him for attending. “It was outstanding!” he exclaimed. Then he continued to detail his experience throughout the day. This individual’s day started at 7:30 a.m. when he fi rst ar- rived at the Adventure Science Center. Although he’d heard about Manufacturing Day in 2013, after Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam proclaimed the fi rst Friday in October as Manu- facturing Day, he’d never participated and/or attended a Manufacturing Day event before. From his vantage point, the “breakfast was a brilliant idea and a great networking opportunity.” What he enjoyed most,
however, was the conference portion where he was able to see and hear from the former governor of Maine, John McK- ernan, Jr., and the other speakers (John Brandt, CEO of The MPI Group; Lawrence Brown, executive director of LIFT; and Glen Fenter, president of the Greater Memphis Alliance for a Competitive Workforce). During the scheduled breaks, he was able to enjoy the tech fair—his company actually uses some of the products exhibited at the fair. He also made some industry connections and had discussions on potential automation products on display.
Students participating in VEX Robotics Competition wore #BeAnEngineer T-shirts, donated by ExxonMobil Corp. Be An Engineer is the fi rst in a series of efforts supported by ExxonMobil to inspire students to pursue careers in STEM.
During our conversation, I asked if he’d had a chance to see any of the student competition. His response: “Yes, that was the part that amazed me the most! While I was here to learn about the future of manufacturing from the speak- ers, I actually could see what opportunities exist through the students. Their excitement and enthusiasm while working on their robots for the VEX Robotics Competition made me
September 2016 |
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