National Manufacturing Day is October 4 this year. However, in Union County, we know one day is not enough time to celebrate all the benefits of manufacturing. Since 2013, YOUR Union County Chamber has teamed up with local Manufacturers, Union County Public Schools, and South Piedmont Community College to host Make It In Union County week.
Make It In Union County, or MIUC, is a grassroots effort to increase awareness of manufacturers’ positive impact on our community and promote manufacturing as a premier career choice. The goal is to increase awareness among students, parents, educators, and our community– that today’s manufacturing provides high-tech, well-paying career opportunities.
Over the past 10 years, MIUC has worked with local manufacturers to provide students, parents, and the public with tours of local plants. We have also hosted a Manufacturing Showcase where attendees can learn about the wide variety of items manufactured in Union County. The week wraps up with an invitation-only Manufacturing Celebration Breakfast.
A few years ago, we added the Middle School Speakers’ Bureau to the week’s activities. Workers from local manufacturing and trade companies take over classes at middle schools in the county to educate students on career opportunities. Speakers in the schools have reached thousands of students and educators over the past years.
In 2023, Make It included a record 16 field trips for Union County Public Schools students along with Open House Tours and manufacturing and HR professionals sharing in classrooms. Those activities reached over 1400 students!
MIUC has had an impact on UCPS through thousands of dollars in scholarships to students and schools, along with introducing students to careers in manufacturing. In fact, Chris Doyle with Boyd Corp, formerly GM Nameplate, says a former student visited the plant several years ago during Make it In Union County week, and remembered the company when he graduated. He applied, and now works at Boyd Corp.
Make It In Union County 2022 is October 2 through October 6. The week kicks off with a Social Media Blitz Day on Monday. UCPS students will have the opportunity to tour manufacturing companies in Monroe, and Goulston Technologies is hosting Open House Tours for the Public. You can read all the details of the events planned on the Make It In Union County site.
Last modified: January 8, 2024
