MiMfg Magazine September 2017 | Page 11

September 2017 MiMfg Magazine 11 Seven Reasons to Make Magic on MFG Day MFG Day is what happens when thousands of manufacturers from across the country — many right here in Michigan — open their doors and shout from rooftops the excitement behind manufacturing careers. The national day of celebration is the first Friday in October (October 6 this year and October 5 in 2018) and you’ve still got time to host your own. Here are seven reasons for hosting your own MFG Day event: 1 2 3 Nobody does MFG Day like Michigan! 2,810 MFG Day events were held in 2016 and 215 were in Michi- gan. That’s more than any other state in the nation! You get to make your event your own. Not every event is right for you or your town. Whether it’s an open house, an industrial park block party, or a career fair at the local high school, your MFG Day event can be whatever you want it to be. The perception of manufacturing must change. A 2015 survey showed people know the importance of manufacturing (90 percent rated it as important or very important) yet less than 35 percent would encourage their own children to pursue a manufacturing career. 4 5 6 7 Registering your event is easy! Do you have an event location, date, description, and contact person? That’s all you need! Go to the national website (mfgday.com) and register now to host an event. In minutes, every student, parent, teacher, and local leader in North America can learn more about your business. Spread the word. Highlights from MFG Day 2016 MFG Day gives companies like Rosler the chance to showcase manufacturing’s “cool factor.” Want to know a secret? Media loves MFG Day! This annual celebration makes connecting with local television stations, statewide radio and newspaper, bloggers, and more super simple! Let them know what you’re doing and why and invite them to spend the day with you. Share your stories! Whether through event tours, videos, photos, or on social media, people love a good story and no industry tells a story like manufacturing. MFG Day provides your team the chance to tell why you do what you do and, more importantly, why students should want to do what you do. Open the eyes of your community to the magic of manufacturing. “The best part of holding MFG Day at our site was the connection with community and the enthusiasm we saw from the students… if you can’t see it, you can’t be it!” – Brooke Clark, Pfizer MFG Day events like the one at Shape Corp. teach women that manufacturing is a career worth pursuing. The faces of future manufacturers (and Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero) at Emergent BioSolutions. Get More! Find resources for planning your MFG Day at mimfg.org and www.mfgday.com .