Manufacturing Day celebrated by local companies

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Central Mass. companies were among more than 1,600 manufacturers that opened their doors across the country for the third-annual Manufacturing Day , according to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), which is spearheading the day of events along with several other national organizations.

The 16 events taking place in the Bay State Friday are intended to spotlight the “benefits a manufacturing job can provide and promotes the pursuit of skills that will lead to a long-term career that offers security and growth for qualified candidates,” according to NAM.

Locally, the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the Blackstone Valley Education Foundation and the National Park Service to allow over 150 Blackstone Valley students to discover the opportunities available in manufacturing through tours at local manufacturing companies such as St Gobain in Worcester, Omni Control Technologies Inc. of Whitinsville, Sutton- based based Atlas Box Corp. and others, it said.

Additionally, as part of the Blackstone Valley Chamber’s events, Milford-based Waters Corp. will host Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, D-MA 3rd District to mark the day.

“This first year is a pilot program that we hope to grow to include participation by all the Central Massachusetts Chambers and manufacturers in 2015,” Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jeannie Hebert said in a statement.

Quinsigamond Community College (QCC) will be among the Worcester-area organizations taking part in the day with a day-long event that will include speakers, displays, demonstrations and a film screening to highlight the opportunities in manufacturing, according to the college.

“Manufacturing Day provides a focused point in time each year when all manufacturers in America can collaborate to bring attention to this crucial sector of the economy and celebrate their accomplishments," said Jennifer McNelly, Manufacturing Institute president, in a statement. "It is a great opportunity to shift Americans’ perception that it is not our grandfathers’ manufacturing anymore and to showcase the tremendous career opportunities manufacturing has to offer."