There are three little words we all like to hear, “Made
in America.” Manufacturing
helped grow our nation and build a middle class. Manufacturing jobs pay good wages. Manufacturing spurs economic growth and
drives innovation.
Many are quick to think that all manufacturing has left Southern
California. Not true. While the number of jobs has declined, Los
Angeles County still has a significant manufacturing base providing almost
815,000 jobs -8.6 percent of the total workforce.
The Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), which
tracks employment by sector, reports “LA County has more manufacturing
employment than any other county in the nation.
We have a diverse set of manufacturing industries here that don’t
receive enough publicity and support.”
These companies sell products around the world which brings
money here and creates wealth for the entire region.
The San Gabriel Valley - where I live and work - is the proud
home of 58,900 manufacturing jobs. In
fact in the last 10 years several highly specialized advanced manufacturing
sub-sectors have added jobs in the SGV - primarily those involved in making the
parts, components, resins, and fibers for the aerospace industry and
pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing serving the burgeoning healthcare
industry.
Tomorrow, October 2, 2015, is National Manufacturing Day. You might wonder why we need a day to
celebrate manufacturing. There are lots
of good reasons.
First, it is needed to set the record straight. Manufacturing is not dead. It is an important part of our economy and
the infrastructure required to support manufacturing exists here in abundance -
our ports, freeways, utilities, and workforce.
Second - LAEDC is right. These important companies don’t
get enough publicity and support. We
want these companies to stay here and to grow here. We should let them know they are appreciated.
Finally, manufacturing offers opportunities for future
employment. Manufacturing Day provides a
good opportunity to get students thinking about careers in manufacturing.
Manufacturing companies, colleges, and universities are all
pitching in to share the good news and cheer on manufacturing. There are almost 2,000 events planned across
the nation. A quick visit to LAEDC’s
website provides a list of the events planned closer to home.
One other top manufacturing sector in LA County is food
manufacturing. The SGV is adding jobs in
this sector especially related to specialty sauces. How about celebrating manufacturing by
touring Huy Fong Foods to see how their famous Rooster Sriracha sauce is
made? It is chili picking season and the
best time to pay a visit. Sign up for
Saturday tours on their website at Huy Fong Foods, Inc. www.huyfong.com
Happy Manufacturing Day however you decide to celebrate it.
