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The Creators Wanted campaign was created to recruit new talent, change perceptions about modern manufacturing and inspire the next generation of creators. Starting this week, the Creators Wanted Tour Live began visiting cities around the country to bring that message directly to Americans. The first stop: Columbus, Ohio.

The Tour Live features a series of escape rooms mounted on a mobile unit, with challenges that are intended to show participants how modern manufacturing actually works—and to be fun at the same time. During its four days in Columbus this week, more than 350 students got to participate, from Canal Winchester High School, Horizons Science Academy, Mechanicsburg School (Entertainment Tech), Sunrise Academy, Marysville Early College High School, Southwestern Career Academy and Millennium Community School.

The tour stop in Columbus also featured a number of exhibits and demonstrations, including opportunities to:

• Meet and ask questions of associates at Honda, the tour’s official mobility sponsor, as well as see some of its cutting-edge vehicles;
• Try out augmented reality technology from PTC;
• Explore activations by The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership at Columbus State Community College and diversified metal manufacturer Worthington Industries;
• Take part in a Creators Connect forum with creators at Honda, Abbott and Worthington Industries; and
• Interact with Creators Connect, a new 51�Թ��� and MI tool in beta testing, which matches people interested in manufacturing careers with pathways to achieve them.

A tour of the tour: The photos and from the Columbus events give you a taste of the excitement. Here, a few students begin the experience at the PTC AR demonstration:

Here are some students trying out the escape room and using the sort of creative thinking required for a manufacturing career:

Below, 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons takes a look at one of the Honda automobiles that were on display.

The satisfied “smizing” of some successful manufacturers-in-training:

51�Թ��� Vice President of Brand Strategy Chrys Kefalas, and the chief strategist of the campaign, caught up with some students to see what they thought of the experience.

The short answer?

What did Millennium Community School students think of , presented by , and here at ?

We’re creating the future. Join us at

— Chrys Kefalas (@CKefalas)

Awesome indeed.

The reception: The tour stop in Columbus created a splash, receiving coverage in the press and attention from state and U.S. officials. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) put in a plug for Creators Wanted, encouraging students and parents to check out the tour.

Exciting that is kicking off their tour at .

Reserve your spot to check out the future of manufacturing at

— Rob Portman (@robportmanOH)

Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted spoke at one of the events, urging students to pursue creative careers:

"You can learn to do anything, and there is a place for you to do that in Ohio where we will help you make sure that you have the skills to live whatever dream you have."

-Lt. Gov at the and 's Tour Live in Columbus.

— Lt. Governor Jon Husted (@LtGovHusted)

Meanwhile, , (subscription) and covered the Creators Wanted stop, while and Good Morning Cleveland (ABC 5) broadcast segments about the events.

The reach: The digital and media campaign around the Columbus tour stop also had a big impact, with more than 404,000 impressions, 4,200 clicks and 111,000 video views. It’s also on its way to more than 10,000 email signups from individuals interested in manufacturing career paths.

The last word: As Manufacturing Institute Executive Director Carolyn Lee said at one of the events, “The challenge is significant: we have nearly 900,000 open jobs in manufacturing today—a new record. The promise is real: there can be many more people earning great livings and creating our future working in manufacturing in the United States.”

Consumer goods manufacturer Church & Dwight found that it needed to boost performance to meet customer demand. To meet this goal, it embarked on an ambitious Lean initiative at all of its 13 production facilities.

“We look at all challenges through the lens of Lean manufacturing—it’s the only way that we can operate,” said Bruno Silva, vice president of manufacturing operations.

What’s Lean? Researchers James Womack and Daniel Jones first defined the concept of Lean manufacturing as “a way to do more with less … while coming closer to providing customers exactly what they want.” Many manufacturers see mastering Lean as an essential springboard to operational initiatives like digital manufacturing and other advanced production practices.

Setting the stage: In developing its Lean program, Church & Dwight first held a weeklong leadership summit to decide on standards and expectations. The company’s leaders came up with a Lean assessment system with 16 standards and a definition for achievement at the gold, silver and bronze levels. But the essential part was ensuring frontline employees were driving improvement from the bottom up—not the other way around.

• “This is not corporate pushing it down,” said Felipe Vilhena, director of Lean manufacturing – global operations. “We help workers overcome challenges and give them the right tools to do that. We created a mindset and expectation that improvements are part of the work.”

Putting it into practice: Initially, each worker was asked to list five potential improvements at his or her site, and then go out and make them. The company provided training and support to help with these fixes, while managers kept employees fully informed of their progress according to key indicators.

• Workers formed self-directed teams and continued to seek out improvements, which they began making more and more frequently. Thanks to the trust and autonomy that employees were given, engagement and retention measurably increased at the same time.

Receiving recognition: The company’s achievements have received recognition from its peers in the industry. One of its top-performing facilities in Green River, Wyoming, earned the company a 2021 Manufacturing Leadership Award in the Operational Excellence category from the 51�Թ���’s Manufacturing Leadership Council.

The last word: “It was important to create the right expectation and mindset,” Vilhena said. “From big to small improvements, we are seeing them happen every day.”

The 51�Թ��� and the MI’s Creators Wanted initiative has rolled out a new online game for students, teachers, parents, guidance counselors and emerging workers nationwide. The “Making the Future” experience is a choose-your-own-adventure video that helps gamers think better of modern manufacturing.

The details: The experience aims to address misperceptions about the industry and to connect with today’s tech-savvy student and job seeker. With the ability to choose levels of difficulty and navigate the interactive experience differently based on choices and answers, gamers will bust myths, crack codes and solve problems to earn their badges as creators.

Familiar approach: The game is using the “learn by doing” philosophy at the core of the in-person Creators Wanted mobile experience to excite and educate potential manufacturers and individuals who influence career choices about the growth, reward and opportunity in the industry, as well as the talents and attributes that are a part of manufacturing careers.

Creators Wanted tour anywhere: “Where the mobile experience can’t be physically, we figured out a way to replicate it into a digital experience for anyone across the country to access,” said 51�Թ��� Senior Vice President of Communications and Brand Strategy Erin Streeter. “We’ve designed this entire campaign to meet people where they are with the right messages and at the right times.”

Access point: The new interactive game is . It represents another major development by the 51�Թ��� and MI teams to broaden the reach and impact of the Creators Wanted campaign beyond in-person tour stops and COVID-19 crowd limitations.

Last word: “We’re sharing comprehensive online tools that not only get the next generation of talent excited but also teach them how to take the next step and become a manufacturer,” said MI Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “These tools are ideal for manufacturers, teachers, parents, government officials … really anyone who wants to help kids and emerging workers see how they can create their future in America. We hope manufacturers will share these resources with education partners and their teams, so they can share with kids and job seekers.”

MFG Day 2021 was a smashing success. This year, manufacturers throughout the nation hosted open houses, factory tours and job fairs—both on site and online—to introduce young people and others to the promise of modern manufacturing. And many companies and leaders took to social media to show their support and love for the industry. Here’s what we saw on Friday.

Presidential nod: On Sept. 30, President Biden Oct. 1 to be National Manufacturing Day, to “commit to strengthening and supporting the American manufacturers and hardworking manufacturing employees of today as well as the manufacturers and workers of the future.”

State (and federal) support: At least 15 states issued their own Manufacturing Day proclamations, and more than 40 congressional representatives publicly marked the occasion.

Connecticut has an incredible manufacturing tradition going back generations.
⁰But manufacturing today is not the same as your grandparents’. It’s clean, green, computer centric, doesn't require a 2 or 4-year degree, and is a good paying job.

— Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont)

Today, we bring awareness to the US manufacturing industry — jobs that are vital to our national economy and essential to our communities in Oklahoma. Thank you to past and current creators who have worked hard to shape the manufacturing industry in our country.

— Rep. Stephanie Bice (@RepBice)

As we celebrate Manufacturing Day, know I’m committed to not only elevating Georgia as a manufacturing hub for our 21st Century economy, but also supporting the dignity of work for our hardworking manufacturers.

— Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (@SenatorWarnock)

has the best workforce in the country. Today we celebrate the millions of men and women whose hard work in the factories and on the shop floors fuels America’s economic prosperity. Happy !

— Rob Portman (@robportmanOH)

Manufacturers in action: Hundreds of events took place across nearly all 50 states, both online and in-person.

Interested in a career in manufacturing? Join us TODAY for an virtual event where our employees will talk about what it is like to work for Smithfield Foods! Open to students, teachers and parents.

— Smithfield Foods (@SmithfieldFoods)

Happy ! See what we have planned for this celebration:

— Cornerstone Building Brands (@CornerstoneBB_)

Big support: MFG Day sponsors also marked the occasion:

We are proud to be an official sponsor of

We join thousands of companies & educational institutions around the nation in celebrating & showcasing modern manufacturing & career opportunities.

— Polaris Inc. (@PolarisInc)

Manufacturing Day is held annually on the first Friday of October to showcase what modern manufacturing is all about. We at JELD-WEN embrace this day and invite you to see what careers are available in your area, click here: !

— JELD-WEN (@JELDWEN)

In the news: Many local and national media outlets covered the day’s events. The coverage included with 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street,” along with pieces and segments in , and , as well as on ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX affiliates nationwide.

More to come: “MFG Day” actually lasts for the entire month of October, so be sure to check out upcoming events at .

Yes, Big Ass Fans is their real name. The Kentucky-based manufacturer makes fans, evaporative coolers, and controls for industrial, agricultural, commercial, and residential use, and the eye-catching name isn’t the only thing that makes them distinctive.

51�Թ��� Director of Photograph David Bohrer recently went to the BAF facilities in Lexington, Kentucky to take a closer look.

When you arrive at the campus, a herd of yellow donkeys on the lawn serves as a reminder that this is no ordinary company.

For a place called Big Ass Fans, the facility requires some very small and careful work. Here an employee gets up close with a circuit board.

Here, an employee is putting the finishing touches on the drive for a large industrial fan model.

As promised, the company does make some Big Ass Fans. Here, an employee works on the product that gives the business its name.

Hang on, maybe it’s this product?

We spoke too soon.

BAF says: “We take great pride in making products that deliver comfort to people worldwide,” said BAF Public Relations Director Alex Risen. “It means a lot as a manufacturer knowing everything we touch is going to help someone do what they do a little more comfortably.”

It’s finally here: MFG Day 2021!

Today The Manufacturing Institute, the 51�Թ���’s workforce development and education partner, officially kicks off the ninth annual day dedicated to inspiring the next generation of U.S. manufacturers.

Not just a day: Despite its name, the initiative will in fact run the entire month of October, and will feature nationwide, manufacturer-planned events aimed at giving students, parents and educators the chance to tour manufacturing facilities both virtually and in person.

• Events include factory tours, expos, open hours, job fairs and community gatherings—you can find a complete list
• Currently, there are more than 400 events registered on the MI website. Find out what’s happening in your area and

Why it matters: As of July, the manufacturing industry had close to 900,000 open jobs, according to the . If the trend continues, this deficit could grow to 2.1 million by 2030, according to a recent by the MI and Deloitte. It’s never been more urgent to get people interested in rewarding, lifelong manufacturing careers—for their own sake and the country’s.

• The matter is of such importance that President Biden issued a declaring October 1 National Manufacturing Day, calling it a day on which “we … recognize the importance of our Nation’s manufacturers to every aspect of our lives.”

What you can do: The MI has a host of resources for those of you who want to spread the word and get involved. These include:��

• Resources for students: The MI has unveiled a website for future creators, the students who might be considering manufacturing careers. or pass it on to a student you know.
• Resources for manufacturers: Manufacturers who are currently planning an event, or considering one for later this year, we’ve got you covered! Check out this library of , including recordings of our four-part MFG Day planning series.

• Become a sponsor: If you can’t host this year, why not sponsor the effort? View this year’s to learn more about how you can become an MFG Day sponsor and receive additional support.

And don’t forget Creators Wanted! The Creators Wanted immersive experience also launches this month, with its first tour stop in Columbus, Ohio coming next week. It will be open from October 4 to 7 at Mitchell Hall at Columbus State Community College. And don’t worry; the experience will take place under stringent

• At the mobile experience, you’ll be able to enter an Escape Room-like challenge; get hands-on with technology demonstrations; meet creators who are making a difference and excited to share their career experiences; and access exclusive resources for manufacturing career pathways.
• Reserve your own spot or get some for young people of your acquaintance

��The last word: As MI Executive Director Carolyn Lee says, “MFG Day provides manufacturers from coast to coast the opportunity to open their doors and highlight the work of the people who make things in America, which will help us recruit skilled talent and reach next-generation manufacturing employees.” In other words—don’t miss it!

Manufacturers are working hard to create apprenticeship and workforce development programs that can help strengthen our industry, close the skills gap and prepare new workers for exciting, fulfilling careers.

Last week, Leah Curry, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana, urged Congress to take up these priorities when she testified to the Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workforce Safety. Curry is also an honoree of The Manufacturing Institute’s 2013 STEP Ahead Awards, which recognizes outstanding women leaders in the industry, and a longstanding member of the MI Board of Advisors.

In her remarks, Curry drew on her own experiences to illustrate how apprenticeship programs can help prepare workers to take on a new career. Here are some of the highlights.

Delivering early exposure: “I came across the idea of pursuing technology as a career by chance after already embarking on a serious course of post‐secondary studies. If I was exposed to technical or STEM programs before college, I would have landed on my pathway much [sooner]. Since 2010, Toyota has provided $3.5 million to 184 K–12 schools in Indiana and across the country to implement Project Lead the Way programs that provide students with more STEM education and career pathways.”

Emphasizing hands-on experience: “Combining classroom learning with on‐the‐job experiences is a powerful way to learn, particularly in manufacturing. In states where Toyota operates manufacturing plants, Toyota has collaborated with local community colleges to develop the highly successful advanced manufacturing technician (or AMT) program.”

• “Nationally about 400 employers pool talent from 32 chapters in 12 states in what is known collectively as the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education or FAME USA. FAME USA is now led by The Manufacturing Institute, and it is quickly becoming America’s premier homegrown manufacturing education network.”

Promoting diversity: “We cannot overstate the importance of intentionality around bringing historically underrepresented people into STEM careers. Toyota is collaborating with the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity on its ‘Make the Future’ program, which provides tools to help educators, counselors, administrators and recruiters increase the participation and persistence of women and other historically underrepresented student groups in education paths that prepare them for advanced manufacturing careers.”

The path forward: In her testimony, Curry emphasized two critical policy recommendations.

• Combine education and training: First, Curry urged Congress to consider workforce development policies in combination with education policies. “If education policies are not flexible enough to allow students to explore various pathways,” said Curry, “students may ultimately bypass even the best workforce development opportunities.”

• Reauthorize WIOA: Second, she called for reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. “In doing so, the committee should continue to allow for greater private-sector participation in the workforce system,” said Curry. “The FAME USA system proves that employers want to and can drive workforce development to new heights.”

Learn more: Click to find out more about the FAME USA program, founded by Toyota and now operated by the MI.

Would you like to see the latest advanced technologies exhibited and explained for your benefit, all without leaving your office? The 51�Թ���’s Manufacturing Leadership Council’s virtual plant tours provide just such an opportunity, taking you inside cutting-edge processes and complex systems at manufacturing facilities across the country. Most recently, the MLC dropped in on Nexteer Automotive, where tour participants got to see its innovative Digital Trace Manufacturing™ (DTM) System in action.

Who they are: Nexteer specializes in electric and hydraulic power steering systems, steering columns and driveline systems, as well as advanced driver assistance systems and automated driving-enabling technologies. The company serves more than 60 customers around the world, including BMW, Ford, GM, Toyota and Volkswagen.

What is DTM? Nexteer’s DTM System connects and standardizes the company’s entire operations—including thousands of data-production components in 27 manufacturing plants around the world. To showcase the system’s capabilities, Nexteer took tour participants inside its Saginaw, Michigan, site, which includes six manufacturing plants comprising 3.1 million square feet of manufacturing floor space.

Tour highlights: Participants learned about the complexities of running a large-scale automotive component manufacturing plant, as well as how Nexteer uses the DTM System to maximize efficiency.

• Nexteer team members explained how they design and program machines for data processing, showing how they determine where data will be sent and how they use barcode scanners and other methods to track components’ serial numbers.
• Participants also got a virtual walk-through of Nexteer’s tracking system, which follows material from receiving and shipping through the production line with single-box precision. They also learned how Nexteer uses its Center of Analysis to correct any issues that arise.

Why it matters: It’s one thing to have a large system collecting data, and it’s another to be able to use that data effectively. The Nexteer virtual plant tour provided participants with practical takeaways, which will help them adopt similar innovations at their own facilities—for the benefit of employees, customers and shareholders alike.

Coming soon: Don’t miss the MLC’s upcoming tour of Johnson & Johnson’s facility on Wednesday, Dec. 1, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EST. You will see how Johnson & Johnson uses mobility tools, advanced robotics and material handling and adaptive process controls to improve its operations. After the tour, stay for the panel discussion on how to scale advanced manufacturing technologies to create a sustainable, reliable and adaptable product supply. Sign up .

The 51�Թ��� is pushing back against scheduled and proposed tax changes that would limit tax deductions for interest on business loans and make it more difficult for manufacturers to invest in growth.

Why it matters: Debt financing is critical to the manufacturing industry because it allows businesses of all sizes to invest in equipment and facilities. These investments spur job growth and help manufacturers compete in a global marketplace. Reducing or limiting manufacturers’ ability to deduct interest will make borrowing more expensive, making it more difficult for manufacturers to support America’s economic recovery and invest in future growth.

The provisions: There are three proposed tax changes, including one that is set to take effect at the end of this year and two put forward by the House Ways and Means Committee that have been proposed to help pay for the Build Back Better agenda.

• A new EBIT standard: The 2017 tax reform law limited the business interest deduction to 30 percent of earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization. Starting in 2022, the deduction will be further limited to 30 percent of earnings before interest and tax. Excluding depreciation and amortization would reduce the amount of interest businesses can deduct, making it more expensive for manufacturers to finance capital equipment purchases. The 51�Թ��� is leading the to oppose the change, and we’re championing a bipartisan that would preserve the EBITDA standard.

• New interest deductibility limitation: The House Ways and Means Committee’s budget reconciliation bill includes a new limitation on the deductibility of interest. The bill would impose a worldwide leverage test, disallowing interest deductions on top of the scheduled EBIT change. In fact, companies impacted by both this provision and the EBIT change would be forced to abide by whichever standard was the most limiting. This change would make the United States an outlier compared to other industrialized countries.

• New carry-forward restrictions: Manufacturers are currently allowed to carry forward unused interest deductions into future years, ensuring that they can deduct interest over time. The House bill would cap carry-forwards at five years, which could permanently deny some interest deductions and ultimately result in a net tax increase for many businesses.

Speaking out: All told, limiting interest deductibility makes it more expensive for manufacturers to invest in growth, which is why the 51�Թ��� has vocally opposed these changes.

“These scheduled and proposed changes to interest deductibility would disproportionately impact companies in the manufacturing sector,” 51�Թ��� Vice President, Tax and Domestic Economic Policy Chris Netram . “Following tax reform’s passage in 2017, manufacturing capital spending grew by 4.5% and 5.7% in 2018 and 2019—but limiting the deductibility of interest would threaten the sector’s progress and harm manufacturers’ ability to invest for the future.”

Manufacturing is the engine of U.S. economic growth. That’s why, when the Federal Reserve Board hosted a virtual Fed Listens event to discuss the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, it asked 51�Թ��� Chief Economist Chad Moutray to share his perspective.

In his remarks, Moutray gave an overview of activity in the manufacturing sector and laid out his expectations for the road ahead. Here are some of the highlights.

A positive outlook: “Manufacturers are experiencing very strong demand as the U.S. and global economy recovers from the steep declines in activity seen last year at the beginning of COVID-19,” said Moutray. “Indeed, the most recent 51�Թ��� Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey found that 87.5% of respondents were positive about their company’s outlook, which—while down from the three-year high seen in June—remained a healthy figure.”

Concerns on the horizon: “At the same time, manufacturing leaders cited rising raw material costs as their top concern for the third straight quarter, followed closely by challenges with attracting and retaining enough workers, with supply chain disruptions, and with logistics and transportation issues,” said Moutray. “Interestingly, 81.5% of those completing the survey said that workforce shortages were the biggest downside risk to their economic forecast, closely followed by supply chain disruptions, increased cost pressures and the continued spread of COVID-19, including the delta variant.”

Supply chain struggles: “While manufacturing growth remains solid, supply chain bottlenecks are significant, holding back even stronger expansions in the sector,” said Moutray. “Manufacturers continue to cite the backlog of cargo at the ports, the shortage of truck drivers and soaring shipping costs as significant impediments. In a just-in-time production environment, this poses a serious challenge to production and capacity—and the shortage of workers is not helping either.”

A look ahead: “These supply chain and logistics issues are likely to extend into at least the first half of 2022, at least based on my conversations with manufacturing executives,” said Moutray. “While pricing pressures are likely to stabilize as we move into 2022—assisted by a more-favorable base comparison—it is also clear that some costs will remain elevated relative to pre-pandemic levels, and core inflation might run hotter than we had become accustomed to.”

Dive Deeper: Read more about the economic outlook in the 51�Թ���’s 2021 3^rd Quarter Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey.