ROCKFORD, IL – The co-producers of Manufacturing Day are collaborating with the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) to expand the annual celebration of manufacturing across North America.

CME declared October as Manufacturing Month in Canada, and the organization is committed to supporting the development of manufacturing open-house events across all provinces throughout the month. This includes the development of special plant tour guides created specifically for manufacturers in each of the provinces. Those guides have been shared from CME’s Manufacturing Month portal (www.mfgmonth.ca) and posted on the Manufacturing Day website (www.mfgday.com) in a special Canadian resource section.

Manufacturing Day was developed to improve public perception of manufacturing and is supported by thousands of manufacturers as they host students, teachers, parents, job seekers and other local community members at open houses designed to showcase modern manufacturing technology and careers.

“While the Manufacturing Day co-producers have, over the years, produced many helpful toolkits and guides for companies planning open house and other community events, we’re delighted to be collaborating with CME, which has provided resources that speak to the unique needs of Canadian manufacturers,” said Ed Youdell, President and CEO of FMA. “It’s marvelous to be able to add all of the statistical information on manufacturing’s economic impact in Canada to the collected statistics from the U.S. and have a much broader picture of how manufacturing contributes to our North American lifestyles.”

Manufacturing Day co-producers in the United States include the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International (FMA), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the Manufacturing Institute (MI), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).

In addition to the sharing of information and resources to allow manufacturers in both countries to market their Manufacturing Day and Month events, the two organizations will be working with Edge Factor to bring the stories of manufacturing to the schools where students can access them.

“The skilled labor crisis exists on both sides of the border between our countries,” said Jeff Brownlee, Vice President, Public Affairs and Business Development, CME. “We all need to focus on creating a showcase for manufacturing and encouraging young people to explore manufacturing careers if we are to keep this vital sector of our economies strong in the decades to come. Through this collaborative effort, we can deliver the important messages with strength and clarity.”

Canadian manufacturers now can register their Manufacturing Month events on the Manufacturing Day website so that potential visitors will be able to find events and register to attend them.