LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — People who spend their time making things spent this day meeting others just like them.
They gathered at Mohegan Sun Pocono near Wilkes-Barre, where they hosted a big manufacturing expo organized by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC).
“A greater awareness of NEPA's manufacturing industry, what I've been hearing today is a lot of people are saying, 'I didn't know that was made in PA.' Or 'I didn't know that was made in NEPA,'” said NEPIRC marketing manager Chelsey Coslett.
Many products sold around the country and the world are made right here in our area. Space Age Plastics near Mount Cobb makes everything from Penn State Nittany Lions to plastic baseball helmet bowls.
“A lot of it has been with the manufacturing pushed overseas for so many years, but I think now we're on the other side of that curve where it's starting to come back," said Jared McTague, co-owner of Space Age Plastics. “I think they should be getting more excited about it because there's a lot more opportunities now that are showing back up, not just in the country, but in their backyard, and I think that Manufacturing Day is a great way to present that.”
McTague says that the definition of manufacturing is changing, and it will play an even bigger role in the economy around here.
“There's a lot of new exciting things coming to manufacturing, and I would say differentiate itself a lot from other industries that are out there. There is a lot of technology involved these days, so you're not just dealing directly with manufacturing. You have opportunities in different technical fields,” he added.
McTague says he is leaving the convention with new connections, new customers, and new opportunities to grow his business.
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