National MFG Day is held annually the first Friday in October, but we celebrate for a whole
week! It is our opportunity to shine a light on the importance of manufacturing to the economic
vitality and vibrancy of our communities, and to show the next generation what modern, urban
manufacturing looks like.
This year for Manufacturing Week 2023, we hosted 15 factory tours for 350 San Jose high
school students to inspire them to pursue careers in the sector.
Hands-on activities were part of the tour at Peak Technology Enterprises,
a certified woman-owned and minority business enterprise that
specializes in custom plastic machined and fabricated products primarily for the medical and semiconductor market segments.
Students from SIATech Charter High School toured
Vander-Bend Manufacturing, giving them a look into what local
advanced manufacturing looks like.
Manufacturing Week is also a time to bring manufacturers together to build community and
celebrate the positive impact the sector has on the economy, job creation, technological
advancements, and innovation. We hosted a networking celebration – Celebrate MFG at
Hapa’s Brewing, that brought together manufactures and industry supporters,
including Mayor of San Jose Matt Mahan.
Our keynote speaker Christine Holly Ngo, a self-prescribed MFG Evangelist and the VP of
Operations & Business Development at Silicon Valley Elite Manufacturing, shared her inspiring
journey from Hollywood to her family’s manufacturing business, and reminded us of the
importance of keeping manufacturing local. In her words:
“Now my brother and I are on a mission to help my dad’s vision of keeping manufacturing in
America, but it’s more than just America, we need to help keep manufacturing in California and
especially the Bay Area. We are in the hub of innovation, Silicon Valley, where prototypes need
to be made. As everyone is focused on AI, VR, and AR, we can’t forget that things still need to
be made and built. Innovation and technology require physical components. We can
incorporate advanced technologies such as robotics in our manufacturing operations to cut
costs. Adding robots doesn’t cut jobs because we still need humans to program
the robots. There’s a huge opportunity for manufacturers to thrive in the area.
We need to show more women and the next generation that manufacturing isn’t dirty, dark
and dangerous like what most people may think. It’s a dynamic and rewarding field.”
Mayor of San Jose Mat Mahan addressed the room and
expressed his support for the sector.
“What’s truly exhilarating about machining and
manufacturing is that we bring dreams to life.”
– keynote speaker Christine Holly Ngo
