Reaching out to the next generation

Wood-Mizer LLC, manufacturer of portable sawmills, welcomed approximately 90 students from four southeast Indiana high schools on Oct. 28 to its facility in New Point, Ind., to help celebrate national Manufacturing Day. The event included a classroom presentation, plant tour and demonstration of turning logs into lumber.

“They learned how the skills they are learning in school transfer to their real-world environment and that there are local opportunities for jobs or internships instead of having to go out of state for manufacturing,” company marketing manager Chase Warner says.

The event was held in cooperation with Economic Opportunities through Education by 2015 (EcO15), a program connecting residents of southeast Indiana with economic opportunities through education.

The program was an early adopter of the national “Dream It. Do It.” public awareness campaign created by the Manufacturing Institute of the National Association of Manufacturers to address the looming manufacturing labor shortage. The campaign is designed to reach students, beginning in middle school, to introduce them to advanced manufacturing career opportunities and help them understand the skills and education required to be successful.

Warner says Wood-Mizer offers several opportunities including summer internships and jobs for those 18 and over, and also temporary work. Through the years, Wood-Mizer has contributed to Indiana schools and education systems as far away as Africa and the South Pacific.

The company annually supports dozens of community projects such as volunteer fire department funding, expanding church camps and sustaining local museums.

“Wood-Mizer’s dedication and support to local communities has been a priority of our company since 1982,” Wood-Mizer COO Darryl Floyd says. “Welcoming students to our manufacturing plant is a great educational opportunity to see how skills learned in school translate to a real business environment.”

Contact: Wood-Mizer LLC. Tel: 800-553-0182. www.woodmizer.com.

This article originally appeared in the December 2014 issue.