“Makers on the Move” Statewide Bus Tour Celebrating Manufacturing Month Makes Final Stops in Champaign-Urbana

Third annual tour logged 2,500 miles, made 40 stops at manufacturing facilities, schools and community centers to highlight job opportunities, economic contributions of the industry

CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Oct. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The “Makers on the Move” statewide bus tour will wrap up with stops this weekend in Champaign, after traveling more than 2,500 miles across Illinois to celebrate Manufacturing Month. The tour made roughly 40 stops at manufacturing facilities, educational institutions and community centers to spotlight career opportunities and highlight the industry’s widespread economic contributions.

Hosted by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) and the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC), the bus tour began at Ace Sign Company in Springfield on Oct. 4, which is recognized as National Manufacturing Day. The company manufactured the decorative wrap for this year’s bus, which was designed by Maxwell Lehman, a recent graduate of Springfield High School. The final stops of the tour will take place at the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory and iFAB Tech Hub in Urbana on Friday afternoon, followed by a tailgate appearance ahead of the University of Illinois football game on Saturday. Details about each stop of the “Makers on the Move” bus tour can be found at https://makersonthemove.org.

“We’ve had an amazing journey, witnessing the very best that Illinois manufacturing has to offer. From Carbondale to Kankakee and all points in between, we’ve been inspired by the dedicated women and men who keep our economy running while shaping our world,” said Sarah Hartwick, Vice President of Education & Workforce Policy at the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and Executive Director of the IMA Education Foundation. “We hope this tour has helped shed some light on the many amazing career opportunities available in the manufacturing industry. No matter your interests or your background – there’s a job for you in manufacturing.”

Manufacturing is the largest contributor of any industry to the state’s Gross Domestic Product, generating more than $580 billion for the state’s economy each year. The industry directly employs 662,298 workers but ultimately supports as many as 1,771,928 jobs – nearly a third of all jobs in Illinois.

“As we come to the end of this remarkable tour, I’m struck by the resiliency and creativity that defines our state’s manufacturing industry,” said David Boulay, PhD, President of the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center. “It’s been an amazing experience to witness the many ways manufacturers are investing in our communities and building on our state’s proud manufacturing legacy. This enduring spirit will ensure Illinois remains a manufacturing powerhouse for decades to come.”

Nationally, there are more than 500,000 open jobs in the manufacturing industry, including tens of thousands of available jobs in Illinois. The IMA and IMEC are dedicated to working with employers, educators, and lawmakers to enact policies that help attract and retain a skilled workforce. These efforts are vital to ensuring Illinois can continue to experience strong economic growth in the coming decade, as more baby boomers are expected to exit the job market and companies seek to fill the resulting experience gaps.

About the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA)
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association is the only statewide association dedicated exclusively to advocating, promoting and strengthening the manufacturing sector in Illinois. The IMA is the oldest and largest state manufacturing trade association in the United States, representing nearly 4,000 companies and facilities. For more information, please visit http://ima-net.org/.

About the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC)
The Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) serves as the state’s U.S. Department of Commerce NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership center. IMEC is a team of industry improvement specialists dedicated to providing Illinois Manufacturers with the solutions, tools, and resources to create sustainable, competitive futures. IMEC drives growth through enterprise excellence, helping organizations become more effective and efficient through tailored solutions and support. In 2023, they assisted over 2,500 companies and helped create or retain over 5,200 jobs, resulting in over $650M aggregate impact to the Illinois economy. For more information, visit https://www.imec.org. 

CONTACT: David Boulay, Ph.D

[email protected]

SOURCE IMEC