ERIE – The Manufacturer & Business Association (The MBA), along with dozens of partner and sponsor organizations, will host the 12th annual Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) celebration on Wednesday, October 8, at the Bayfront Convention Center, 1 Sassafras Pier. More than 2,000 students, educators and community leaders from the region are expected to participate. All media are invited to attend.
“MFG Day is one of the most highly anticipated events in our region — a program where students, educators and employers come together to make the manufacturing connection,” said MBA President and CEO Lori Joint. “We hope to not only educate participants about the cutting-edge innovation and technology that are happening in this exciting business sector but also the many career opportunities that are available in northwest Pennsylvania and beyond.”
Starting at 8 a.m. October 8, the Bayfront Convention Center (BCC) will host more than 60 interactive exhibits and displays, as well as educational breakout sessions on topics critical to manufacturing. To close out the program, an Appreciation and Recognition event will be held at noon, featuring the presentation of the 2025 Patrick R. Locco Scholarship Award winners from four area vocational and technical schools, who have each received $1,000 scholarships. The Locco Awards, which are named in honor of the late Association Vice President Patrick R. Locco, a strong advocate of vocational education, were created in 1972 (then known as the Golden Watch Awards) with the sole purpose to recognize outstanding high school students who distinguish themselves in the pursuit of technical and academic excellence.
2025 Locco Award nominees include: Ayden Beckerink, Kamdyn Moon, Maci Turner, Trenton Lodbell and Isaac Hicks, Corry Area Career & Technical Center; Charles Dickey, Connor Dunn and Gregory Sklenar, Crawford County Career & Technical Center; Jackxiel Alicea, Lalia Newton, Eric Nowlin and Mohammad Alzamel, Erie High School; and Tyler Rakowski, Ken Byerly, Braydon Kehl and Benjamin Moffett, Erie County Technical School.
MFG Day 2025 is presented by The MBA, along with partners — the Northwest Pennsylvania National Tooling and Machining Association, Career Street, Harbor Creek School District, and Crawford County K-12 Career Education Alliance — and major sponsor AirBorn, along with dozens of other sponsor companies.
For more information, visit mbausa.org.
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The MBA (Manufacturer & Business Association), founded in 1905, represents more than 2,000 member companies in 54 counties across the Commonwealth. The MBA is dedicated to helping employers face challenges by delivering services that lower the cost of doing business, ease the burden of compliance and increase productivity for its members. For more information, visit mbausa.org.