Press Releases - 10-2022 Archive

ERIE – The Manufacturer & Business Association (MBA) announced the winners of the 2022 Patrick R. Locco Scholarship Awards, during the ninth annual Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) celebration on Wednesday, October 12, at the Bayfront Convention Center, 1 Sassafras Pier.

2022 Locco Award winners are: Brilie Ann Tasker of the Corry Area Career & Technical Center; Chase Miller of the Crawford County Career & Technical Center; Jairo Sandoval of Erie High School; Tyler Chorney of the Erie County Technical School; and, Nate Leksell of the Mercer County Career Center.

Additional nominees include: David Parrett Jr., Taylor Elchynski, Jacob Kuberry and Trey Proper of the Corry Area Career & Technical Center; Garrick Jordan of the Crawford County Career & Technical Center; Joseph Smith and Jamear Moffett of Erie High School; Angela Dobmeier, Lewis Kuss, Connor Bablak and Anthony Ingro of the Erie County Technical School; and, Deven Olson and Jeno Grasso of the Mercer County Career Center.

“This is a major achievement and one that should be celebrated,” said Lori Joint, interim president and chief executive officer of the MBA. “These students are among the best and brightest students in technical education in our region, and we are proud to support them on their educational journey.”

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. To be considered for this prestigious honor, students must apply and be nominated by a teacher. Each school then narrows the nominees to their top candidates. Students are then interviewed by local businesspeople who ultimately choose the winners.

This year, the student winners each received a $1,000 scholarship.

ERIE – The Manufacturer & Business Association (MBA), along with dozens of partner and sponsor organizations, will host the 2022 Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) celebration on Wednesday, October 12, at the Bayfront Convention Center, 1 Sassafras Pier. More than 1,500 students, educators and community leaders from the region are expected to participate. All media are invited to attend. 

“We are proud to host one of the largest celebrations of manufacturing in the country,” said MBA Interim President and CEO Lori Joint. “It is a great day to showcase our region’s technology and innovation, and to hear the many career opportunities that are available in modern manufacturing.” 

Starting at 8 a.m. October 12, the Bayfront Convention Center (BCC) will host more than 50 interactive exhibits and displays, as well as educational breakout sessions on topics critical to manufacturing today. To close out the program, an Appreciation and Recognition event will be held at noon in the BCC Ballroom, featuring the presentation of the 2022 Patrick R. Locco Scholarship Award winners from five area vocational and technical schools. 

2022 Locco Award nominees include: David Parrett Jr., Taylor Elchynski, Jacob Kuberry, Brilie Ann Tasker and Trey Proper of the Corry Area Career & Technical Center; Garrick Jordan and Chase Miller of the Crawford County Career & Technical Center;  Jairo Sandoval, Joseph Smith and Jamear Moffett of Erie High School; Tyler Chorney, Angela Dobmeier, Lewis Kuss, Connor Bablak and Anthony Ingro of the Erie County Technical School; and, Deven Olson, Nate Leksell and Jeno Grasso of the Mercer County Career Center.

“We recognize the value and importance of technical and vocational education,” said Joint. “These are some of the best and brightest students in our region, and we are proud to give them their moment to shine among their peers and our business community leaders. They are truly the future of manufacturing.”

MFG Day is presented by the MBA, along with partners — the Northwest Pennsylvania National Tooling and Machining Association, Career Street and Harbor Creek School District — and major sponsor Airborn. Additional sponsors include Ridg-U-Rak, Inc., UPMC Health Plan, PNC, MacDonald Illig Attorneys, Howard Industries, Logistics Plus, McInnes Rolled Rings, Parker LORD, Widget Financial, Bonnell’s Truck & RV Collision, Welders Supply, Insurance Management Company, National Fuel, Greenleaf, Eriez Magnetics, Penn State Behrend, Gannon University, Smith Provision, Curtze Food Service, Wabtec, Ellwood National Forge, Northern Pennsylvania Regional College, American Turned Products, Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership, Acutec Precision Aerospace, Channellock, Humes Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM, Bayfront Convention Center, Money Radio WPSE, Jet24, Fox 66 and YourErie.com, Ameridrives, MFC Group (Meadville Forging Company), Value Point Associates (VPA), Sybridge Technologies, Izzit.org, The Matric Group, NEFF, Plastikos/Plastikos Medical and Micro Mold, Eastern Alliance, Penn West Edinboro, Erie Strayer, Industrial Sales & Mfg, Inc., and the Times Publishing Company.

Keynote Speaker Worked Alongside Elon Musk and Steve Jobs

ERIE – The Manufacturer & Business Association (MBA) will hold its 117th Annual Event featuring keynote speaker George Blankenship, a former executive at Tesla Motors, Apple Computer and GAP Inc., starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday, October 12, 2022, at the Bayfront Convention Center, 1 Sassafras Pier. All media are invited to attend. PLEASE NOTE: Blankenship will be available to speak to the media directly at 5:45 p.m. outside Room 160.

“It is going to be an exciting night,” said MBA Interim President and Chief Executive Officer Lori Joint. “Mr. Blankenship has been the chief strategist to some of the world’s biggest brands, and we expect he will deliver a powerful and entertaining message on what it means to cultivate a culture of forward-thinking innovation and transformation – and his lessons can be applied to any of our member organizations regardless of the industries they serve.”

Over his 30-year career, Blankenship has worked with manufacturers across different industries. In addition, his experience working with Tesla’s Elon Musk and Apple’s Steve Jobs has given him a unique perspective on how organizations can become industry or market leaders by focusing more on what can be possible vs. what needs to be done.

In his executive capacities at Tesla Motors, Blankenship successively served as vice president of design and store development, vice president of worldwide sales and ownership experience, and vice president of worldwide retail. In these roles, he redefined the car-buying experience, and, in turn, revolutionized the auto industry. Tesla’s Model S was named the MotorTrend “Car of the Year” in 2013, only a year after its introduction. It was the first electric car to ever receive this recognition.

Prior to his achievements at Tesla, Blankenship served as the senior executive of real estate at Apple. Recognized as the architect of Apple’s brand-building retail methodology, he formulated and executed one of the most successful retail growth strategies in history. His international “Smart Growth Hit List” encompassed major cities throughout Asia, Europe and North America. Apple also saw a material, sustained increase in sales, profit and consumer loyalty following Blankenship’s focus on reformulation of the consumer experience, the building of brand awareness, and ongoing accessibility to customers.

According to his official biography, Blankenship served as a senior executive for real estate strategy at GAP Inc. At GAP, Blankenship managed the growth of over 250 stores per year while establishing an energy-efficient, forward-thinking retail growth practice. His uniquely innovative processes have transformed secure, status quo organizations into dynamic players of the future.

Blankenship also has meaningfully redefined the purpose and importance of a superior customer experience in contemporary markets, honed and refined corporate values, and deeply strengthened customer loyalty.

A sellout each year, the MBA’s Annual Event is the tri-state region’s premier business networking event, featuring the nation’s most prominent figures in business, politics and journalism. Among the most recent speakers are Ret. Navy Admiral William McRaven (2021), American businesswoman Kat Cole (2019), “Shark Tank” stars Damon John (2018) and Robert Herjavec (2016), and legendary coach Lou Holtz (2017). The event was not held in 2020 due to COVID restrictions.

2022 Annual Event sponsors include Ridg-U-Rak, UPMC Health Plan, Logistics Plus, PNC, Howard Industries, MacDonald Illig, Greenleaf Corporation, Parker LORD Corporation, McInnes Rolled Rings, Insurance Management Company, Widget Financial and Bonnell’s Truck & RV Collision.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in these presentations reflect the views and opinions of the presenter and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Manufacturer & Business Association or any of its officers and directors.