Manufacturing: Chenango’s 21st Century success story
By Steve Craig
Commerce Chenango
CHENANGO COUNTY – Never judge a book by its cover. The same goes for a manufacturing facility. From the outside, they can appear non-descript. But step inside and you will find a world of innovation, technology and know-how.
The manufacturing floor is an ever-changing environment where old products and processes are being reinvented every day to meet the demands of the global marketplace.
Here in Chenango, our manufacturers are literally world-class. They have to be in order to compete on the global stage. State-of-the-art equipment, advanced manufacturing practices and, most importantly, the best workers are all right here, sending sophisticated products out into the world every day.
The process starts, of course, with raw materials and components that themselves are of little value to a customer or end-user. However, the final products are incredibly valuable. This “value-added” is the reason manufacturing wages average over $53,000 a year in Chenango County, and the reason manufacturing has always been a leading economic driver here.
There is a perception that America’s manufacturing days are over. But in truth, manufacturing remains the backbone of our economy.
When you hear someone say “America doesn’t make things any more” tell them that manufacturing accounts for about 12 percent of US economic output, the same percentage as in 1960. What’s changed is how many workers it takes to achieve that output. In 1960, it was about 24% of the workforce. Because of technology-driven efficiency, that’s down to about 9% today. That 9% possesses a much more sophisticated skill-set than the manufacturing workers of the past.
While there is no denying our area experienced a marked decline in manufacturing in the latter part of the 20th century, it is the largest growth sector of our current economy. Since the year 2000, we’ve seen a net increase of 691 manufacturing jobs, thanks largely to the Raymond Corporation and Chobani, but also because of small but steady gains at other companies, including Unison and Chentronics.
Today, Chenango’s manufacturers employ more than 4,800 people.
The role manufacturing will play in Chenango’s future depends on whether we can equip our local workforce with the skills that are increasingly being required of manufacturing workers.
This issue is nothing new. I can show you articles from the 1960s that decry the mismatch between skills taught in school, and the skills that employers require. Change a couple of names, and you could print those stories in tomorrow’s paper.
We need to create a system that brings educators, workforce professionals and employers together on an on-going basis. The good news is this collaboration has started and is gaining momentum thanks to the commitment of our local manufacturers, Morrisville State College, DCMO BOCES, individual school districts, the NYS Department of Labor, Chenango County and economic development organizations like our own.
One exciting recent development: Steven Palmatier, the county’s industrial workforce liason, has identified cutting-edge, industry-approved training that could easily and inexpensively be made available to all local students.
Today, on Manufacturing Day, we celebrate all of Chenango’s manufacturers. Thank you for your many contributions to our community. For driving our economy, creating diverse career options, for supporting our community events, for innovating in your chosen fields and, most importantly, for choosing to call Chenango County home.
Submitted Photo
Commerce Chenango
CHENANGO COUNTY – Never judge a book by its cover. The same goes for a manufacturing facility. From the outside, they can appear non-descript. But step inside and you will find a world of innovation, technology and know-how.
The manufacturing floor is an ever-changing environment where old products and processes are being reinvented every day to meet the demands of the global marketplace.
Here in Chenango, our manufacturers are literally world-class. They have to be in order to compete on the global stage. State-of-the-art equipment, advanced manufacturing practices and, most importantly, the best workers are all right here, sending sophisticated products out into the world every day.
The process starts, of course, with raw materials and components that themselves are of little value to a customer or end-user. However, the final products are incredibly valuable. This “value-added” is the reason manufacturing wages average over $53,000 a year in Chenango County, and the reason manufacturing has always been a leading economic driver here.
There is a perception that America’s manufacturing days are over. But in truth, manufacturing remains the backbone of our economy.
When you hear someone say “America doesn’t make things any more” tell them that manufacturing accounts for about 12 percent of US economic output, the same percentage as in 1960. What’s changed is how many workers it takes to achieve that output. In 1960, it was about 24% of the workforce. Because of technology-driven efficiency, that’s down to about 9% today. That 9% possesses a much more sophisticated skill-set than the manufacturing workers of the past.
While there is no denying our area experienced a marked decline in manufacturing in the latter part of the 20th century, it is the largest growth sector of our current economy. Since the year 2000, we’ve seen a net increase of 691 manufacturing jobs, thanks largely to the Raymond Corporation and Chobani, but also because of small but steady gains at other companies, including Unison and Chentronics.
Today, Chenango’s manufacturers employ more than 4,800 people.
The role manufacturing will play in Chenango’s future depends on whether we can equip our local workforce with the skills that are increasingly being required of manufacturing workers.
This issue is nothing new. I can show you articles from the 1960s that decry the mismatch between skills taught in school, and the skills that employers require. Change a couple of names, and you could print those stories in tomorrow’s paper.
We need to create a system that brings educators, workforce professionals and employers together on an on-going basis. The good news is this collaboration has started and is gaining momentum thanks to the commitment of our local manufacturers, Morrisville State College, DCMO BOCES, individual school districts, the NYS Department of Labor, Chenango County and economic development organizations like our own.
One exciting recent development: Steven Palmatier, the county’s industrial workforce liason, has identified cutting-edge, industry-approved training that could easily and inexpensively be made available to all local students.
Today, on Manufacturing Day, we celebrate all of Chenango’s manufacturers. Thank you for your many contributions to our community. For driving our economy, creating diverse career options, for supporting our community events, for innovating in your chosen fields and, most importantly, for choosing to call Chenango County home.
Submitted Photo
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