ASHLAND — Food trucks overtook part of Ashland’s business park Thursday afternoon as part of an effort to celebrate National Manufacturing Day, which aims to “show students, parents and the public what modern manufacturing is all about.”
This year’s celebration offered manufacturing employees a chance to grab lunch and cookies.
Students also had a chance to tour several manufacturing businesses in the business park thanks to the Regional Manufacturing Coalition.
According to a press release about the event, students from Ashland City Schools, Mapleton Local Schools, Hillsdale Local Schools and Crestview Local Schools toured SJE, Harris Welding & Machine Co., Barbasol and Schaeffler Transmission Systems.
(Below is a PDF of the press release.)
Brett Rine and Darrell Kimry, Jr., both work at Lawgix International. The business “specializes in packaging supplies for the industrial and agribusiness markets,” according to the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce.
Both Rine and Kimry said the National Manufacturing Day event was a nice gesture.
Kimry, a 21-year-old Ashland High grad, said he’s been in the manufacturing business for five years. Thursday was only his third day at Lawgix International, but he’s worked at several other manufacturing businesses in the area too.
“This is a nice time to get out,” Kimry said. “It just makes you feel more appreciated.”
Rine, a 25-year-old who’s worked at Lawgix International about seven months, agreed.
He described himself as a working man, and said he appreciates how well Lawgix International has treated him. He added the event was “cool,” and said he had an extra half-hour tacked onto his lunch break to take part in the celebration.
Cameo Carey, the director of Grow Ashland, said this year was the first time they’d brought the celebration to the business park. Throughout the day, she said people were appreciative of the event.
In Ashland, Carey said, manufacturing makes up a large part of the workforce. The diverse manufacturing base in the area also allows Ashland to continue innovating in that industry.
