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Kalispell Chamber begins recruitment for 2015 Manufacturing Month

Valley’s manufacturers highlighted in September and October

These may be the sweet days of summer but for the Kalispell Chamber, there will be little rest and relaxation this season. Instead, the Chamber will be gearing up for Fall, which brings with it a myriad of activities centered around one of the area’s fastest growing sectors – manufacturing.

Manufacturing Month, as the Chamber has dubbed it, will stretch over approximately five weeks. It will launch September 15 at the Chamber’s Fall luncheon and will end with the annual Timber Tour on Thursday, October 22. The month’s premier event, Manufacturing Day, will be held on October 2. The Chamber is now recruiting for sponsors and business participants for the October 2 event.

Manufacturing Day gives manufacturers an opportunity to raise awareness of manufacturing issues and opportunities by simply exhibiting what they do to visitors curious about manufacturing. On the first Friday in October, thousands of manufacturers across the nation participate in Manufacturing Day by hosting open houses, public tours, career workshops and other events. Through this collective effort, Manufacturing Day draws public attention to manufacturing’s present-day reality and encourages job seekers to develop the skills they need to qualify for long-term careers in this growing sector of the economy.

In 2014, The Kalispell Chamber launched its first Manufacturing Day, which enjoyed immediate success. In its inaugural year, the Flathead Valley’s 2014 Manufacturing Day boasted nine different facility tours attended by 320 citizens. With manufacturing comprising the largest component of Flathead County’s basic industry earnings for the period 2012 to 2014, based on findings from a study from the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research, the Kalispell Chamber has recognized this general knowledge and support for this industry is critical to local economic growth.

The Kalispell Chamber invites manufacturers of all types, from Food & Beverage to Machining, to host a tour or forum in this year’s Manufacturing Day. Other event opportunities include sponsorship or participation on a steering committee helping to head this five-week initiative. Sponsorship levels for this event range from $250 to $1,000. Those interested in sponsorship, the steering committee, or hosting a tour may contact [email protected] or call 758-2803.

The local goals of Manufacturing Month are to raise awareness for the area’s fastest growing industry, to work together to address the skilled labor shortage that manufacturers face, and to connect with future generations. Through this event, those involved will also help to take charge of the public image of manufacturing, and ensure the ongoing prosperity of the whole industry.

For more information about Manufacturing Day, please visit http://www.mfgday.com.

About the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau

Since 1904, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau has been a leading voice in strengthening the Kalispell community and its business climate, with the goal of making Kalispell and the Flathead Valley an ideal location to live and work. The Chamber consists of 700 businesses and organizations, which employ over half of the workforce in Flathead County, Montana.

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The Kalispell Chamber of Commerce is the longest-standing and leading advocate for the Flathead Valley community and business climate.

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