Tour runs Oct. 2 – 9, will visit manufacturing facilities, colleges and community centers across Illinois to spotlight career opportunities and highlight modern manufacturing
DECATUR – The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) and the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) today launched the fifth annual “Makers on the Move” statewide bus tour, which will visit manufacturing facilities, educational institutions and community centers across Illinois to highlight the diverse, rewarding careers in manufacturing and offer an up-close look at today’s high-tech, clean, and sustainable manufacturing environments.
The “Makers on the Move” bus tour kicked off at TCCI Manufacturing in Decatur on Friday, Oct. 2, which is recognized nationally as Manufacturing Day. A global leader in electric and belt-driven compressors for commercial, heavy-duty, recreational and automotive specialty markets, TCCI is known for its leadership in innovation and sustainability, operating the Clean Energy Innovation Hub and the Clean Energy Workforce Academy, which are critical to Illinois’ growing electric vehicle ecosystem. Friday’s stop at TCCI also featured a ribbon-cutting for the Climatic Center for Innovation & Research, one of the first and most advanced public testing facility of its kind in the United States, providing a controlled, repeatable environment to design and validate thermal and vehicle solutions under real-world conditions, helping bring road-ready technologies to market faster.
After departing Decatur, the fully wrapped 45-foot bus will travel to communities across the state, making more than 30 stops along the way. Industry advocates traveling on the bus will be accompanied by educators, economic development leaders, public officials and other dignitaries who will engage communities and connect employers with the next generation of talent. More information about the tour, including a full list of stops, is available at https://makersonthemove.org.
“We’re excited to bring Makers on the Move to communities across Illinois as we spotlight the contributions of manufacturers and highlight the amazing employment opportunities available within the industry,” said Mark Denzler, President & CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Manufacturers are known for their hard work and innovation, who are perfectly embodied at TCCI Manufacturing, which leads the way in innovation and sustainability.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome the Makers on the Move tour to the Climatic Center for Innovation & Research, which represents another major milestone in what we set out to build here in Decatur – a place where manufacturing, research, education and innovation happen side by side,” said Kara Demirjian Huss, SVP of TCCI Manufacturing and Chairman of the IMA Board. “Companies are under enormous pressure to develop technologies that are more efficient, more sustainable and ready for a rapidly changing global market. The CCIR gives OEM engineering teams the ability to test and validate those technologies under controlled, repeatable real-world conditions, while working alongside our engineers to solve application challenges and send better technologies to market faster.”
“Climatic Center for Innovation & Research reflects TCCI’s continued investment in Illinois and is helping chart a brighter future for Decatur and our state,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The center will help manufacturers test new technologies and bring them to market, strengthening Decatur’s role as a hub for advanced manufacturing. Through our partnerships with community colleges, we’re also preparing local workers to be part of that growth. I look forward to seeing the innovations and new technologies that emerge from the new climatic center in the years ahead.”
Manufacturing is the largest contributor of any industry to the state’s Gross Domestic Product, generating more than $580 billion for the state’s economy each year. The industry directly employs 662,298 workers and supports as many as 1,771,928 jobs – nearly a third of all jobs in Illinois.
“The ‘Makers on the Move’ bus tour showcases the positive impact of manufacturers in communities across our state,” said Dan Hofmann, Interim President of the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center. “From Decatur to Springfield, DeKalb, Chicago, the Quad Cities and beyond, manufacturers are creating jobs, producing goods and contributing to the economic prosperity of their local communities. We will be celebrating their successes while highlighting the opportunities available for those interested in a career in manufacturing.”
Nationally, there are 580,000 open jobs in the manufacturing industry, including tens of thousands of available jobs in Illinois. The IMA and IMEC are dedicated to working with employers, educators, and lawmakers to enact policies that help attract and retain a skilled workforce. That includes securing a new law to increase student access to career and technical education, as well as pushing for funding to expand manufacturing training academies at community colleges across Illinois. These efforts are vital to ensuring Illinois can continue to experience strong economic growth in the coming decade, as more baby boomers are expected to exit the job market and companies seek to fill the resulting experience gaps.
“Today’s advanced manufacturing is clean, modern, dynamic and innovative and it offers a broad range of highly rewarding careers to those who choose to work in the industry,” said Sarah Hartwick, Senior Vice President and Corporate Board Secretary for the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and Executive Director of the IMA Foundation. “As we meet with students and educators during our stops at manufacturing facilities on this tour, we hope to spark their interest and open their eyes to the incredible career opportunities that manufacturing provides.”
