By Joshua Schuetz
On October 16th, 130 high school students and community members from Martin and Faribault Counties toured 10 local manufacturing businesses, thanks to an initiative led by the Martin and Faribault County EDAs. The event, organized by CEDA team members Amber Patten and Celia Simpson, aimed to celebrate manufacturers and connect students and community members with career opportunities in the local manufacturing sector.
“October is Manufacturer’s Month, so we wanted to do something in that month,” Patten said. “The main target audience was junior and senior high school students, people looking for employment in manufacturing and community members interested in manufacturing in both counties.”
Both EDAs funded the event, which was free for manufacturers and participants. All manufacturers received complimentary drone footage for marketing purposes.
“We wanted to make sure it was accessible to manufacturers, so there was no charge,” Simpson said. “We didn’t have any trouble with funding, thanks to generous donations and grants from Compeer Financial, the Huisman Fund, and support from our EDAs.”
Additional sponsors included the American Legion-Fairmont, Winnebago Lions, Nasinec Funeral Home, Fastenal, Napa Auto Parts in Fairmont and Blue Earth, Ryno Repair in Faribault County, and the Five Lakes Centre Mall in Fairmont. The Truman, United South Central, Blue Earth Area, and Martin County West School districts participated, sending students to tour the facilities.
Each business provided tours, showcasing their operations and sharing information about job opportunities. Local manufacturers valued the chance to engage directly with students.
“Participating in the Tour of Manufacturing Event was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our exciting careers at Kahler Automation,” said Jessica Horst, a talent acquisition specialist at Kahler Automation. “By inspiring young people to explore these fields, we’re not only securing the future of our business but also making sure they know about the great local opportunities right here in our community.”
Ron’s Plumbing and HVAC in Wells shared similar sentiments, posting on Facebook: “Last week, we had the privilege of being part of the Faribault and Martin Counties Tour of Manufacturing! It was a great opportunity to showcase our work to high school students and adults who visited Ron’s!”
Simpson emphasized the importance of manufacturing to the regional economy, which both EDAs aimed to recognize through this event. “About 15 percent of jobs in our region are provided by local manufacturers,” Simpson said. “That’s a significant part of our local economy, and we wanted to recognize that.”