CCCC's National Manufacturing Day showcases local industry and career paths

SANFORD — Central Carolina Community College brought together hundreds of area students, manufacturers, job seekers, community members, and education and workforce partners at its National Manufacturing Day Event on Oct. 2. 

The annual celebration — which included about 750 attendees and 900 total participants this year — provides an opportunity for area manufacturers to showcase their products and processes. 

From perfume makers to pharmaceutical companies, each manufacturer had a unique perspective to share with visitors. So did representatives highlighting educational opportunities in fields like machining, biotechnology, and business at CCCC and other colleges and universities. 

“It’s really cool,” said Lucas Nicolay, a 10th-grader at Harnett Early College, Benhaven Campus. “I didn’t know that manufacturing had so many sides to it.” 

Erik Alvarez Martinez, a Junior at Lee County High School, said he’s interested in the engineering aspects of manufacturing, because of his career interest in possibly becoming an electrical engineer, like his father. 

“I went to every single stand to see each company’s relation to electrical engineering and got cards from every single table,” he said. “It was such an eye-opening opportunity for me.” 

At Triangle Brick Company’s booth, Assistant Plant Manager Wesley White, Jr. showed off samples of some of the colors and textures of brick made at the company’s plant in Moncure. The facility makes about 60 million bricks per year, through a process that starts with digging up Triassic shale soil from a quarry behind the plant and ends with bricks packaged for sale. 

White said he wants to get younger people interested in their operation and find talent for the plant, perhaps someone hardworking and reliable who could rotate through multiple manager roles there to learn the process and work their way up to his job one day. 

At Edelbrock Group’s booth, representatives displayed some of the auto parts they manufacture, such as the carburetors that they make at their facility in Sanford. 

“I like working with my hands,” shared Edelbrock Group Maintenance and Tooling Specialist Anna Stockdale during a chat with Nicolay, the Harnett Early College student. 

Nicolay then checked out Mertek Solutions, also based in Sanford, which makes machines for other manufacturers. 

CCCC student Kaitlyn Wood was helping visitors to Mertek Solutions booth interact with a Fanuc robotic arm and learn about its safety and voice command features. 

“This robot is going to give you a golf ball,” she said. “I want you to press this button; whenever you press it, say, ‘Can I get a golf ball please?’”

Jerry Pedley, President and Employee Owner of Mertek Solutions, stood nearby, thrilled. 

He explained he had never met Wood before. She had come by to ask about the possibility of job shadowing with a woman at the company and had watched the robot demonstration. Pedley then asked her to teach it to the next person in line, not believing she’d take him up on it. But Wood had immediately grasped the demonstration. 

For nearly an hour, she volunteered at the booth, engaging other Manufacturing Day attendees. 

“It’s enjoyable to be able to help other people and watch them light up,” she said.

For more information on how CCCC connects with industry in central North Carolina, through programs like National Manufacturing Day, visit www.cccc.edu/industry.